MontanaChinook

Thanks. My issue was the LED bulb-to light switch connection. It's just a little metal tab that was soldered on by Chinook. It's the connection from the LED wire to that tab on the switch I'm soldering.

Actually for some reason when I posted that I thought I was in waiter's LED thread, not my own..! So yeah, not off topic. I could do that! The switch is pretty old & corroded too, though. It seems like a good time to upgrade. But either way, working on my soldering skills can't be a bad idea.

Hmm. I'm going to take "More fires are started by bad connections" advice to heart... I haven't really soldered before, and my first attempt on these lights was not good. I mean it might work, but I don't feel comfortable with it. I almost wonder if it wouldn't be smarter to just buy a new LED light fixture; something I can just connect wires with instead of soldering connections. I see a lot of posts around here about putting in LED bulbs, but not much on LED fixtures themselves with the bulbs they come with. So there are reviews of what LED lights have good, bright light comparable to a regular light? Does anyone have experience with good LEDs, if I was looking for the whole package? Fixture with lights already in it? They don't look expensive at all, and since my RV is torn apart anyways, it's no big deal to just put in new fixtures. Sorry this is a bit off the topic...Maybe I should start another thread.

So then is it ok to just connect the + wire to my rv + wire and the - to the - wire, without any metal involved? Yeah, that makes sense with the foil. The bulb lit every direction, while the LEDs only point down. Thanks!

That helps, thanks.

I'm doing this to my Chinook right now. I have a question, before I go too far. My light fixtures are plastic. The part the bulb fits into is metal, obviously, and it's riveted to the plastic. I don't know enough about how the lights work. With my new LEDs, do I just solder one wire to the back switch and connect the other straight to the rv wiring, or do they need to be in contact with something metal first, like in the original setup? Also, there was originally some reflective stuff glued in to help with brightness, but they're crumbling. Should I put something reflective on the inside of the fixture?

Thanks. I guess I should add a small fan to that list, but it can be on a circuit with something else.

Yep, I'm more or less on track now, with what I understand. I can put a low amp appliance on 12 gauge wire (since its what I already bought), and pick a fuse size based on the appliance rather than the wire. Not the most economical way to do it, but its safe. I'll probably put three of the lights on one, and tie in the the fourth light with something else, just so I have one light on another circuit in case the lights blew a fuse. I basically just have the furnace, lights, and a water pump. So I'll likely only have two, at most three circuits.

Your engine tag ought to tell you what you have, and go from there. Sounds like the walker part would work for regular cab and xtra cab, but not long bed. Just a guess though! I'm not sure how the lengths all break down between short bed, long bed, xtra cab... But I would expect part places to NOT know what they're talking about...

Dolphin owners will be able to tell you more... I would say "no mechanical problems and no leaks" is pretty much a non-existent state for a 1984 vehicle, unless its recently been fully restored. So the issues are either "what aren't they telling you" or "what don't they know about" because they aren't informed or very observant? All vehicles with no issues, when you go visit them, will have issues that the owner starts pointing out, once you're there. "Oh yeah, that leaks a little. Yes, it could use new wheel bearings. Yeah, the brake fluid needs to be flushed. Yeah, it stalls every now and then but always starts right back up" etc. These aren't deal breakers and a vehicle can be a great deal and reliable with some issues. But expect to start hearing what's wrong with it at some point. And hopefully figure that into your negotiated price. But I would guess common issues are: Water damage. Often hidden. Needing new tires. Shouldn't be more than 5 or so years old, no matter how much tread is left. Fridge not working on all settings. AC, DC and LP Rust Wiring all intact, re wired stuff done correctly Have them show you all the appliances in action and working. No "the previous owner said the fridge works, but I've never even tried it" There are a million more things...I didn't even start on the typical mechanical vehicle stuff you'd check out on any used truck...

Thanks. And WME, yes, I was beginning to think that myself. Large wire is ok, as long as I pair it with a small enough fuse that the fuse will blow before the appliance. The way I was reading what he said was that fuse is determined by wire size alone. Wire size by amp draw. Assuming i picked my wire size correctly. So if I was stuck with a big fuse, after not correctly matching my wire size to the appliance it was powering, I was out of luck...but if I can stick with the thick wire, but use a small fuse, that's great. Yeah I guess when I posted my model number I said I thought it was 4045, not that it definitely was. It is definitely 4045. I found the topic I linked when I googled pd 4045, so as far as I know they're discussing my exact converter. Or at least it started that way...I don't know if everyone responding in the thread has that exact one. Either way I will be looking at it more closely this weekend!

Ok, thanks! That is not my converter, so I'll check mine to see if I have a bar like that. The second page of the link I posted - quotes a response from a PD representative instructing the guy to add something for grounding. But I don't know what his exact question was to PD...

