Help with Scamp battery- moving back outside

[CarrieR]

The pvs owners of our Scamp 13 had moved the battery inside under the front bunk, and we want to put it back on the tongue. Our pretty basic question is where do the battery wires come out of the trailer to connect to the battery on the tongue? It's not obvious to us...

Thank you!
Carrie

[Jon in AZ]

Mine comes out with the connector to the vehicle through the lower front curbside of the shell.

[Carol H]

If you have a front bunk model if you look inside the hatch up front closest to the door you will see on the front wall of the trailer a hole where all your wiring runs out to the tongue - same place all the wires that go for your trailer running lights when hitched up go out.

[Peter S. in Iowa]

Same as John. Lower front curbside. I have a 19 foot fiver, but the wires to the battery come out of the same location at the bottom of the front sofa area. On the inside, they run under the sofa area along the front shell wall and floor and then travel down the street side shell along the floor to the converter and electrical panel.

[Carol H]

You may want to note how the wiring to the battery is connected. If the PO messed with the wiring, it may not be how Scamp normally sets it up, which suggests they have messed with some other wiring as well. Normal set up is not how some think it should be and they hook up incorrectly blowing fuses etc

The normal battery connection on a Scamp from the factory is: + Positive to Black
- Negative to white.


Note change: originally typed up backwards

[CarrieR]

The wires to the battery aren't encased in anything coming out of the trailer? They just come out and go straight to the battery?

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by CarrieR

The wires to the battery aren't encased in anything coming out of the trailer? They just come out and go straight to the battery?

You should wrap them up with the other wiring harness wires coming out of the trailer to protect them from rubbing on anything & possible shorting out as a result. Once outside the trailer though - yup they just go straight to the battery box. You also want to tie them up or wrap them so they do not just hang loose so that something could get caught up on them.

[Dan Meyer]

Originally Posted by CarrieR

The wires to the battery aren't encased in anything coming out of the trailer? They just come out and go straight to the battery?

On my 2000 Scamp 16 the wires just come out and go right to the battery. I never even thought it might be nice to put them into some sort of plastic conduit. Maybe I'll do that with all the other work I'm doing to my trailer this spring.

Be sure to wire this properly. This means properly sized wires and a few inline fuses, one at the battery and one just inside the trailer properly sized and wired. See the Scamp wiring diagram from my Scamp's owners manual at http://scamp.n0kfb.org/manual/index.htm

--Dan Meyer

[RogerDat]

My 13 ft. is older but the battery wires are part of the 7 pin wiring plug and the wires coming back into the trailer are direct with no battery. Adding a battery I put a 7 pin trailer wiring junction box in so that battery and trailer plug (plus everything else) would have a single box with all the connections.


Wire back to the battery will run along side of the existing trailer plug pig tail. It will be held in place and protected by spiral wrap that holds it tight to the trailer plug wire. This stuff Gardner Bender 1/2 in. 3.5 ft. Spiral Wrap - Black-FSP-BlackT - The Home Depot


Used like this https://www.pmgcompanyonline.com/wp-.../01/spiral.jpg

[Darral T.]

Here's a couple photos of my 2010 Scamp. I had removed the Propane tank as I dont use it hardly ever and these photos were taken to show its removal. But this is a good view showing where/how the wires exit my Scamp as well- some (the large harness) to the 7-pin plug and some to the battery that's sitting in the battery box. My wires going to the battery are not wrapped as you can see. It wouldnt hurt anything if they were though.

[gordon2]

Originally Posted by CarrieR

...to connect to the battery on the tongue? It's not obvious to us...

It goes through the same hole as the umbilical cord.
But maybe the PO did something different. If you have to drill another hole its no big deal.. the jack on the left in this photo is for solar panel input and uses a second hole that I drilled. The wire to the battery is the smaller, almost white one behind the umbilical (black), and it is wrapped.
Use a grommet and sealant, or other way to protect the wire and keep it water tight.
Dont forget the fuse as close to the battery positive terminal as you can get it.
I like using this:
Amazon.com: Blue Sea Systems 30A MRBF Terminal Fuse
with
Fuse holder
But of course Scamp uses a cheaper fuse and holder.