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thecityman · 03-16-2020, 11:43 AM

THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN RESOLVED!!!! I don't know how to delete this entire post or I would. Update/explanation is at bottom.

Greetings friends. Its been a while since I've checked in and I'm sorry for that. WE can catch up later right now I really hope someone can help me with my lights.

So, last night they all worked, I turned them off, went to bed, and all was well. We didn't have any lighting or storms in the night. I wake up and turn on a light and it doesn't work. I try many more, and none of the ones in my kitchen work- - which is 6 lights. These are the 12 volt, hockey puck shaped lights in the ceiling that you push to turn on and off. They are LED lights. OH...you should also know that the ceiling lights in the bedroom still work, so my whole 12 volt system isn't out- just the ceiling lights.

The obvious thing would be that a fuse has blown, but I checked every single one of my 12 volt fuses. I didn't just eyeball them, I actually replaced every fuse in the whole box with a brand new fuse of the same aperage. SO this isn't a fuse problem.

One small note: on every other fuse in the 12 volt fuse box, when you pull the fuse out, a small red light comes on indicating (I guess) that the circuit is open and/or the fuse is out. It comes on when I pull every fuse except the one it says is for overhead lights. THe little red light beside it doesn't come on when I pull it out to replace it.

please understand that I know nothing whatever about electrical things and am just an awful mechanical/electrical person in general-no experience whatsoever with fixing things.

THe handbook doesn't offer much help either.

Any ideas would be much appreciated!

************ UPDATE: Problem Resolved****************

The stupidity is great in this one!!!! So....it turns out.....man this is really bad.....that I simply had the 12 volt light switch turned off!!! You see, I never ever use this switch, but in my main control panel by the door there is one switch that controls all the kitchen interior lights. But I have never used it in the 4 months I have owned my RV. I simply go around and turn all the overhead lights that I want on or off at the light itself. I guess that sounds silly also when I could just turn them all on at once, but its just the habit I got into from day one. SO I never ever use the switch controlling all the lights at once and forgot about it existing. THis morning when I turned on my hot water heater with the switch right beside it, I probably hit it too. That turned the power off to all my overhead lights. Then when I tried to turn them on one at a time, of course they didn't work.

Anyway, I'm sorry for the false alarm and feel very stupid about it. Like I said, if I knew how to delete this entire post I would but hopefully I've made it clear so no one wastes time trying to help me with a problem I already resolved. THanks

Shadowcatche · 03-16-2020, 07:43 PM

Always nice to see a problem resolution

winniman · 03-16-2020, 08:04 PM

The joys of learning the art of rving. Don't feel bad, you aren't the first, nor will you be the last. We all go through it, and occasionally have a relapse.

Det57 · 03-16-2020, 08:05 PM

Been there....done that.....here is another one for future reference......coaches have GFI outlets that control many other electrical things. Before digging through a boat load of fuses always check to make sure a GFI hasn't popped.

Persistent · 03-17-2020, 07:25 AM

FYI
The little fuse lights that light up when you pull the fuse are intended to show which fuse is blown. However, for the light to work there must be a load that is on the circuit. Pulling the fuse has the same effect as a blown fuse. The light lights up.
The one fuse that didn't light up had no load on it because the control panel switch was turned off. If you again pull the fuse when the light switches are on, the light will light up.
Glad you found the solution. Of course things like that never happen to me.

I wish you good luck and happy trails ahead!

thecityman · 03-18-2020, 12:26 AM

THank you all so much for the great information and for being kind enough not to give me any grief for asking for help solving a problem cause by something as dumb as the switch being turned off. ANd as long as I'm admitting my stupidity, I must go ahead and confess to @ DET57 that I actually had that dumb problem as well!!!!! Yep. One day none of my plugs worked. I spent hours checking fuses/circuit breakers, watching Youtube help videos, and more. Finally someone right here ask if I'd checked the ground fault switch! I didn't know I had one. Turns out only one of my plugs, the one in bathroom, had one. I pushed the button and sure enough-all my plugs worked again!!! But that was the first week I owned my trailer. This lighting thing happened this week which is 3.5 months after I bought my RV! One would hope that by now I'd have become a little more RV smart. But no, apparently not! Oh well. THanks again for the help and kindness

CharlesinGA · 03-18-2020, 08:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Persistent

FYI
The little fuse lights that light up when you pull the fuse are intended to show which fuse is blown. However, for the light to work there must be a load that is on the circuit. Pulling the fuse has the same effect as a blown fuse. The light lights up.
The one fuse that didn't light up had no load on it because the control panel switch was turned off. If you again pull the fuse when the light switches are on, the light will light up.
Glad you found the solution. Of course things like that never happen to me.

I wish you good luck and happy trails ahead!

Need a like button. This is the exact thing I was going to write.

If you own an older RV that has a fuse panel without the LED indicators, you can buy fuses that have the LED built into them. Just check at the auto parts place.

Charles

Det57 · 03-20-2020, 09:36 PM

Only ONE GFI ?? Usually one near the kitchen sink as well......just suggesting you double check... Thanks for the confession.....you are forgiven!

TMyers17 · 03-22-2020, 07:50 PM

We were camping the first week of this year in South Carolina so it was cold in the mornings. I woke up and the heat was running (Gas) but when I went to make coffee, I got nothing. I started checking breakers but none had tripped. I was braced for there being a serious problem.

Turns out, someone must have snagged my power cord during the night and pulled the plug out.