Troubleshooting Lights on 2006 Palomino Tent Trailer

Updated 07/17/2015 | Published 07/16/2015

Question:

There is 14V power coming out of the converter but when i turn on the roof light, it kills the power to 0V. Could this be due to the ground or is the converter not able to provide sufficient power?

asked by: Alex

Expert Reply:

Either a bad ground or an overloaded trailer wiring harness on your vehicle could cause the issue you describe. Without knowing anything about your vehicle or which harness you are using its tough to narrow down the source for the problem. It could also be a bad voltage regulator or alternator on the vehicle.

If you are using a powered converter that gets its power for the trailer lights from a direct battery connection then the more likely explanation is the bad ground. If you are using a non-powered harness that taps into the vehicle lighting circuits for power, such as the Draw-Tite # 18004 that you referenced, then an overload becomes a more likely explanation, although it could still be a ground problem too. Grounds must be firmly secured to clean bare metal surfaces.

If you can confirm the output capacity of the harness and the power draw from the light you can determine whether the issue is an overload.

Please feel free to let me know the year/make/model/version of your vehicle, the brand and part number for your harness, and whether the roof light you refer to is in the vehicle or in the trailer and I'll be glad to assist. The linked article may offer you some guidance in the meantime.

expert reply by: Adam R