Voltage on TOW Connector - Page 2 - Fiberglass RV
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Old 04-17-2014, 01:29 PM   #21
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The one I linked to has a 90A rating. They also have one for 140A:
12V Dual Battery Isolator | Princess Auto

No Princess Auto in Virginia though.
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Old 04-17-2014, 02:28 PM   #22
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I have used those relays. They get wired so that an accessory circuit turns them on. When turned on the connection is made between the tug charging and the wire going back to the trailer.

Most vehicles have at least one unused circuit breaker that is only powered when the car is on or a place you can splice your relay to on an existing accessory circuit.

Probably known to many but for completeness - relay is electrical switch that uses low power from accessory circuit to switch on connection for heavy wire that is going to carry heavier current load back to trailer.

Common use in cars is headlights - small low current switch for lights turns on relay that delivers power to headlights.
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Old 04-17-2014, 02:47 PM   #23
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I plug this in the 12 v outlet in the trailer and it always reads 13.88.

When I plug it into the cigarette lighter in my car it seems to work properly, so I think it is working OK.

Any ideas why it would always read 13.88? The biggest fluctuation I have seen is .01 v, but it goes right back to 13.88.




INNOVA 3721 Battery and Charging System Monitor
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Old 04-17-2014, 03:19 PM   #24
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Originally Posted by RogerDat View Post
I have used those relays. They get wired so that an accessory circuit turns them on. When turned on the connection is made between the tug charging and the wire going back to the trailer.

Most vehicles have at least one unused circuit breaker that is only powered when the car is on or a place you can splice your relay to on an existing accessory circuit.

Probably known to many but for completeness - relay is electrical switch that uses low power from accessory circuit to switch on connection for heavy wire that is going to carry heavier current load back to trailer.

Common use in cars is headlights - small low current switch for lights turns on relay that delivers power to headlights.
One of the relays I posted fits that description, The other two are much easier to install, and a bit more expensive. No accessory circuit required. They sense voltage. At 13.3 VDC, (car running) they turn on. At 12.8 VDC, (soon after car stops) they turn off. I have measured batteries that were resting above 12.8 VDC. So this might provide power from the tug for long enough to get your PJ's on, and in bed, and still be able to start in the morning.
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Old 04-17-2014, 04:34 PM   #25
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I still need help!

I checked the voltage on batteries. Then hooked up to tow and rechecked voltage at batteries. Exactly the same.

Waited a couple of hours and retested. Voltages exactly the same before and after connecting to tow.

Put the voltmeter on pin 1 of 7 blade connector (tow) and ground, both with tow running and not running. Not seeing any voltage.

When the guy ran the power line today, I saw him put a light on pin 1 and ground and the light came on. He also accidentally hit pin 7 and the backup lights came on.

I'm absolutely stumped as to what to check.
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Old 04-17-2014, 04:44 PM   #26
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Originally Posted by Huck View Post
I plug this in the 12 v outlet in the trailer and it always reads 13.88.

When I plug it into the cigarette lighter in my car it seems to work properly, so I think it is working OK.

Any ideas why it would always read 13.88? The biggest fluctuation I have seen is .01 v, but it goes right back to 13.88.

Is it read 13.88 when the trailer is plugged into power or shortly after it has been taken off of power? Do you have a solar system keeping it pumped up?

If you haven't already done so - unplug the trailer and then turn on all your 12 volt lights for awhile and run the water pump..... still reads steady at 13.88 then something is a miss with the plug in its in or its faulty....
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Old 04-17-2014, 06:22 PM   #27
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Originally Posted by David Tilston View Post
One of the relays I posted fits that description, The other two are much easier to install, and a bit more expensive. No accessory circuit required. They sense voltage. At 13.3 VDC, (car running) they turn on. At 12.8 VDC, (soon after car stops) they turn off. I have measured batteries that were resting above 12.8 VDC. So this might provide power from the tug for long enough to get your PJ's on, and in bed, and still be able to start in the morning.
Sounds like some pretty slick hardware, will have to bookmark this so I can find them again.
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Old 04-17-2014, 06:39 PM   #28
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I still need help!

I checked the voltage on batteries. Then hooked up to tow and rechecked voltage at batteries. Exactly the same.

Waited a couple of hours and retested. Voltages exactly the same before and after connecting to tow.

Put the voltmeter on pin 1 of 7 blade connector (tow) and ground, both with tow running and not running. Not seeing any voltage.

When the guy ran the power line today, I saw him put a light on pin 1 and ground and the light came on. He also accidentally hit pin 7 and the backup lights came on.

