94. Silver bulbs

COSTA DA CAPARICA - LISBON - PORTUGAL

If you click on the photo you can see I have outlined the
cracking that had been repaired by a variety of methods in blue.
The other side was worse, never thought it would depart though.

Another day on the tail-lights. Assumption that remaining lights were working at the time of departure was a trap.  Wiring mystery slightly demystified the I discovered a junction box in the back of the side gear locker, under our bed.  I could just squeeze in but the wires were so tight I couldn't really work out what was happening.  Four front and eight sidelights are fed from this junction box. For power tests using the caravans battery I thought I would solder wires onto a spare glass fuse.  I knew that I have been spoilt working for an automotive auto-electronics company for the last twenty five years but until now not realised how much.  I have never experienced solder being repelled from, well everything.  My temperature uncontrolled soldering iron fluctuated by about five hundred degrees, the solder didn't want to flow and the flux .... flux! I am used to flash Japanese resin cored solder, haven't used separate flux since my farming days. After a long battle and a brutally ugly soldering job I fed power into the seven pin front connector and in a trice, like a complete dill created a short circuit at the macrame at the rear and popped the fuse.

I think my tears of frustration
created this photo effect.

 Actually I was impressed that I had persevered and installed a temporary fuse in the first place.

Silver bulbs

There is quite a bit of mystery wiring and the centre high level stop light almost bettered me as I assumed; it was an LED fitting; it was working prior to the bumpers departure.

Finally worked out how to remove it with the aid of a wood chisel and discovered a row of silvered bulbs indicating that, at some point prior to our ownership, somebody had plugged the Giantavan into a twenty four volt Landcruiser or similar.

Remembered that I had a pair of Euro triangle reflectors stashed behind the gas bottle as I ordered them six months ago as they are required in Europe but not realising that they were part of the original factory tail-light. Feeling smug about that.

Temporary lights fitted.