Rear lights don't work

[TitansFan]

We're about to go out of town this weekend so I thought I would check our RV lights. All of the running lights work, but the rear left and right lights don't work. I checked the bulbs and they are ok. They don't work with my blinkers or brakes. I checked the fuse panel inside the RV, but I didn't see a fuse for rear outside lights. Are there any fuses elsewhere I should check?

[fhenn]

Check the fuse in the truck they will blow every once in a while it will be labeled in fuse box under the hood

[TitansFan]

Ok, I'll take a look at those fuses.

[cruzr4-2]

Frank is right, not sure on a Dodge but on a Fordthere is a fuse for trailer lighting brake and turn.
Your Dodge owners manual will probably show you.
Dennis

[TitansFan]

OK, update time...
I checked all fusesin the truck's fuse box and found no problems. To verify this I used a multi-meter, set it to DC and checked the power where the pigtail connects to the truck. I found no problems so I knew that the problem was the RV. I checked where the pigtail goes into a junction box behind the pin box, but all connections looked good. I also cleaned the connectors on the pigtail. I then returned to the rear light bulbs and checked them again. I started with the passenger side and the filaments were all intact and not burned out. I pulled out the bulb and found the issue. The base that the bulb goes into had moisture in it which had rusted the metal connections on the bulb itself. I found the same thing on the other side. After drying out both connectors and installing new bulbs they now work. Yippeeee! Rain is getting into the rear lights so I guess I need to use some caulkto prevent this from happening.

[Angus]

I've been through this and have dealt with water and condensation corroding running light sockets and bulbs. Consider going through all your running lights by pulling the bulbs and treating each bulb base and bulb socket with a good electronic contact cleaner. I do this once a year and it has stopped the corrosion and flickering lights. I use DeoxIT contact cleaner and think it's the best. You can find it at Radio Shack or the bigger online electronics jobbers. A couple of drops on a q-tip gets the corrosion control down into the socket. Wipe a drop onto your bulb bases, too. Use it to clean and protect your trailer to tow vehicle connection socket and plug, too. Doing these things has taken my time spent fooling with trailer lights down to near zero.

[mark5w]

After cleaning you could also coat with dielectric grease. Prevents water making contact with the metal but makes a good circuit.

[happycampers]

I had the same issue last year. I upgraded to LEDs. They come with a pig tail which I shoved in the wall of the trailer through the small hole after soldering the connections.

[BipeFlier]

Originally Posted by happycampers

I had the same issue last year. I upgraded to LEDs. They come with a pig tail which I shoved in the wall of the trailer through the small hole after soldering the connections.

+1 No issues in 3 years now. Command Electronics conversion kit.

[mike06081969]

One other word of caution: if you are getting water in the tail lights, it may also be getting in between the outer and inner wall. There are no weep holes, so if water gets in there it will stand and rot the inner and outer paneling.

[fhenn]

No the water goes away, and there is a plastic plate that fastens to the rear, and the lens snaps in on this. the moisture forms in this area I just grease the top where the lens and the plastic mounting plate meet, have not had this issue any more

[Lloyd]

Frank, aren't you afraid the grease will deteriorate that plastic?

[TitansFan]

Originally Posted by mike06081969

One other word of caution: if you are getting water in the tail lights, it may also be getting in between the outer and inner wall. There are no weep holes, so if water gets in there it will stand and rot the inner and outer paneling.

That's interesting because last year the GFCI plug that's near the entrance door kept tripping. I checked the plugs downstream and everything looked good. I checked under the back corner of the RV (not far from the driver side tail light) and found a junction box that was full of water. Maybe the junction box was filling up with waterfrom the water entering the tail light???