Help with controller box install

[captsteve2002]

when I bought my trailer last Nov, I went to a local trailer shop. As I remember the total cost was about $300, including the controller. My , new to me Scamp, had different wiring than was called for in the installation instructions of the controller, so I took it back the next day, the shop re- wired the Scamp plug to match the truck plug, and I was off. One good thing to check before you leave, the shop, is to hook up the trailer and check that all works as advertised, mine didn't and had to go back to get it straighteed out.

Good luck and enjoy

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by FTTRV

Newer vehicles have a terminal block up under the dash where you can plug in a harness to the brake controller. The harness should not be more than $40.00. Most hitch wiring is plug and play now days.
Chuck

Chuck that may be true on some bands of vehicles but sadly not all. I have been actively looking for a new tug of late - both SUV and truck. Your right most of them come prewired for all the trailer lights regardless of if they have the factory tow package or not so its simple a matter of plugging in a harness for the lights to work.... sadly I have discovered that many of them still do not include the brake wire even when they have the factory tow packages installed - even on a number of the truck brands. A number of trucks I have looked at come with only a 4 pin plug and play connection from the factory even though they have the factory hitch installed

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by captsteve2002

when I bought my trailer last Nov, I went to a local trailer shop. As I remember the total cost was about $300, including the controller. My , new to me Scamp, had different wiring than was called for in the installation instructions of the controller, so I took it back the next day, the shop re- wired the Scamp plug to match the truck plug, and I was off. One good thing to check before you leave, the shop, is to hook up the trailer and check that all works as advertised, mine didn't and had to go back to get it straighteed out.

Good luck and enjoy

Yes there are a couple of different trailer wiring standards and the party doing the install needs to know what the trailer standard is prior to installing the wiring for the tugs plug in.

A diagram of how the Scamps are wired from the factory can be found here in the documents section of this forum. The good news is it is a common standard so the installer will probable only take one quick look at it and will be familiar with it & not need to look at it again.

[RogerDat]

I received a good price from our local U-Haul trailer place on install of 7 Pin plug. Less than $100 as I recall. More like $75 including the plug.

Turn, brake, and running lights will typically already have a connection box at the rear of the vehicle. Those wires are probably plug-n-play.

Existing brake controller wiring is variable. Some have a plug just for the controller under the dash and all the wires are already run. Plug-n-play. Others may have plug for some of the wires but still need a power wire hooked in or pulled to the hitch. Tow package would make me think it has at least some of this. Jeep dealer is best person to take a look and tell you what you have, and what will need to be added.

Power wire for charging trailer battery probably has to be pulled, a note on that. You want at least 10 gauge wire, not all trailer places will have it. If you can get 8 gauge that is even better. Bring that up before hand, you may have to bring your own or give them a chance to get some for your job. You can get it by the foot at big box home improvement stores.

You want this power wire hooked to an accessory circuit! Not directly to the battery. Otherwise if you leave your camper plugged into the hitch you can draw down the tow vehicle battery by running things in the camper. On an accessory circut when you turn off the car the power wire is off.

Long run of wire drops the voltage at the far end. Thinner the wire more voltage drops for the same distance. Voltage at trailer has to be greater than existing battery voltage in order to force a charge into the trailer battery. Our trailer place did not have anything thicker than 12 guage in stock. Suitable for charging the battery for break away emergency brakes on a utility trailer not thick enough to charge a camper battery.

[Bob Miller]

Good advice, except where to tie in the charging wire. If you use an existing accessory circuit you will be at the risk of blowing and already loaded fuse and there is small chance that circuit will have a very heavy capacity/wire anyway.

Many newer vehicles have a heavily fused terminal just for this. On many GM's it's called the "B" terminal and it located in the under hood fuse box along with a 30 amp fuse, and is the designated point for the trailer charging line.

If you want that line to be open when the key is OFF, install a solenoid type battery isolator in the charging line and use a lead to an accessory circuit to provide the .5 amps it needs to operate the solenoid when the key is ON.

Also, if you connect direct to the battery circuit, be sure to put a 30 amp circuit beaker there as well

[RogerDat]

Good catch Bob, I totally blew by the solenoid part of that circut in my explanation!