[VACList] 12-volt woes

["bill rogers" <billrogers@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi all -

I'm restoring a 1962 Trade Wind, and have run up against some 12-volt 
problems. I'm hoping the vast experience of VACsters might help me root 
them out. 

Currently, the entire indoor 12-volt system doesn't work, though the 
running lights are fine, and the 110-volt lights are a-ok. Until recently, 
the interior 12V lights in the front half of the trailer, plus the porch light 
outside, did work. (The interior lights in the rear never worked, and I 
figured it was because of bad grounds.)

But before I could start working on them, the 12V lights went on the 
blink. There was a brief period when wiggling the battery leads going 
into the trailer got the lights to flicker, but soon that, too, failed the have 
any effect. (The battery currently holds a 12.6 volt charge.)

Now, when I attach the positive lead to the battery, the line fuse blows 
with a very bright flash. This indicates a shorted positive line, I believe. 
(By the way, I've not been able to find any other 12-volt fuses in the 
system, and wonder if a fuse panel was removed when a 20-amp 
transformer was installed to power the heater fan, date unknown. 
There's also a very small transformer that DOES look original, located in 
the kitchen cabinet above the stove (on the port side - I don't know what 
that one does).

Now, I've traced the hot lead from the battery into the interior, and then 
inside the skin to the first fixture (starboard side interior light). There's 
no sign of any melting or short there.  All the other fixtures have intact 
wires -- nothing melted in the visible wiring coming out of the interior 
skin.

So, before I rewire the whole 12-volt system as part of the on-going 
restoration, can someone think of likely places where a hot lead would 
melt its insulation, or otherwise wear through the insulation and short 
out?  I'm prepared to do some more surgery, but I don't intend to tear the 
poor Trade Wind apart looking for the failed wires. 

Any and all input is greatly appreciated.  Thanks much,

Bill Rogers
Lafayette, CO