Rear Camera Installation for a 2014 Minnie Winnie

[Harpoon-WO]

I am trying to install a backup camera on my 2014 Minnie Winnie and I want to tie it in to the running light in the top center in the rear. I notice that the running lights have 2 white wires. How do I figure out which one is the positive wire and which one is the negative one? I also want to install a new bracket where the bulb is because the plastic is cracked. The new running light has a black and white wire, and the camera has a red and black wire, so I want to connect all the positive and all of the negative wires together.

 

[Eagle5]

Hi Harpoon-WO,
I would buy a good Multimeter to check for voltage and polarity. Here is one on Amazon:
Klein Tools 69149P Electrical Test Kit
Eagle5

 

[Harpoon-WO]

Thank-you. I should be getting 12V DC on the positive lead?

 

[Eagle5]

With the red lead of the multimeter on the positive wire, you will get a "+" sign for the voltage.

 

[MDJDCarter]

It is odd to have 2 white wires from a fixture like that. Some of your lights may be connected in series. If you remove the bulb, do other lights go out? If so, either white wire is hot and just connect your ground to the frame. Be sure your camera does not draw too much power or the lights will dim which is real bad for some LEDs.

 

[Bobn1957]

It is odd to have 2 white wires from a fixture like that. Some of your lights may be connected in series. If you remove the bulb, do other lights go out? If so, either white wire is hot and just connect your ground to the frame. Be sure your camera does not draw too much power or the lights will dim which is real bad for some LEDs.

The white wires are probably connected to the chassis wiring in the wall, the rest of the running lights are all connected in parallel in the wall!

 

[onojo]

I am trying to install a backup camera on my 2014 Minnie Winnie and I want to tie it in to the running light in the top center in the rear. I notice that the running lights have 2 white wires. How do I figure out which one is the positive wire and which one is the negative one? I also want to install a new bracket where the bulb is because the plastic is cracked. The new running light has a black and white wire, and the camera has a red and black wire, so I want to connect all the positive and all of the negative wires together.

You can get a test light to test what wire is what that way you can mark the correct one.

 

[klook]

I use one of these quite often even though I have 3 meters and a couple are pricey.

Amazon.com

Led's will not light up unless they are in the correct polarity. Sometimes that tells you something.
My only complaint with the probe is it indicates + with a red light and numbers and - is green. I like green GO and red Stop.

 

[Bobn1957]

Some LEDs have bridge rectifier in them to remove polarity concerns!

 

[klook]

Probably not the marker lights or such on a camper.

 

[Morich]

In times of stress and we need to get it done without a meter, a simple 12V bulb can be made to work to tell us battery and ground.
Keeping in mind that a bulb needs power from battery to go through the bulb and find a return to ground, we can make do. A meter is nice but sometimes we do what we have to do?
Ground on an RV is easy to find in lots of places as most of the metal that is connected together is also connected to the frame. So when we don't know which wire is ground, we can make a tester out of a bulb and set of wires. It may take a bit of thought or luck to make it handy but getting it to work is simple enough. Something real techie like vise-grips, any type clamp or an alligator clip are handy. Even a wife might get it done to hold the wire on the metal if you are sweet about it?
Starting with something metal on the RV and holding, clamping, or screwing a wire from metal to one side of the bulb will give us a way to use the other contact on the bulb and a second wire to go looking for battery!
Always good to test the system is working on some point where you KNOW there is battery before starting but once you see it works, then you can find which of the unknown wires might have battery!
BUT??
If you don't find battery on either wire because that is the problem, you can still use the tester to check ground is getting to the problem spot. A nice long extension cord that will reach any of the batteries will work the same trick. Hold one wire on the positive post or some known good battery point and then touch the other wire to the wires at the trouble!
Light bulbs are not fussy, so if we give them battery and ground, we expect them to light up!
A meter is nice and does lots more and much quicker, but life is not always meant to be convenient. So we have to think a bit before getting down to work!