Foretravel Owners' Forum

Foretravel Motorhome Forums => Foretravel Tech Talk => Topic started by: Lance Camper on April 22, 2018, 05:25:12 pm

Title: Toad Wiring and Headlights cause all lights to go out.
Post by: Lance Camper on April 22, 2018, 05:25:12 pm
This just recently began to happen.

We were doing our light check on the toad, when I noticed the marker/tail lights on the coach going off. Something is causing the resettable fuse in front of the passenger seat to blow. The only time it blows is when the headlight/marker light switch is on. When off everything works fine.  Daylight driving only for now.

Can I fix this myself? Any ideas as to what I should look for.

thanks
Ed
Title: Re: Toad Wiring and Headlights cause all lights to go out.
Post by: Pamela & Mike on April 22, 2018, 05:45:13 pm
We were doing our light check on the toad, when I noticed the marker/tail lights on the coach going off. Something is causing the resettable fuse in front of the passenger seat to blow. The only time it blows is when the headlight/marker light switch is on. When off everything works fine.  Daylight driving only for now.

Can I fix this myself? Any ideas as to what I should look for.

Ed,

Take the light cable connectors apart (both male and female side) and see if you have a frayed wire where it comes into the socket. If you are getting a ground or loose wire here it can cause some of your symptoms.

Mike
Title: Re: Toad Wiring and Headlights cause all lights to go out.
Post by: bbeane on April 22, 2018, 07:27:23 pm
As mike said more than likely in the plugs for the toad harness. Does the motor home work correctly with everything unplugged, if so the problem is in the light cord or toad.
Title: Re: Toad Wiring and Headlights cause all lights to go out.
Post by: kb0zke on April 22, 2018, 08:54:39 pm
As Bruce said, start with nothing plugged into the MH. If all lights work properly, plug the towed cable into the MH but NOT into the towed. If all works properly, plug it into the towed but DON'T hook up (cable only). If all works properly something is shorting to the tow bars.

Does your coach have separate brake and turn signal lights? If so, you probably have an adapter (combiner) that puts the brake and turn signals back together like things used to be for all vehicles. Those devices, for all their high cost, don't have long lives. We've replaced two of them in the five years we've owned our coach.

We also had to replace the electrical cable that connects the Foretravel and towed. Again, they are expensive but not always the highest quality. You can check yours with a multi-meter or just plug it in and see what happens.
Title: Re: Toad Wiring and Headlights cause all lights to go out.
Post by: Jack Lewis on April 22, 2018, 10:25:50 pm
Does your coach have separate brake and turn signal lights? If so, you probably have an adapter (combiner) that puts the brake and turn signals back together like things used to be for all vehicles. Those devices, for all their high cost, don't have long lives. We've replaced two of them in the five years we've owned our coach.
If it is a bad converter I've had the best results from this one.  Roadmaster Brite-Lite Wiring Converter Roadmaster Accessories and Parts RM-732 (https://www.etrailer.com/Accessories-and-Parts/Roadmaster/RM-732.html)

And I've been told by a great tech, not to use one made by Curt.  He has found approx 30% of them defective.  Even said one mfg is having them replaced due to so many failures.  Sounded crazy as I like many items built by Curt.  Amazon.com: CURT 58240 Non-Powered 3-to-2-Wire Taillight Converter: Automotive (https://www.amazon.com/58240-Non-Powered-2-Wire-Taillight-Converter/dp/B001EP0GI6/ref=pd_lutyp_im_3_7?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B001EP0GI6&pd_rd_r=VCMHDP0H2JK4S4T106J8&pd_rd_w=n8bAi&pd_rd_wg=sNqZD&psc=1&refRID=VCMHDP0H2JK4S4T106J8)
Title: Re: Toad Wiring and Headlights cause all lights to go out.
Post by: Lance Camper on April 24, 2018, 04:53:48 pm
Thanks all, going to try those suggestions tomorrow

Ed
Title: Re: Toad Wiring and Headlights cause all lights to go out.
Post by: Ted & Karen on April 24, 2018, 09:08:12 pm
I have had good success with the Hopkins tail light converter.  They can be bought at most auto stores, E- trailer.com, or Amazon.
I used the non power one that has a 4 way plug already on the outside so I can hook up my 4 way plug from my LED magnetic tow lights.  For me this is the KISS system.

Hope it works out for you.................. ^.^d
Title: Re: Toad Wiring and Headlights cause all lights to go out.
Post by: Lance Camper on July 08, 2018, 11:40:23 am
Finally, I hope.

It was the Jeep's tail lights. Michele and I were running thru a light check when I noticed the Jeep did not have tail lights. So I started poking around inside looking for the short. After pulling on wires, twisting them, looking for bare wire. I found that I had wiggled the wire crimp for the tail lights a little too much. I didn't like the crimp and redid it. Voila, the tail lights work and after five minutes or so the CB did not trip.

Thanks for the suggestions
Ed