How do I find the break?

[AF0DJ]

I'm in a 2009 34 foot Copper canyon 5th wheel.
I've lost the 12 power to the lights in the big (sofa/dinette) slide. It's good going up into the hole in the slide's floor but dead under the overhead storage compartments and over the table.
Where do these wires join together and how do I get to that spot?

Dave J, La Posa South, Quartzsite.

[chuckster57]

If your positive you have 12V at the bottom outside of the slide, then look for a junction box inside the slide against the wall in a corner, or underneath a piece of furniture.

[ewbldavis]

Chuck obviously has the credentials here.

Start under sofa - my current and previous unit had the junction box in front corner under the sofa. Also, sofa is probably just sitting there with a block of wood holding it at the back - two screws and you can probably move it out of the way.

[AF0DJ]

Sounds practical....however isn't that way in this one. We slid the sofa out and the floor with rug goes all the way to the wall. I imagine for those who prefer recliners to a sofa.
Next idea ? I hate the thought of opening the exterior rear slide wall. :-(

[chuckster57]

No need to open any exterior wall. I suspect both the 110VAC and 12VDC enter the slide at the same spot. There will be a “box” of some nature or under a dinette bench. The 110VAC will have a “molex” plug and the 12VDC probably has wire nuts.

[sourdough]

Originally Posted by AF0DJ

Sounds practical....however isn't that way in this one. We slid the sofa out and the floor with rug goes all the way to the wall. I imagine for those who prefer recliners to a sofa.
Next idea ? I hate the thought of opening the exterior rear slide wall. :-(

I agree, there is no need to open a slide wall. I am sure they didn't build it so the first person needing to repair it had to dismantle the trailer. If there is no junction box above where the wire goes into the slide, have you checked the fixtures? Is it possible it just came up, went to a fixture and daisy chained to the next (if there is no wall switch). Possibly the feed side of the first fixture came loose?

[CedarCreekWoody]

Do you even have 120 volt in the slide, or only 12 volts? The above responses seem to assume you have 120 volt and junction boxes but if you have only 12 volt there is most likely not a junction box.

[skids]

Originally Posted by chuckster57

(snip) The 110VAC will have a “molex” plug and the 12VDC probably has wire nuts.

Chuck, did you mean the opposite concerning wire nuts and molex connectors?

[gkainz]

I had a similar failure in my slide lighting. I finally found a lump in the cable going under the slide and then up inside while replacing the wire loom tray. Opening up the taped up lump revealed a bad splice. Replaced the corroded not-so-weatherproof splice and my slide lights work again.

[chuckster57]

Originally Posted by skids

Chuck, did you mean the opposite concerning wire nuts and molex connectors?

No. These are used for 110VAC

https://www.molex.com/molex/products...connector_scpc

[wiredgeorge]

On our old 2002 Cougar, there is a metal junction box attached to the frame towards the rear of the camper adjacent to the slide out. We have both 110V and 12V wires junction in that box and if memory serves both have wire nuts to connect them to the wiring harness from the trailer. Not Molex. The wires come out and go up into the sidewall of the slide. We have 110V lights over the dinette and couch and a 12V light (wall mounted) in the middle between the couch & dinette. There are two 110V outlets in the slide out wall towards the rear of the camper. One had been placed in the dinette (booth type) which I removed and put in the wall so there are two of them with one at waist height and the other towards the floor in the camper. I opened the junction box to examine things quite awhile ago as well as the electrical cables.

[sourdough]

Originally Posted by CedarCreekWoody

Do you even have 120 volt in the slide, or only 12 volts? The above responses seem to assume you have 120 volt and junction boxes but if you have only 12 volt there is most likely not a junction box.

My post #6 referenced 12v usage.

[chuckster57]

Molex would be “inside” use only. They have a hole in the middle so once connected can be screwed down. I too have seen junction box on bottom of slide and wire nuts used.

[sourdough]

Originally Posted by chuckster57

Molex would be “inside” use only. They have a hole in the middle so once connected can be screwed down. I too have seen junction box on bottom of slide and wire nuts used.

Chuck, for my own knowledge because I've not encountered it; on the junction box under the slide are they on the outboard edge so you can access them or ??

[CedarCreekWoody]

Originally Posted by sourdough

My post #6 referenced 12v usage.

Yes, it does. Both are referenced in various posts. I'm just curious what the OP actually has.

[chuckster57]

Originally Posted by sourdough

Chuck, for my own knowledge because I've not encountered it; on the junction box under the slide are they on the outboard edge so you can access them or ??

I usually see them tucked up against the slide wall and mounted to either the wall or the floor. more often that not its in the front corner and yes as outboard as possible, but I often times have to extend the slide at least a foot to really get into it.

[sonofcy]

Originally Posted by AF0DJ

I'm in a 2009 34 foot Copper canyon 5th wheel.
I've lost the 12 power to the lights in the big (sofa/dinette) slide. It's good going up into the hole in the slide's floor but dead under the overhead storage compartments and over the table.
Where do these wires join together and how do I get to that spot?

Dave J, La Posa South, Quartzsite.

Let's ask the obvious question. Is there an on/off switch for those lights? Is there an inCommand involved? Wires don't often spontaneously disconnect but it is possible of course.

[AF0DJ]

Ok, no junction box inside or out. Single pair of wires to each of the two receptacles (not daisy chained). ??? Almost ready to cut bigger hole in floor (under the slide wall - not under the interior floor to see what I can see. I would think that a broken wire would be right where it enters the slide floor due to the stress of the retraction spring that picks it up when the slide it in. Further comments and suggestions are highly appreciated. Thanks in advance. Dave J (AF0DJ
for any hams out there).

[flybouy]

Originally Posted by AF0DJ

Ok, no junction box inside or out. Single pair of wires to each of the two receptacles (not daisy chained). ??? Almost ready to cut bigger hole in floor (under the slide wall - not under the interior floor to see what I can see. I would think that a broken wire would be right where it enters the slide floor due to the stress of the retraction spring that picks it up when the slide it in. Further comments and suggestions are highly appreciated. Thanks in advance. Dave J (AF0DJ
for any hams out there).

Outlets? I thought they were 12 vdc lights.

[CedarCreekWoody]

Originally Posted by flybouy

Outlets? I thought they were 12 vdc lights.

I've asked but the OP has never clarified just what he has. If it is 120 volt there should be a junction box.