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  1. #11
    Site Team traveldawg's Avatar
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    Not sure on a 2020 that the marker lights provide power. On my 2019 model the camera power comes from the same power for the kitchen overhead vent fan (the one in the ceiling). So maybe when you use your signal timer don't just expect it to be from the 12v marker/running lights.

    And, I'm pretty sure you want to look for wires in the ceiling (attic) rather than the basement area.

    Good luck......
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  2. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by boyscout View Post
    Not sure I understand what you're saying.

    If you unscrew a marker light you can surely pull it away from the wall a few inches, and that's all you need to splice new wire onto its wires, poke a channel through the styrofoam from its hole down to the camera mount hole, run the new wire down through the channel, and connect the other end to your camera's power supply.

    I've had to fiddle with this camera power problem on two 2018 trailers and on both I could wriggle part of the wires behind the camera mount out the hole to make them easier to work on. If you're telling me you can't do that, sorry, maybe that's why the factory tech didn't bother hooking up your camera mount properly. It might be easier to just move directly to the stealing-power-from-a-marker-light plan.

    What do you mean "totally disconnected"? if your truck is not connected then yes, marker light circuits are incomplete circuits with opens at the front of the trailer. If the truck is connected you should have a circuit, and if its lights are on you should have a powered circuit (unless the truck's fuse for trailer lights is blown).

    I don't know why you'd have to go looking for power underneath the trailer. Both marker light power and (probably) always-on power should be available near the camera mount.
    The wires for the marker lights are actually on backside of styrofoam, but it also has 1/4 plywood backing on stryrofoam from which the wires are behind not just foam itself connected behind 1/4 plywood wall about 2.5" deep.
    The wire I was plan on tracing was the wire initially used to hook camera up from factory which goes straight down. Not connected to upper marker lights, not sure of where connection location might be.

  3. #13
    Big Traveler boyscout's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Life of Luxury View Post
    The wires for the marker lights are actually on backside of styrofoam, but it also has 1/4 plywood backing on stryrofoam from which the wires are behind not just foam itself connected behind 1/4 plywood wall about 2.5" deep.
    The wire I was plan on tracing was the wire initially used to hook camera up from factory which goes straight down. Not connected to upper marker lights, not sure of where connection location might be.
    I'm still confused, or maybe you are, sorry.

    The wires for one of your marker lights are attached to the marker light. If you unscrew the marker light and pull it gently away from the wall, its wires will come out with it, for at least an inch or two if not more.

    Your back wall is, I'd guess, a sandwich of gelcoat, aluminum, styrofoam, and luan (a thin plywood-like composite). The styrofoam is by far the thickest layer of the sandwich.

    Splice new wires about 10" long onto the wires attached to the marker light.

    Poke a small channel INSIDE THE WALL STRUCTURE down through the styrofoam from the marker light hole to the camera mount hole. (Or if you want to mess with it - I wouldn't - you can try to fish the wires through the wall at the marker light hole, down the inside of the wall, and back out the camera mount hole.)

    Run the new wires down through that channel.

    Re-install the marker light.

    Connect camera power to the other end of the new wires and push the wires back into the wall while retaining control of the camera power connector.

    Install your camera mount.

    Re: "the wire I was planning on tracing", it is unlikely that ANY wire behind your wall or under your trailer is or was dedicated to powering the camera. As I've said in a previous post, the camera is most often connected to the marker light circuit but frequently the factory techs grab some other circuit instead - hot power for fans, lights, or whatever else is running past near the camera mount hole.

    If you remain determined to power the camera full time you can almost certainly use needle-nosed pliers to grab wires behind the camera mount hole and test them for always-on power. If you are looking for the marker light circuit you may also find that back there the same way, with someone turning the truck lights on/off for you. Or you can tap the marker light circuit from one of the lights as described above.

    To be frank I think you're over-complicating this by thinking about buying a circuit tester and trying to match wires at the bottom of the wall with wires near the top of it at the camera mount hole. I think it's pretty likely that you can get a test probe into the camera mount hole, and test the wires there to find one with always-on power or marker light power. Or do the sure thing and follow the instructions above to make your own addition to the marker light circuit.

    Good luck.
    Mark - 2018 Solitude 310GK - 2017 F-350 diesel SRW short box - Pullrite Superglide hitch

  4. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by boyscout View Post
    I'm still confused, or maybe you are, sorry.

    The wires for one of your marker lights are attached to the marker light. If you unscrew the marker light and pull it gently away from the wall, its wires will come out with it, for at least an inch or two if not more.

    Your back wall is, I'd guess, a sandwich of gelcoat, aluminum, styrofoam, and luan (a thin plywood-like composite). The styrofoam is by far the thickest layer of the sandwich.

    Splice new wires about 10" long onto the wires attached to the marker light.

    Poke a small channel INSIDE THE WALL STRUCTURE down through the styrofoam from the marker light hole to the camera mount hole. (Or if you want to mess with it - I wouldn't - you can try to fish the wires through the wall at the marker light hole, down the inside of the wall, and back out the camera mount hole.)

    Run the new wires down through that channel.

    Re-install the marker light.

    Connect camera power to the other end of the new wires and push the wires back into the wall while retaining control of the camera power connector.

    Install your camera mount.

