Re: [VAL] 12 volt light not working

[Glyn Judson <glynjudson@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

    Cheyanne,

    What I'm about to share with you below is also just a guess but if your
Airstream is anything like our 1969 caravel, it may apply.

    All our 12 v. exterior lighting is non operable with the exception of
the porch light and can the problem can be traced to a single problem.  The
hookup cable from the vehicle at the tongue runs aft and enters through a
hole in the inner skin at the very rear roadside.  From there it should
branch out to all the lighting systems but doesn't because the rubber
grommet for that hole (if there was ever one there) is long gone and the
wires are all frayed and parted as a result of being cut by the sharp edge
of the hole.  

    You might want to trace that cable back to where it enters your unit to
see if they are intact.  The fact that they are going out one at a time on
the outside suggests that it could be caused by that.  There's a case to be
had to the contrary though, given that you say the interior light over the
bed has also gone out.  Scott suggests that you check the fuses, so that
might give you two problem sources to suspect.

    I have yet to repair my electrical problem despite having localized it.
In my case it requires removal of the head and holding tank in order to gain
working access to the offending hole where the frayed wires are.  There is
only about 1 3/4" between the after part of the inner skin where the hole is
and the back of the holding tank, not enough to get in there to splice the
wires back together again.  All this is located in the streetside aft corner
of the "trunk" of our '69 Caravel.

    You don't say what year Airstream you have so yours might be physically
different but nonetheless, the wires have to get from outside to inside
somewhere and then to the Univolt or whatever charging/power source you have
so start at the cable and work your way back along its length until you spot
a trouble area.  

    I recently bought what appears will be a very valuable tool for
identifying each wire.  It's something that there was some recent discussion
about here on this List.  It consists of a palm sized, battery powered tone
transmitter that you clip to a given wire.  Then with the separate receiver
in hand (about the size and shape of a fat felt marker), you touch its point
to one wire after another until you hear a tone emitting from it.  You now
know that you have the same wire hooked up at both ends with this neat
gadget.  As I recall, I got it at Home Depot for under $30.00 to $40.00.

    Good luck and let all know how it all comes out.

    Glyn Judson
    1969 Caravel #508
    Santa Monica CA (where it was almost 80 degrees today).