Tail light problem

[Hosedragger32]

I just bought a 2019 keystone avalanche 396bh and im having problems with the tail light. It wont come on with braking, turn signal or hazard, but if i turn the park lights/headlights on, it will come on fine. It will blink very weak and it wont flash in synchronization with the pick up or the other camper tail light when using turn signal or hazard.... some one throw me a bone here, it's a lot more complicated than my last camper.

[flybouy]

Welcome to the forum.

As for your lighting issue, there's absolutely no difference in the way the brake/turn lights work than any other trailer. The brake/turn/4 way flasher all work via a single wire for each side. There's one wire for the left and a different wire for the right. Here's a simple schematic showing the wire connections.

Some more info would help. What vehicle are you connecting the trailer to and have you successfully used that vehicle to tow another trailer with a 7 way plug? If you have, then with with both sides not working and your description I'd look at and verify the ground connection first. If this is the first time using the vehicle to tow with then there may be an issue with the vehicle's connection. I know on Ford trucks the fuse wasn't installed under the hood to facilitate towing and Ford would leave it in the glove box for field installation.

Easiest and quickest way to find out if it's the tow vehicle or the trailer is to connect the tow vehichle to another trailer and see if it works and/or have someone with a different truck plug in your trailer and try it.

[dutchmensport]

In the past, when I've had similar issues, it was because another light was out. Check all the lights on your tow vehicle (unplugged from the traielr) and make sure they are all working, brake, turn, 4-way, and stop. check the front and back, and make sure the running lights and parking lights are all on too. If any of those bulbs on the tow vehicle are out, that is most likely your problem.

If the tow vehicle checks out OK, then plug the trailer in and check all the lights again. More than likely, a different bulb is out on the trailer. Considering the affected bulb is working, it's not that actual bulb that out, it's one of the others on the trailer, somewhere.

If you can't find the burned out bulb, then switch the affected bulb with a new bulb and begin a more aggressive process of switching parts, tracking down wires, and investing money.

And yes ... check the connection where the trailer pig-tail plugs in. Check those wires and make sure nothing is loose before investing any money into the problem.

I've a firm believer in doing the least evasive action first, and migrate one step at a time to the most costly until the problem is solved.

Hang in there, you WILL figure it out.

[bsmith0404]

Maybe I’m not understanding the issue. The taillight is a separate light from the turn signal/brake light. Taillights come on when you turn the lights on and are dim compared to the turn signal and brake lights. When I read the question, that sounds like what’s happening. If someone else is understanding this differently than I am, maybe provide some more info that I’m missing.

As for not being in synch with the tow vehicle lights, I’ve seen that before, only thing I can think of that mught cause that is a bad ground.

[flybouy]

Originally Posted by bsmith0404

Maybe I’m not understanding the issue. The taillight is a separate light from the turn signal/brake light. Taillights come on when you turn the lights on and are dim compared to the turn signal and brake lights. When I read the question, that sounds like what’s happening. If someone else is understanding this differently than I am, maybe provide some more info that I’m missing.

As for not being in synch with the tow vehicle lights, I’ve seen that before, only thing I can think of that mught cause that is a bad ground.

From my reading of the OP the rerrence to "tail light" is the fixture containing the dual filament (or led circuit) and not the running light circuit. Many people refer to the fixture as the "tail light".

[rhagfo]

Originally Posted by Hosedragger32

I just bought a 2019 keystone avalanche 396bh and im having problems with the tail light. It wont come on with braking, turn signal or hazard, but if i turn the park lights/headlights on, it will come on fine. It will blink very weak and it wont flash in synchronization with the pick up or the other camper tail light when using turn signal or hazard.... some one throw me a bone here, it's a lot more complicated than my last camper.

Not having a Avalanche to look at does it have separate taillights from the turn signal/brake lights? If so the tail lights likely only operate as tail lights.
As to the odd operation I am in agreement with Marshall and BSmith, check your ground wire connection on both the trailer and TV side. You never rely on the hitch for ground!

[hawghauler]

99% of electrical issues are poor /bad ground

Check all other bulbs 1st the campus systems in newer vehicles do weird things after that replace effected bulb if that doesn't do the trick start chasing wires