Anybody every seen a schematic for a Bigfoot?

[HMS_Beagle]

I have not been able to get one for my pre-bankruptcy (Mark II) 10.4. I would like to get one.

I am having this very "interesting" problem with the running lights. Occasionally (once an hour to once a week) it will blow the fuse in the truck. So an intermittent short. There are 12 LED clearance lights, 2 LED taillights and an incandescent license plate lamp, so wiring all over the place and mostly inaccessible. The main ground bus is accessible, I found the ground lead for the lights - actually there are 3 of them wired in parallel - and also discovered that these grounds are shared by most of the ceiling wiring - fans, light, etc.

There are two possibilities: either the power and ground lead at a light is shorting together, or the power lead is shorting to some other ground. I thought I would put a smaller fuse in the ground lead, if it is the former it will blow that fuse, if the latter it will blow the fuse in the truck and not that fuse. That may add to knowledge without getting me any closer to a fix. And the fact that the ceiling wiring is grounded through the same wires may confound the experiment.

I haven't come up with any other ways to attack this. If it would short hard and permanently it would be much easier to find. Any brilliant ideas?

It would be helpful to know how the factory thought the thing should be wired. I have asked Bigfoot by email and phone with no response. The wiring in most RVs seems to be very haphazard, I have owned only one that had a complete and fairly accurate schematic.

[bigfootford]

HMS Beagle wrote:
It doesn't happen towing the trailer.

The BF owners site has some schematics created by an owner of the wiring he has added to his - it doesn't represent most of what is in the camper. I have never seen a complete wiring diagram from Bigfoot. You would think they have some internal documentation on this at least, but observing how it was wired, maybe each one is done ad hoc. Threads there suggest that all of the paper records of the company pre-bankruptcy were destroyed by order of the bank receiver - so if there ever were any they don't exist now.

I pulled one of the clearance lights out, it is stuck to the shell with a very gooey, stretchy sealing tape that is die cut to the shape so must be from Bargman. This stuff is tenacious enough to give some confidence that they don't need to be resealed. Of course Bigfoot went and smeared silicone all around the outside as is there habit. I was able to get to and observe to at least some extent most of the aft lights and wiring, without seeing anything suspicious. The clearance lights in the upper aft corners look like they could be gotten to through the trim pieces inside the cabinets which cover the corner. The ones in the middle I was able to get to my removing the trim above the door.

The clearance lights in front look like they are impossible to get to from the inside without cutting very visible paneling. The hole drilled in the shell for the wiring is about 1/2 inch, and I could with some effort and prodding wiggle the connectors through the hole. I think I will wait till the next incident and then try to pull the front ones.

PM sent.

Jim

[HMS_Beagle]

It doesn't happen towing the trailer.

The BF owners site has some schematics created by an owner of the wiring he has added to his - it doesn't represent most of what is in the camper. I have never seen a complete wiring diagram from Bigfoot. You would think they have some internal documentation on this at least, but observing how it was wired, maybe each one is done ad hoc. Threads there suggest that all of the paper records of the company pre-bankruptcy were destroyed by order of the bank receiver - so if there ever were any they don't exist now.

I pulled one of the clearance lights out, it is stuck to the shell with a very gooey, stretchy sealing tape that is die cut to the shape so must be from Bargman. This stuff is tenacious enough to give some confidence that they don't need to be resealed. Of course Bigfoot went and smeared silicone all around the outside as is there habit. I was able to get to and observe to at least some extent most of the aft lights and wiring, without seeing anything suspicious. The clearance lights in the upper aft corners look like they could be gotten to through the trim pieces inside the cabinets which cover the corner. The ones in the middle I was able to get to my removing the trim above the door.

The clearance lights in front look like they are impossible to get to from the inside without cutting very visible paneling. The hole drilled in the shell for the wiring is about 1/2 inch, and I could with some effort and prodding wiggle the connectors through the hole. I think I will wait till the next incident and then try to pull the front ones.

[ticki2]

If you can try it with a utility trailer , yours or borrowed , and the same thing happens you'll know it's the truck wiring , if it doesn't happen it's the camper .Because it doesn't blow without the camper doesn't necessarily rule out the truck , as you said the camper/trailer are separate circuits from the truck lights .

[54suds]

go to BF owners site look in archives there are several model schematic's there link to bigfoot owners

[HMS_Beagle]

The fuse doesn't blow unless the camper is plugged in so it must be in the camper. It's only the running lights, brake lights and stop lights are on separate fuses and circuits, no problem. There is no doubt that the grounds are shared with the ceiling in this one. If I remove all three grounds, the running lights won't light, nor will the ceiling lights or fans. Connect any of the three grounds and all of it works. I don't think that is the right way to wire it, but that's the way it was done.

The truck has the trailer pull package, so the trailer (camper) running lights are a separate relay activated circuit from the truck running lights, on its own fuse. Here is another oddity: several times I have replaced the fuse, verified that the lights work, then shut it off. Then driven for a day or two, but during daylight, lights never turned on. Then back home and park. Switch the running lights on to check - not working. Fuse is blown. Now it can't blow when the lights aren't on, unless something really weird is happening. I think maybe driving jiggles things around and gets it touching somewhere, then the instant I switch the lights on it simultaneously blows the fuse and blows the high resistance short like a fuse, so quick I don't see even a blink. Because whenever I put in a new fuse, it always works for awhile. The current draw when everything is working is only about an amp, the stock fuse is 15 I think, I have tried everything from 5 to 25 (because it was what I had). I just found a 15 amp resettable circuit breaker that will go in the same fuse socket, I guess that is my temporary fix...

[ticki2]

I had a similar problem except it wasn't blowing a fuse , the lights just went out . It turned out to be a broken wire on the truck along the frame , it would make contact sometimes . With the age of your truck it's a possibility . Your idea with the fuses may isolate the problem between truck and camper . You could also try isolating the camper running lights . Remove the brake and turn bulbs and see if the markers stay on , then reverse . Chasing electrical can be a bugger , good luck.

[Reddog1]

On my 1988, all of the lights were bulbs. I could not find lenses to replaced cracked ones, and I was always having issues with some not working. Usually it was the bulb connection. Eventually, I replaced all of them with LEDs, and had to redo some of the wiring at the lights.

I am almost positive the exterior lights are totally independent (positive & ground) from the interior lights.

[HMS_Beagle]

I've checked the plugs. It does seem like the fiberglass shell would point to the wiring at the lights, there are two Y type butt connectors at each. The holes drilled for the wiring are small though, and won't allow me to pull the pigtail out to see the connection, made up from the inside before the interior was trimmed out. I might be able to pull out each and shake them to see if I can get the problem to occur. The lights really ought to be resealed properly anyway. There are a lot of them!

[JumboJet]

Have you checked all the wiring between the camper and the truck? My son was diagnosing a blown fuse issue similar to what you are describing. The lights on the trailer and his TC had all worked the week before, but would not work last weekend. After serious searching, the problem was found at the 4-way plug and not his 7-way plug.

Intermittent problems are hard to find. Have someone shake all the wires while you are diagnosing.

Or, you can bypass the fuse and see what melts! 🙂

[Reddog1]

I can't help you on the schematic, but considering the TC is fiberglass it leads me to think the problem is at a light fixture. Because it is intermittent, you will probably have to remove and check every light.

Wayne