I'm beginning to think I'm not supposed to make the Michigan trip.

[John Schmidt]

Over the last month I've had a rash of electrical gremlins pop up on the bike, they were an easy fix....once I found them. But over a period of a few weeks it had me pulling my hair out. Then we had a couple things pop up with the house, nothing major...just something that had to be taken care of. Next, we were notified our insurance carrier for the house, contents, and cars, is no longer writing insurance in Florida....we've had them for over 20 years. So, we're scurrying around to get that under control before heading north. I have to do all the calling since my wife has lost most of her voice due to her Parkinson's disease, so I have to work it all in while trying to get things ready for the trip.

Today, I finally got around to pulling the trailer out that I use to haul the bike, think I'll get some new tires for it. But before leaving for the trailer place for the tires, I decided I better check the lights....crap!!!!    The right side works fine, the left was dead. So I took the light ass'y. apart, cleaned it, buffed any rust off the contacts for the bulbs, the usual stuff, put it all back together....nothing. Next, I checked continuity from the light to the connector that goes to the car plug....no broken or interrmitent wires there. So, before reassembling the light, I plugged it into the car connector and turned on the lights....good voltage. I had the meter on the ground wire and on the two different bulb leads, read just over 13v with the car running. Great, put it all together, put in two new bulbs, turned on the lights....NOTHING. Took out the bulbs and checked for voltage...nothing inside the light fixture. But, if I removed the ground wire on the backside and clipped the leads directly to it and the contacts internally....good voltage. I messed with this for over two hours this afternoon and finally gave up. I swear....one more major setback and I'm canceling my reservations. It's just getting to be waaaaaaay too big a hassle. As much as I want to make the trip after dropping my wife at her sister's place, I'm beginning to question the decision. Tomorrow I can't spend any time on it, my wife has an outpatient procedure which I hope and pray(literally) doesn't turn out positive. Guess I'll get a new set of lights for the trailer, it just doesn't make sense though.

[Robert]

So sorry to hear about your wife's problems  and to a lesser extent yours If you have good power to the contacts inside the socket then sometimes the spring inside doesn't work and the bulb base never makes good contact to the contacts inside. I would also put in the bulb and see with a test light if you still have power and ground. You may have just enough connection somewhere to allow power but the minute you put a load on it no good. More times than not I found it to be the ground make sure you run a wire from the car to the trailer that you know you have good contacts.

[Daniel Meyer]

Just get determined...

Lesse...
Pay cut. Smashed car. Fixed car. Fixed car wrong, back to fixers. Insurance hassles (charged the repair to my credit card instead of paying it). Rent car woes (overcharged, nobody wants to talk about it). No credit now, card over limit due to unexpected, unauthorized, and unresolved charges. Smashed, fixed, refixed car returned. Smashed, fixed, re-fixed car broken into in our driveway the next week (they stole a FLASHLIGHT). Valk blew a fork seal. Valk rear-ended (not serious). Valk rear fender, middle-segment gave way (Serk will know why, extreme Serk-type damage). Valk front tire worn out. New front tire in stock in garage is bad. Valk is out of inspection. New tire acquired (still have to mount). Smashed, fixed, re-fixed, broken-into car, fixed again.

Most of this still needs fixed. I've got one, (1), ONE day off till it's time to leave for Inzane.

Yep. I'll see ya there!  

[Serk]

Valk rear fender, middle-segment gave way (Serk will know why, extreme Serk-type damage).

Thanks for the laugh Daniel, it's been a week, and I needed it! Glad you got to perfect the technique to repair "that" particular problem well in advance of needing to do it on your own bike!

[R J]

John, it sounds like you are losing your ground.

If, by chance you do change lights, get LED's for your replacements.

In your trailer side of the plug, chase that ground wire down to where it terminates on the trailer.   make sure the connection is CLEAN and also a good clean non green circle clip.....    I've run them bastards down many many times, especially on Chevy pickups......   Then check where the lamp bolts to the trailer frame.  All of them clean and no green wire, you should have good lights again.

