Camper Brake Light and Signal Lights Troubleshooting

Updated 07/24/2019 | Published 07/20/2019

Question:

Brake Light and Signal Lights not working on camper

asked by: Sharon

Expert Reply:

This could be either an issue with grounding or a short in the system. A good place to start is to perform some basic troubleshooting.

Try to identify if the problem is found at the tow vehicle or trailer. Start by separating the two and test the tow vehicle first at the trailer connector. You will need a 12V probe style circuit tester like # PTW2993. The attached video is a helpful resource to get your started

If you find the problem when testing on your tow vehicle first check the fuses. If the fuses are good review the ground connector terminals. If there are multiple stacked in a location, disconnect and reorder them to see if that addresses it. Also try running a wire from the ground connector to the tow vehicle battery to test. If this solves it, make this ground permanently attached to the battery or other ground location.

If everything checks out on the vehicle's connector, the problem is in your trailer. be sure each signal component has separate ground connections, are attached to the frame, and that those connection points are clean.

If you have checked all of these options, visually inspect your wiring, looking for any damage on either the trailer or your vehicle depending on how your connector originally tested. If you still do not find the problem after these steps, certainly check back and I can provide more troubleshooting procedures to try.

expert reply by: Patrick R