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11-02-2021, 11:55 AM
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#1
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Member
Join Date: Apr 2021
Location: St Augustine
Posts: 32
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Dimmer Switch Won't Work
First, let me say I think I've reviewed all the posts on this forum regarding the installation of dimmer switches to deal with the excessively bright lights. As a result, I bought a dimmer switch from e-trailer, the recommended vendor.
I have a 2021 Cougar 25RDS. I also have that iN-Command panel that controls most - but not all - of the lights. For instance, it does not control the three ceiling lights in the slide-out; there is only one on/off switch for those. So that is my first target.
I connected the e-trailer switch in accordance with the directions. The red wire is hot, the black wire goes to ground, the white wire goes to the light. It turns the lights on and off - but will not dim. I thought I had a bad switch and they sent me a replacement, but still, no dimming.
The factory installation is depicted in the attachment. One red (hot), a solid green and a green with white stripe to the light, and 3 whites for the ground. That by itself confuses me a lot. Again, the iN-Command does not control these lights.
If there is someone out there with more electrical knowledge than I have, please offer suggestions. I'm stumped. TIA
__________________
2021 Cougar 25RDS
2021 Ford F-150 Platinum
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11-02-2021, 02:12 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Germantown, TN
Posts: 6,331
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Odd as this may sound, when I swapped the on-off in the two bedroom headboard lights to two rheostats they went immediately to bright only. I swapped the wires around, ground to hot, hot to ground, and they worked just fine. Give it a try.
I only had two wires, not three so be careful. You shouldn't need three wires for a light switch.
__________________
Jim in Memphis, Wife of 51 years is Brenda
2019 F450 6.7 Powerstroke
2018 Mobile Suites 40RSSA
2021 40' Jayco Eagle
2001 Road king w/matching Harley sidecar
2021 Yamaha X2 Wolverine 1000
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11-02-2021, 02:38 PM
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#3
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Site Team
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Joppa, MD
Posts: 11,751
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Are the lights dimmable? Not all LED bulbs are dimmable. Were the wires in the camper verified with a multimeter?
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Marshall
2012 Laredo 303 TG
2010 F250 LT Super Cab, long bed, 4X4, 6.4 Turbo Diesel
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11-02-2021, 09:31 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2019
Location: Wickenburg
Posts: 3,314
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The photo is difficult, but it looks to me like you wired the green and white + wire to the switch white, and the white neutral wire to the switch black. If so, reverse them.
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2019 Cougar 26RBSWE
2019 Ford F-250
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11-02-2021, 09:35 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2019
Location: Wickenburg
Posts: 3,314
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Quote:
Originally Posted by notanlines
I only had two wires, not three so be careful. You shouldn't need three wires for a light switch.
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You do for an LED dimmer. The switch itself needs power and ground to run, then a third lead to deliver dimming power to the LEDs.
The dimmer I bought for my recent project had four wires, which I thought was ridiculous. It would have made sense if the two whites were mutually isolated to suppress hum getting into the power line, but the darn thing hums up the line like a beehive.
__________________
2019 Cougar 26RBSWE
2019 Ford F-250
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11-03-2021, 01:21 AM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Germantown, TN
Posts: 6,331
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Sorry, but both rheostats, not dimmer switches, in our headboard lights had two wires, not three. I can remove one and take pictures if it would help. And yes, all our lights, 66 of them, are LED. This a picture of the replacement LED's I've been using when one goes to pot in the RV.
__________________
Jim in Memphis, Wife of 51 years is Brenda
2019 F450 6.7 Powerstroke
2018 Mobile Suites 40RSSA
2021 40' Jayco Eagle
2001 Road king w/matching Harley sidecar
2021 Yamaha X2 Wolverine 1000
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11-03-2021, 03:22 AM
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#7
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Member
Join Date: Apr 2021
Location: St Augustine
Posts: 32
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The graphic on the back of the switch says:
HOOK UP:
RED = +12v
BLK= GND
WHT = LGT
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2021 Cougar 25RDS
2021 Ford F-150 Platinum
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