Question

Jack Flynn

Senior Member
2021 East to West, with the battery cutoff turned off. I've got a tail light that is slightly, so slightly glowing. What could it be? Very puzzled. Not hooked up to the truck either.
 

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Oldstick

Senior Member
That would be a mystery. Is the battery cut-off switch located on the negative side of the battery wires? And if so any possibility there is a loose wire or or some other metal object near that light that is also contacting the ground. As in the real ground, i.e. the moist earth underneath the camper?
 

Oldstick

Senior Member
On second thought, a tail light is not supposed to be connected to the trailer's battery circuit, as far as I know. Only to the tow vehicle's battery.

So is there the possibility one of the 12V camper appliance wires is somehow making slight contact near that taillight. Maybe the insulation has started to wear thin and it's contacting? The negative/ground side for the taillights is usually the metal skin or frame of the trailer.
 

Oldstick

Senior Member
First I am assuming there's no solar panels or shore power hooked up that could be providing the "juice". Remove the cable from the positive battery terminal and if it stops, then you will know for sure that somehow the camper's 12V circuits are leaking a small of current into that tail light. Just a matter of pulling off the light and searching for the problem wire then.
 

Jack Flynn

Senior Member
Ah there is a solar panel and it bypasses the battery cutoff to charge the battery. Could that be it? Wondering....
 

Oldstick

Senior Member
Ah there is a solar panel and it bypasses the battery cutoff to charge the battery. Could that be it? Wondering....

Yes, Then that probably explains where the current is coming from. So you just have to figure out how it is accidentally providing power to one of the tail lights.

Does that tail light normally work properly when the tow vehicle is connected. If not, then the tail light/wiring could have a shortage or a bad ground in it.
 

Jack Flynn

Senior Member
Yes it all works as it should. I'll ask tomorrow when I go by the dealership. That would explain why it's so dim?
 

Oldstick

Senior Member
Yes it all works as it should. I'll ask tomorrow when I go by the dealership. That would explain why it's so dim?
Mystery to me on that as well. If there is an actual short at the tail light you would expect it to maybe blow a tail light fuse in your truck when connected. So the only wild guess I could come up with is the positive wire from the solar panel is routed near the tail light receptacle and somehow accidentally making a very slight contact with the + side of the tail light bulb.

Would be very curious to hear what the dealership comes up with.
 
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