Hey!

This weekend I've wired a new break-away switch and battery kit to my new (to me) old tandem-axle trailer and hooked up the electric brakes. Got a 7-pin (flat) plug, follwed all the diagrams and I think I'm good to go.

To pull it (until I get something better) I decided to install the plug-and-play 7-pin socket and brake controller that I got for the '01 F-150 on the wife's '00 Expy instead (bigger engine, more weight, and can haul the family and the load). Should be no problem as both the kits P&P into either vehicle.

Weeellll. I've not quite had the success I envisioned. When I test the trailer with a 12VDC source, each circuit seems to do what it's supposed to. I even get a promising "tap" from the axle area when I contact the brakes lug. (Shows quite a bit of draw, but I think it's suppsed to.)

I checked the fuses in the box under the hood. One was blown, so I replaced it. I installed all fuses and relays as required by the brake controller and/or 7-pin plug.

When I plug into the vehicle-side socket, I get no lights at all but I do hear the brakes "tap" and the engine lug a tiny bit as the alternator supplies that load. This confuses me. Why would the brakes come on when it's sitting in Park? I haven't tried to drag it to see if they're really holding, but I can hear them and there IS a moderately heavy electrical draw as the alternator/engine tell me.

When I try to test the contacts in the vehicle-side socket (hard with the little door snapping down on me all the time) it seems I ONLY get 12 V off the "auxilliary" lug in the middle. Nothing else seems to carry current.

Again, this is a plug-and-play kit that installed very easily, and the ground is very good -- and all the fuses are good. What could possibly be up?

[EDIT] Only one source of possible confusion comes to mind: My wife's Expy didn't come with an owner's manual. I'm using my '01 F150 manual to locate the fuses and relays I need in the distribution box. There sure doesn't seem to be much room for error there, but ??? [/EDIT]

Any thoughts at all would be very appreciated!

 

Sounds like the 12v hot is crossed with your brake wire. Try it with the key off and see if any lights workat all.

Blue should be trailer brake wire.

Some trailers are wired differnt than RV wired.

You should be able to get turn and tail lights to work with key off. That will be the basic 4 way wire
Green- Turn
Yellow- Turn
Brown- Tail
White- Ground

Then Trailer brake wire should be blue and 12v hot should be Orange/Red or black.

Last is back-up lights which is purple.

Sounds like you have 12v hot going to your brakes . This would be enough of a draw and should hear magnets in brakes click.

Usally Ford factory puts the wiring dia. on the cover of the socket.

 

another trick is to turn on your hazard flashers to check that the turnsignal circuits are working on the trailer. Check your breakaway battery wiring and trailer plug wiring. another way to check trailer brakes is to jack up one trailer axle and spin wheel, then quickly apply trailer brake by using controller to stop wheel.

 

Not sure what a "flat" 7-pin plug is.

Steve

 

They make a 7 pin flat plug for some of the pop campers with brakes and batteries. That is actually old technology.

In you wiring package for the 01 should have been a guide that shows what each indivdual wire was supposed to be hooked to. Double check all of that with the test light. Then make sure that your trailer is wired the same way. The Bargman wiring for a seven pin does not go the same as for a flat four. Just pay attention to what each wire is for and put it to the correct place and you should be good to go.

Toyman

 

Ok. I did some more in-depth testing and here goes...

The trailer checks out fine. All works as it should.

The Expy does NOT.

I replaced both 30A fuses in the trailer circuits of the distribution box. I made up a test plug with pigtails for each circuit and I found that, with the engine running and the headlamps on I get constant 13-14V at the center lug (back up lamps) and the same to the brakes lug. That's why my brakes clicked when I plugged in the trailer.

I get no lights what-so-ever, even with the turn signals on, and no power to the constant on 12V lug that should be charging the battery on the trailer.

To over-emphasize the point, this is with the plug-in kits for my application (well, they were purchased for an '01 F150 but are used on an '00 Expy...said they'd work on either?). I *TRIED* to find a way to hook them up wrong and couldn't. WTF?

Thanks for any further thoughts!

 

Wrong kit ? Bad Kit ?

Something isn't wired right on the EX .

 

Have you tried to hook it to the truck to see if the lights work there. If they do you will have to get the proper set up for the Expy.

Toyman

 

I had presumed that he meant the standard Camper plug with the 6 pins around the outsiade that are blades as opposed to round pins. the seventh being the center pin. maybe??

 

When you've eliminated the complicated answers, go for the simple one...

So I called up eTrailer.com with my test results to see if they could figure it out. Turns out, Ford didn't actually intend an Expy to tow anything with electric brakes (say it ain't so!) and the trailer connection harness -- while it LOOKS the same and the plugs are identical -- is wired totally differently from the F-series!

Desiring to tow the big trailer on occasion with the Expy, I ordered the PROPER kit, but it will require running at least two seperate wires and splicing them into the harness. Yaaay.

So, I swapped the controller and harness adapter over to the F-150 and VOILA! The thing actually works!

Thanks for all the advice!

 

Cougar -

That's what I thought, but Toyman (post #5) says they were available in the old days (he must be LOTS older than me).

Steve

 

Grrrrr!

I hate my dial up connection....


This diagram may help (IF IT MAKES IT THIS TIME!)

You may have to hardwire everything, it sure sounds like you need to check each pin and make sure they are right.

I'm sorry - I can't help you with the diagram. For whatever reason it won't upload. It might be my PC, it may be my connection, it might be a change to the forum software.

IT JUST ISN'T GOING...

 

Wolfie -

Can you PM or EM it to me and I'll try to get it posted?

Steve

 

Its not a change in the software on FTE.

 

Try THIS link: http://www.accessconnect.com/trailer_wiring_diagram.htm

I think it's the one Wolfie wanted you to see.