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Old 06-14-2014, 07:32 AM   #1
Paintpro99
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12 VOLT LIGHTING

In my 2008 3400RL Montana, the two 12 volt lights over the couch in living room slide and the one under the cupboards over the kitchen table are intermittently working. Sometimes they work - sometimes they don't. They are all connected to the one fuse and the fuse looks ok. Has anybody had issues with their 12 volt lights?
 
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Old 06-14-2014, 07:49 AM   #2
jcurtis934
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Would have thought that someone with a 3400rl would have jumped on this post by now. I don't have that model, but I would suspect that it is an issue with the 12 vdc source that feeds those...either a loose wire on the back of the converter for that fuse OR if there is a junction box under the living room slide that may have been used by the factory to run power wiring. I would check the fuse with a meter to make sure that 12 vdc is present on both sides of the fuse WHEN the lights aren't working. That would tell me that there is a wiring issue, either at the converter or near the slide (junction box). Hope this helps in some way. John
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Old 06-14-2014, 12:35 PM   #3
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Are they the lights on the outside wall? If so the wire connectors, (light fixture wire to dc wiring) sometimes draw moisture. I had a similar issue on my bedroom wall lights over the bed. Removed the fixture from the wall and cleaned up the wiring, new wire nuts, been good every since. Interested to see what you find. Jim
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Old 06-14-2014, 01:59 PM   #4
Fire5er
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I found the same issue with our lights on the headboard, and when I opened it up I found just as jimcol outlined...corroded wire connector. I removed the decorative light sconce and replaced them with 12v pancake lights with LED bulbs. Like the look much better.
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Old 06-14-2014, 02:06 PM   #5
Rondo
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Besides working on the individual fixtures you might want to go under the slide and check the wiring under there and also check the wiring junction box under there. It has had the tendency to leak moisture and corroding the connections inside them also. Good luck and hope you find the cause of the problem.
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Old 06-14-2014, 03:46 PM   #6
Paintpro99
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I've checked under all the slides on my unit and I can't see any junction boxes under there. I pulled the fixtures all apart and found out which light had the feed wire coming into it and how they branched off to the other two lights. When I tested them with my meter, it showed that I had power coming from the wires but when I connected the lights back up, they wouldn't work. I eliminated the blue connectors that were factory installed and skinned all the wires and soldered them back together, but still can't get them to work. I even changed the fuse in the panel thinking it might be that but that didn't make any difference. So, I'm at a loss for now. Even though my meter shows a 10-12 volt reading, I wonder if I am getting enough voltage to make the lights work. I might try running a new wire from the feed wire at the light straight to the fuse panel. I'm thinking I might have a bad connection in the ceiling where the wire runs from the light to the panel. I'll let you know how I make out.
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Old 06-14-2014, 04:11 PM   #7
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I'm just reaching here but is it possible the switch is bad. I did have to replace the push button switch on the wall fixture. The one I had went open but if it somehow went to ground you would read voltage but not have enough current to light a bulb. Jim
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Old 06-15-2014, 12:23 AM   #8
WaltBennett
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Like jimcol said, switches do go bad. Have you tried measuring the voltage in the socket itself? Probably have to remove the fixture to see where to put insulated leads.
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Old 06-15-2014, 03:41 AM   #9
thundercat
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We had the same problem with our 3400. Come to find out two of the lights in that slide are 120v and there was a ground fault outlet tripped. Hope this helps.
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Old 06-15-2014, 05:13 AM   #10
Irlpguy
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by Paintpro99

I've checked under all the slides on my unit and I can't see any junction boxes under there. I pulled the fixtures all apart and found out which light had the feed wire coming into it and how they branched off to the other two lights. When I tested them with my meter, it showed that I had power coming from the wires but when I connected the lights back up, they wouldn't work. I eliminated the blue connectors that were factory installed and skinned all the wires and soldered them back together, but still can't get them to work. I even changed the fuse in the panel thinking it might be that but that didn't make any difference. So, I'm at a loss for now. Even though my meter shows a 10-12 volt reading, I wonder if I am getting enough voltage to make the lights work. I might try running a new wire from the feed wire at the light straight to the fuse panel. I'm thinking I might have a bad connection in the ceiling where the wire runs from the light to the panel. I'll let you know how I make out.
I have never heard that junction boxes were used for the 12V wiring, only the 120V wiring. If none of the lights are working in the slide I would be suspicious of the ground. What did you use as a ground point when you were checking for voltage. There will be two wires to each light since those in the cabinets or ceiling of the slide cannot be grounded to any metal parts so the ground must run in series to each light and then to a ground point.
Check the voltage on the hot wire and the outer part of the bulb holder, the bulb holder must be grounded to work. You can also check the switch in each light to confirm you have power by connecting to the hot wire and ground with the switch in the on and off positions. I would not think all the switches would go at the same time.

In my 3402 the 12V power to that slide comes down the opposite side of the trailer then crosses at the back, when I had no power in the main slide I found the hot wire had been hit by a screw at the factory and shorted it out, then actually burned it off, this was under the desk slide where the wires cross over.

A good ground is essential to all 12V operation, make sure you have that.


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