[VAC] Re: Caravel Brake Light problem - solved

[Dave Huffman <huff@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Last year I was enjoying a rare (for me) week of traveling in our '67 
Caravel -- I even got to live in it for a week while attending
a photography class in Missoula, MT.  Great trip until I headed north 
toward the parks.  After gassing up at Kalispel, I was startled
to discover I was unable to put my '97 Landcruiser in gear.  The fuse 
had blown, and no problems after placing a new fuse -- until I
pulled off the road to study my map.  Couldn't shift again.  I had 
turned on the Right turn signal and braked to pull off to the side
of the road.  Sure enough, when I checked the trailer taillights, the 
Rt. turn signal (and I assumed the brake light) was not
working.  I had purchased some extra fuses, so I plugged in another and 
headed back to the Toyota garage I'd seen in Kalispel.  The
repair dept. was not open, but an independend Toyota mechanic happened 
in to pick up some parts.  He figured the trailer was the
problem.  Sure enough, after disconnecting the trailer, I drove into 
town for dinner.  I could brake and use the right SUV turn
signal without any problem.  I checked the AStream brake wiring, could 
find nothing wrong, but it again blew the fuse when I plugged
it back in.  I had to drive home, it was a quiet Sunday with very little 
traffic, so I decided I would be reasonable safe to myself
and to others with no Rt.Signal and brake light (the left was working 
fine).  To do that I disconnected the brown wire in the AStream
plug -- voila, no more fuse blowing.
    When I got home I contacted the one and only previous owner who 
reported he had added a couple of wires to the Rt.Brake/Signal
light in order to attach a separate light when he had bicycles in a rack 
which partly covered that signal.  The wires were inside the
bumper, in the sewer hose area.  I found them, but I was a bit 
disappointed to find the rubber sleeves he had provided seemed to be
adequately insulating the wires.  The brake/signal light still didn't 
work, so I tried by-passing the brown wire from the trailer
power plug into the panel on the Rt-Front underbelly -- no luck.
    We haven't had it out other than locally, but I finally gave up and 
took it into my local RV place.  Today I picked up,
discovering they had replace the new plug I'd installed.  I almost drove 
off w/o checking, but when I did check, the Rt.Rear Signal
was not working.  Out came the repair guy with his tester --> the 
Rt.Signal/Brake lamp worked!
    First time I thought about the tow vehicle.  Well, someone on VAC 
had reported a faulty connection in the car power plug, so I
had checked that.  I improved it a bit, but that was not the problem.  
We had to remove the interior wheel well panel to get at the
3to1? unit -- the Toyota unit was faulty!  He offered to wire in their 
$8? unit, but I thought I should check at Toyota, just up the
road.  The parts guys reported, "The good news is we don't have one in 
stock."  (I knew what was coming:)  "The bad news is the price
for one is $220!"
    I think Monday I'll get the $8 unit!

    Interesting -- what led me away from suspecting the tow unit was how 
it all started, and the advice I got at that time.

Huff