    Re: "the wire I was planning on tracing", it is unlikely that ANY wire behind your wall or under your trailer is or was dedicated to powering the camera. As I've said in a previous post, the camera is most often connected to the marker light circuit but frequently the factory techs grab some other circuit instead - hot power for fans, lights, or whatever else is running past near the camera mount hole.

    If you remain determined to power the camera full time you can almost certainly use needle-nosed pliers to grab wires behind the camera mount hole and test them for always-on power. If you are looking for the marker light circuit you may also find that back there the same way, with someone turning the truck lights on/off for you. Or you can tap the marker light circuit from one of the lights as described above.

    To be frank I think you're over-complicating this by thinking about buying a circuit tester and trying to match wires at the bottom of the wall with wires near the top of it at the camera mount hole. I think it's pretty likely that you can get a test probe into the camera mount hole, and test the wires there to find one with always-on power or marker light power. Or do the sure thing and follow the instructions above to make your own addition to the marker light circuit.

    Good luck.
    I understand what your saying completely. If I was home now I would send you pictures. My question is do you think if there is an existing wire like I have that is showing dead It might actually be loose in wall and cause a short later or start blowing fuses? You cant answer that and neither can I. I have been an electrician for years and #1 rule is to never let wires in wall disconnected unless you know that they are completely disconnected or re attached to source. I understand your theory of just attaching to a marker light, I will try to find the dead wire first as I have to be able to sleep at night knowing I did everything I could to fix properly. I appreciate the help.

  5. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by Life of Luxury View Post
    I understand what your saying completely. If I was home now I would send you pictures. My question is do you think if there is an existing wire like I have that is showing dead It might actually be loose in wall and cause a short later or start blowing fuses? You cant answer that and neither can I. I have been an electrician for years and #1 rule is to never let wires in wall disconnected unless you know that they are completely disconnected or re attached to source. I understand your theory of just attaching to a marker light, I will try to find the dead wire first as I have to be able to sleep at night knowing I did everything I could to fix properly. I appreciate the help.
    That wire could literally be for anything, lights inside the trailer, ac thermostat etc. You could spend hours if not days tracking it down. As stated earlier, you're over thinking it, hook your camera up to the marker light and move on.
    Last edited by Bungy; 02-04-2021 at 08:06 PM.

  6. #16
    Big Traveler boyscout's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Life of Luxury View Post
    I understand what your saying completely. If I was home now I would send you pictures. My question is do you think if there is an existing wire like I have that is showing dead It might actually be loose in wall and cause a short later or start blowing fuses? You cant answer that and neither can I. I have been an electrician for years and #1 rule is to never let wires in wall disconnected unless you know that they are completely disconnected or re attached to source. I understand your theory of just attaching to a marker light, I will try to find the dead wire first as I have to be able to sleep at night knowing I did everything I could to fix properly. I appreciate the help.
    That's a better description of your concerns. I still think you're over-complicating it.

    There is no "camera power" circuit in your trailer, there are only circuits to power the other electrical devices in it. It is unlikely that you have any "dead wire" back there since the wires behind the camera mount all have a purpose powering something ELSE in the trailer; the camera is a tapped-in device on existing circuits.

    If your camera power connector was ever connected to ANY circuit it was SPLICED into one of the trailer's circuits for something else; usually marker lights, sometimes interior lights or fans, maybe A/C control.

    Knock yerself out, carefully check every 12V electrical device in your trailer to be sure it works. You'll likely find that everything DOES work, and should therefore be satisfied that wire hasn't been disconnected and fallen down waiting to short out while you sleep.

    Further, per RVIA standards all of the the electrical circuits in the trailer are fused except the marker lights circuit. So if you DO find that something isn't working, check the fuses. Side note: not all the fuses are in the fuse panel, Grand Design "hides" a handful of them around the trailer, but that's a story for another day.

    Only if you replace a blown fuse and it blows again do you have any cause to go looking for a "dead wire" or a shorted wire.

    BTW the marker lights circuit is fused in your truck, not the trailer. One of the fuses in one of the fuse panels in your truck will blow if there's a short in that circuit.

    Good luck.
    Mark - 2018 Solitude 310GK - 2017 F-350 diesel SRW short box - Pullrite Superglide hitch

  7. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by boyscout View Post
    Not sure I understand what you're saying.

    If you unscrew a marker light you can surely pull it away from the wall a few inches, and that's all you need to splice new wire onto its wires, poke a channel through the styrofoam from its hole down to the camera mount hole, run the new wire down through the channel, and connect the other end to your camera's power supply.

    I've had to fiddle with this camera power problem on two 2018 trailers and on both I could wriggle part of the wires behind the camera mount out the hole to make them easier to work on. If you're telling me you can't do that, sorry, maybe that's why the factory tech didn't bother hooking up your camera mount properly. It might be easier to just move directly to the stealing-power-from-a-marker-light plan.

    What do you mean "totally disconnected"? if your truck is not connected then yes, marker light circuits are incomplete circuits with opens at the front of the trailer. If the truck is connected you should have a circuit, and if its lights are on you should have a powered circuit (unless the truck's fuse for trailer lights is blown).

    I don't know why you'd have to go looking for power underneath the trailer. Both marker light power and (probably) always-on power should be available near the camera mount.

    Boyscout,

    I found the wire in the belly trailer disconnected. It was tapped into a non trailer wiring source which controls bedroom lights. All is good now thanks for your help and all other who responded.

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