[Pymyno2]

Tail lights & license plate lights out.
All other lights work ok fuses (ALL) & bulbs in working condition.

Could it be the pigtail that supplies the power to the bulbs?
thanks for any help & have a safe & happy holiday.

[T-bucket23]

They most likely share a common ground as well as a common feed. The ground loop usually rots off the frame. Check for power at the sockets with a test light with the clip connected to the neg battery terminal. If that is working your ground is probably broken. Do the brake lights work?
The brown wire in the harness is the common feed, you could also have a corroded connector or a broken wire or a poor trailer light adapter install.

As a side note if the brake lights work it is most likely not a ground issue as it uses the same ground as the other rear lights on that vehicle

[Pymyno2]

Since all other lights work even the brake lights if this cancels out a groumd problem what else could it be?

thanks again CHET

[Old Fool]

If I remember correctly there is a connector that couples the main harness to the taillamp assy harness. It is somewhere near the spare tire. Uncouple it and check for voltage there. It is possible that there is corrosion at that connection causing your problem.

[Pymyno2]

Thank you OLD FOOL I will check that out.

Have a safe & happy holiday to you & yours.

[T-bucket23]

Yup there is a factory adapter mounted on the left frame rail right at the back on most of those. The wire you need to check is the brown wire. That is the one that carries the power to the tail lights. I just fixed a similar one with a rotted connector

[Pymyno2]

I now know what to look for thanks to you CHET & OLD FOOL.

thank you guys so very much.