Rear "parking lights" not working

[NCwinnie]

I just got my Spirit 31k back from a rental yesterday and he said he got pulled over because there were no rear lights lit while he was driving at night. THe lights work fine when you hit the brakes and turn on a signal. Also, I replaced two of the bulbs on the right side last month so I know they are good/working.



It's a 2016 Winnebago Spirit 31k Class C.


Electrical stuff is not my forte so I haven't checked any wiring diagrams (not that I could read them that well anyway!)



But before I start chasing this issue - Should the rear lights turn on at all when you turn on the headlights? It has the marker lights up on top which I assume work but i haven't checked those either yet, it was a little bright outside so hard to see.


Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

[luvlabs]

Motorhomes are just like your car lights plus the clearance lights. And yes, with the headlights on, you should have tail lights, side markers, and license plate lights on. The front and rear clearance lights should be on as well.

Check and replace bulbs before you do anything. Also check to make sure the light sockets aren't corroded. If they are, clean them.

[notbusdrvr]

Check the dash lights - in cars it is not unusual for the dash lights and tail lights to be on the same fused circuit. If the dash lights are also out, you have a fuse blown.

[NCwinnie]

So,<hanging head in shame> what I totally forgot to think of was a fuse. My mechanic friend checked it out and found a blown 20a micro fuse in the chassis. Replaced that and guess what? All lights that are supposed to be on, are on. THanks everyone for the advice! -Rob

[JoeC]

You dodged a bullet there. My 2015 Spirit 27QP had poorly installed tail light covers, which leaked and corroded the brake and tail light bases. The rear panel (wall) didn't have any rot so I cleaned/repaired the bases and installed LED tail lights, which draw a lot less current and hopefully will extend the life if the bases. Next time I go in there I'll need to replace all of the tail light, brake and signal bases.

[Morich]

Word of advice for new electrical folks who are not into reading drawings? When something doesn't work like this, check the fuses as a first step as they are designed to go down first when most anything get too hot. So checking them first is one you can do by looking and just looking for one which is not like the others. Change a blown fuse and that's an easy/quick fix IF the new one doesn't alos blow to indicate there is still a problem that requires more indepth looking.

[NCwinnie]

Originally Posted by JoeC

You dodged a bullet there. My 2015 Spirit 27QP had poorly installed tail light covers, which leaked and corroded the brake and tail light bases. The rear panel (wall) didn't have any rot so I cleaned/repaired the bases and installed LED tail lights, which draw a lot less current and hopefully will extend the life if the bases. Next time I go in there I'll need to replace all of the tail light, brake and signal bases.

I hear ya. WHen I bought the RV the right tail light and backup light was out so I took the lens off and replaced them both. But now the screws are stripped and the lens cover is not on tight. I bought some LED bulbs so I am going to replace them all and then caulk the lens on so it doesn't leak but it's been rented out almost non-stop for the last month or so.



I am taking it out to the Outer Banks next week so I think i'll just take it all with me and do it while I am on vacation!

[JoeC]

Stripped screws is my RV's middle name! To repair you can go up a wire size on the screw or refill and re-drill the fiberglass or base IF you know how to do that. I usually up the screw size where possible.