Glad I'm not the only one who was confused.. http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f55/progressive-dynamics-pd4045-42372.html Looks like I need to buy something to connect the negative wires to, or I can just go the frame with them.

It is a mighty mini. I think that's a 4045, though, but I'm not positive. The 12 DC circuits each have a wire coming out the back, where I've been assuming I hook the + wire. I'll look again today to see if there is a place for the - . No, they don't say ground, they say negative, but when you're someone who thinks ground and negative are synonyms, why would that challenge my world view? But I'm beginning to understand.

Thank you. Sorry got frustrated there but I think I'm just too far behind to really be doing this sort of job. Of course I'm still going to do it.. But it's going to take a while. But everyone who tried to describe it...kind of loses me. I need to start from absolute basics and build from there, but I understand people here aren't on that level. You're all trying to tell me the way of wiring an RV, when I guess what I really need is electronics 101. Ok. There is absolutely a solid, bare wire running down through the floor from the converter, and I will trace it to make sure there's a good connection to the frame. And I need to be looking for one place on back of the power center to attach all negative wires to. I'll see what I can find as to the difference between negative and ground, because you are correct, I did not know there was a difference. I do appreciate the help.

Thanks. Converter is a brand new progressive dynamics. I had an electrician wire the 120 stuff, which is why it looks correct I'm just trying to figure out the 12v side. I understand, basically, needing power and ground. Power is coming from those twelve circuits, wires coming out the back. I'm not sure if I wire all the grounds to the converter and then ground the converter, or run grounds for the appliances myself, outside of the converter. Anyway I'll look closer at the wiring diagram and instructions, and google some terms I don't understand, and see what I can figure out. There's clearly something major with this thing that I'm just not quite grasping, and having it explained (sort of) with more terms I don't understand isn't doing much for me. Clearly this is beyond my current abilities but I think I can get there if I can find someone, hopefully in person, to look at it and explain things. The issue seems to be that unless you already know how wire stuff, people can't teach you how to wire stuff...I guess I need to buy a "wiring 101" book or something. Every time I think maybe I've figured some basic thing out that I can build from and ask if I'm right, I get overloaded and am either wrong in what I figured out or I don't hear from people whether I was right or not... So I'm going to try to find a different method of learning wiring, I guess. I seem to know too little for people to be able to communicate in a way I understand and can build from. I need absolute basics first, then build on that. So far I have no solid ground to build from. Seems all my assumptions, when I think maybe I've got a basic down, are wrong.

Ok, well, I appreciate all your help. I think I'm going to go elsewhere or find someone locally from here. I think you just know too much, and me too little, for me to learn much from you when it gets to specific stuff like this. I feel like we're again getting into stuff where I'm getting a ton of information, but can't seem to find the answers to my questions in that info. I'm just not on the right level. Again I think it's an issue with my knowledge level, not an issue with your help. Thanks! I'll let you know how it goes in my project thread.

Yeah I'm sticking to this forum for this. Much easier. then should I ignore your first statement of "you can't wire too big, only too small"? Because a light with a low amp draw, if there's a surge, will not blow the fuse or melt the wire, and so may itself melt and burn. Right? So using 12 gauge for an led light with at most 5-10 feet of length is too heavy a gauge. Yes? No? Thanks Derek, it would be nice to not have to exchange the wire, but if the above is a concern, I probably should...

Ok. I thought maybe one of those circuit breakers would do that. ? Or is that what the guy installed one of them for? To wire to the dc disconnect. Maybe... You'll have to bear with me. I'm not dumb, but I don't know the terminology (no idea what a bus is), and don't have much experience. I did figure out how the wire gauge sizes work, though. So, how is having a dc disconnect different from just flipping the breaker between the battery and power center? I see a place to put a wire that says "dc disconnect", but there's nothing there for me to push or flip. So how does it work??

Yes, I like that. That and one of those thumb screw locks seems perfect to me.

Why would I want to disconnect them from the battery?

Yahoo email is NOT working well today...ending up in outbox and adding weird code to apostrophes.... So I'm taking that over here. RE wire size: I was just going by your first response on the yahoo group that said "you can't wire too big. Only too small". So I thought I was ok. If, by using 12 gauge, I'm risking fire, and if, by using 10 gauge for the battery, same thing, it's not too late to take the wire back. I can go 14 gauge for appliances and 12 for the battery. Let me know...

Ah, thank you both! That's a great solution Karin.

And let's just keep this over here since you're the only one from the chinook group answering most questions. It's way more convenient posting here than using email format.

Ok, thank you. I think it will be easier to wire it all new, instead of figuring out what the old wiring does, and just reconnecting what Chinook did. I'm going to study the wiring diagram a little better and see what the electrician did with the circuit breakers, and see how much of this I can figure out. I see on the diagram that I've got a DC disconnect which is optional. What's the idea behind this? What is it?