Need help with switch

[nwtraveler]

Hi all. Been lurking for awhile and posting once in a while. I have a 1997 Forest River "Sierra" 36' fifth wheel. On the inside wall of the bathroom, just inside the door, is a switch that I cannot, for the life of me, figure out what it is for.

There is a fan in the top vent with its own switch. It doesn't operate that. There is a light on the ceiling with its own switch. It doesn't operate that. I had someone outside to listen to the 12V water pump. It doesn't operate that.

I am pretty sure it does have 12V running to and from it, but I can't figure out what it operates.

Any suggestions as to how to trace what it operates?

Thanks.

Nwtraveler

[riggsp]

My 5th has the same set-up...even though the fan has it's own switch, the one on the wall controls it. if the switch on the fan is on, the wall switch will turn it on and off...since yours does nothing, my guess is it's been bypassed for some reason...I'd take the switch out and check the wiring to see if it actually has any wires hooked to it.

[h2guy]

Could this have been, once upon a time, to turn on an exhaust fan in the "throne room"??

[nwtraveler]

Thank you all for your responses. I am thinking that Allworth might have it right. It is possible that a previous owner wired the fan or the light to bypass the switch.

[Allworth]

With a unit that old it is quite possible that a previous owner wired around the switch. i.e. it originally controlled the light or the fan and for some reason (trouble with the switch or just personal preference) the switch was cut out of the circuit.

In my bathroom there is a double switch. One controls the fan and the other controls the shower area light. Each of those devices also have a switch mounted on them that will override the wall switch. If the switch at the fan is "off" the wall switch does nothing. (The vanity lights have their own switch.)

Usually the switch you are talking about would control the fan.

[kampinguru]

Is it the slide lockout switch? Can you move your slides when the switch is on or off?

[Limit4]

Could it possibly be to control one half of a plug?

[nwtraveler]

No, the switch does not light up. And I am not sure if I even have tank heaters. I will have to slide under and see if there are any wires, other then the sensors, on any of my tanks, especially the black water tank.

[kampinguru]

It could be the switch to turn on the tank heaters for the holding tanks. Does the switch light up when it is on?

[nwtraveler]

I do have a switch on the water heater itself to turn on the 110 element and there is a seperate switch for turning on the gas for the water heater.

It looks just like the other 12V light switches that are in the RV already.

[the_bear_II]

It may be the switch to turn on the heating coil for the water heater if it's a gas or electric model.

The switch for our water heater electric operation is in the bathroom. But the switch to turn on the electric pilot light igniter for gas operation is in the kitchen area... weird.