Rear running light repair on 2000 Minnie 31C

[Juzaxadar]

I was prepping for a trip and inspection next week. Three of the top lights on the rear of my 31C Minnie were out. I fiddled with them and saw that none of the bulbs were out. It was somewhere in the wiring and then one of the wires came out of the hole. What a pain.

So I decided to fix it. There are 5 screws on the back and about 7 on the top. The whole thing was also glued down. Took me about an hour to get it off with a screwdriver and a scraper.





When I got the whole thing off, I unplugged the whole piece and unplugged my camera as well. This is an old RV and there was some "repair" done to it in the past.



Whoever did the wiring did a pretty bad job. Almost every connection was flaky. Also, they used regular clear bathroom caulking on the rear of the screws and wire holes. So I replaced all of the connections with new crimp connectors and some electrical tape to hold the wires together and strengthen the whole thing. I added Eternabond under the light fixtures on the outside with a touch of Dicor lap sealant at the top to add some protection against water.

I tested the lights and all were solid.

Putting it back on was easy. I put a bead of Dicor across the entire top to replace the original glue and then laid the piece back in place. Screws in and more Dicor on the seams.

Hopefully this will be a permanent fix.

[Juzaxadar]

I never really thought about the crowned roof, but you're right that this design is really good... I with they would come up with a good solution for the cab-over section.

[j-d]

Beautiful job and informative post!!!

Let me add this: We discuss the value of Fiberglass End Caps all the time. And yes, a "five sided box" affords the best in looks, sealing, and control of stress in flexing. Still, those abbreviated caps like shown here (I call them Tiara's) achieve a vital purpose. That is, they allow the Cabover and Rear Wall to transition into a Roof that is crowned! The material only bends one way. If the Front cabover is bent siding material, the Roof has to be FLAT at that joint. Likewise if the Rear is wrapped over onto the Roof. Tiara allows the roof to be crowned Tip to Tail, and that's a very good thing.