PS:    Ya haul your bike to Bellaire, ya no get the oldest rider......  They told me a few years ago I had to ride it to and from.   LOL.........  I won't be there this year and solo1 is taking his Miata, so you are the next one up........  LOL.......

[Daniel Meyer]

Valk rear fender, middle-segment gave way (Serk will know why, extreme Serk-type damage).

Thanks for the laugh Daniel, it's been a week, and I needed it! Glad you got to perfect the technique to repair "that" particular problem well in advance of needing to do it on your own bike!

Heh heh...I'll post pics when I take it apart...it's rather...spectacular...the rear seat was still on so the damage is a bit...well...bigger.

[John Schmidt]

John, it sounds like you are losing your ground.

If, by chance you do change lights, get LED's for your replacements.

In your trailer side of the plug, chase that ground wire down to where it terminates on the trailer.   make sure the connection is CLEAN and also a good clean non green circle clip.....    I've run them bastards down many many times, especially on Chevy pickups......   Then check where the lamp bolts to the trailer frame.  All of them clean and no green wire, you should have good lights again.

PS:    Ya haul your bike to Bellaire, ya no get the oldest rider......  They told me a few years ago I had to ride it to and from.   LOL.........  I won't be there this year and solo1 is taking his Miata, so you are the next one up........  LOL.......

Russ, I'm only towing it to Columbus, OH and riding up from there. I've done that for all the InZanes but one in Paducah, rode up from here. I have to take the wife in the car and leave her with her sister, I leave the car and trailer there as I've done numerous times, can't leave the wife alone now for more than a few hours. As for the obstacles, what I listed only scratches the surface, I'm not too far behind Daniel on the length of the list. But as he said....I'm determined to make it one way or another. Harbor Freight has a complete set of lights with wiring and everything, choice of either LED or incandescent.

As for oldest rider, I know of at least two other members that will beat me if they ride in; Spirited-6 and Valkernaught. Guess we'll have to wait and see.   

[RTaz]

Prayers for the wife...and check the grounds on both the trailer and the vehicle...( come to Michigan it sounds like you need a vacation )

[Grumpy]

Real sorry to hear of all the problems, any thing I can do, let me know. Just don't give up, had to rework my trailer last week, bearings etc. Brake job on the truck, plus having to rebuild the bike after the 65 mph crash on the interstate a couple of months ago. I am trailering to Franklin Oh, and riding from there. Mainly time restraints, plus visiting friends in Ill and Missouri on the way back.

[John Schmidt]

Real sorry to hear of all the problems, any thing I can do, let me know. Just don't give up, had to rework my trailer last week, bearings etc. Brake job on the truck, plus having to rebuild the bike after the 65 mph crash on the interstate a couple of months ago. I am trailering to Franklin Oh, and riding from there. Mainly time restraints, plus visiting friends in Ill and Missouri on the way back.

Bill, thanks for the offer. I'm going to run up to Harbor Freight in the morning before the wife's 11:00am procedure, pick up a complete set of wiring and lights. Think I'll make them LED's if they have them in stock, the whole thing doesn't make sense. The ground is solid, good continuity on all wires on both sides of the trailer. There's power to the leads before assembly, but you put it all together and mount the light ass'y., turn on the car lights and....ZIP. Leave everything assembled and just remove the ground off the stud in back and clip the meter direct to it and you have power. I'm baffled, the trailer is a '94 Chariot so maybe it's time to redo the wiring. After Rita is resting good tomorrow afternoon, I'll have some time to pull the entire mess and install the new setup. See ya there.

[Jabba]

John... it sound to me like you NEED a ride.  Caring for a spouse is hard.  I have to on and off it seems, and we're still young. (41) I feel for you.  But you gotta take care of your own mental health to be ABLE to take care of her. 

Good luck.  Your new wiring and lights will lick the issue, whatever it is.  Rewiring a trailer every 16 years ain't so bad.  Seems I do mine about every 3  or 4.

Jabba

[Curley Wolf]

It always seems that my list grows and grows anytime I'm tryin' to get away.  It's always exasperating but, hang in there and you'll enjoy the trip and laugh about the experience when you look back on it.  HAVE A GREAT TRIP!