I'm absolutely stumped as to what to check.
...IMO, your vehicle connector either missed the power line( from pin 1 to positive terminal of your battery) or this line's fuse blown. Your helper could find out without power line so he installed it. When he accidentally touches this power line(+12VDC) to pin 7, your vehicle back up lights came on---> this is normally as it is supposed to do. Most of the cases for common 7pin connector, when vehicle is in reverse mode, pin 7 is supposed to be +12V. This pin is inter-connected to your back up lights of your vehicle, also connected to back up alarm/rear camera for the trailer when your trailer is hooked up to towing vehicle. This means your vehicle connector function is good, no defect in term of wrong wiring or bad contact...Just my thought...
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Old 04-18-2014, 12:51 AM   #29
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...IMO, your vehicle connector either missed the power line( from pin 1 to positive terminal of your battery) or this line's fuse blown. Your helper could find out without power line so he installed it. When he accidentally touches this power line(+12VDC) to pin 7, your vehicle back up lights came on---> this is normally as it is supposed to do. Most of the cases for common 7pin connector, when vehicle is in reverse mode, pin 7 is supposed to be +12V. This pin is inter-connected to your back up lights of your vehicle, also connected to back up alarm/rear camera for the trailer when your trailer is hooked up to towing vehicle. This means your vehicle connector function is good, no defect in term of wrong wiring or bad contact...Just my thought...
That's what I'm thinking.

First thing I'll do is check fuse.

If fuse is good, I'm going to hook up a 100 watt solar panel and charge controller to trailer via a 7 pin connector like the one on tow. If I see voltage increase at battery, that should indicate trailer wiring is OK and problem is definitely at tow end If I don't see a voltage increase, maybe trailer wiring is bad.
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Old 04-18-2014, 06:15 AM   #30
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It was a winter project one year while dreaming about coming camping trips.
Would that be the winter after you watched me try to fry my connectors?
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Old 04-18-2014, 09:20 AM   #31
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Two separate issues.

First is I want to connect solar panel through controller to 7 blade connector on trailer to charge battery. .
Huck just out of curiosity whats the idea behind hooking up the solar panel controller to the trailers 7 pin plug? Why not connect it directly to the battery which is how most solar systems I have seen are set up.
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Old 04-18-2014, 10:33 AM   #32
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Huck just out of curiosity whats the idea behind hooking up the solar panel controller to the trailers 7 pin plug? Why not connect it directly to the battery which is how most solar systems I have seen are set up.
I got the idea from a post I read here. If it was a permanent solution, it would make sense to connect to batteries. But for now, this is just a temporary solution.

The propane tanks have to be removed to get to the batteries on the Parkliner, so by using the 7 pin trailer connector I have a portable system that just needs to be plugged in whenever I want to use it.
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Old 04-18-2014, 10:35 AM   #33
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... I'm going to hook up a 100 watt solar panel and charge controller to trailer via a 7 pin connector like the one on tow. If I see voltage increase at battery, that should indicate trailer wiring is OK and problem is definitely at tow end If I don't see a voltage increase, maybe trailer wiring is bad.
I hooked up solar panel and voltage at batteries jumped up to 13.2 volts. At least I know the trailer wiring is good.
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Old 04-18-2014, 10:38 AM   #34
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I hooked up solar panel and voltage at batteries jumped up to 13.2 volts. At least I know the trailer wiring is good.
Jumped up? I thought you where getting readings of 13.88 but 13.2 is starting to sound a bit more in the ball park.
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Old 04-18-2014, 10:58 AM   #35
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Jumped up? I thought you where getting readings of 13.88 but 13.2 is starting to sound a bit more in the ball park.
The 13.88 was from a monitor plugged a 12 v dc outlet in the trailer. I probably created confusion by trying to fix multiple problems in one thread.

The monitor always reads 13.88 whether the battery is partly drained or not, but when I plug it into cigarette lighter socket in my car, it reads the voltage correctly. I was really trying to figure out if 13.88 had any significance. It looks like it might be the default on the monitor, but I can't find anything to confirm that.
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Old 04-18-2014, 11:04 AM   #36
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The guy who installed the power wire from battery to 7 blade connector, installed a 20 amp fuse. What amp size would you recommend?
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Old 04-18-2014, 11:07 AM   #37
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I got the idea from a post I read here. If it was a permanent solution, it would make sense to connect to batteries. But for now, this is just a temporary solution.

The propane tanks have to be removed to get to the batteries on the Parkliner, so by using the 7 pin trailer connector I have a portable system that just needs to be plugged in whenever I want to use it.
I have my solar system set up to be portable and plug into the solar controller as needed. I leave the controller hooked up directly to the battery at all times as getting to my battery is also a bit of a pain and permanently mounted the solar controller which has a simple plug in for the panel as needed. I like to keep it simple with direct wiring for easy trouble shooting.
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Old 04-18-2014, 12:27 PM   #38
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I have my solar system set up to be portable and plug into the solar controller as needed. I leave the controller hooked up directly to the battery at all times as getting to my battery is also a bit of a pain and permanently mounted the solar controller which has a simple plug in for the panel as needed. I like to keep it simple with direct wiring for easy trouble shooting.
That's probably what I will do. This looked like an easy way to get up and running. I have a basic understanding of electricity, but not practical experience.
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Old 04-18-2014, 12:30 PM   #39
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Problem is fixed (at least for now).

20 amp fuse was blown, so I replaced it with a 30 amp fuse. This is an inline fuse between the battery and the 7 blade tow connector. I think it must have blown when I plugged it into the trailer connector yesterday.

Now I read 14+ volts at the trailer battery with the tow connected.

Thanks everyone for your help.
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Old 04-18-2014, 02:54 PM   #40
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The fuse was my first suspicion. Always check the easiest first. 30 amp is good. I have blown mine when "Hot Swapping" (Plugging in the tow with engine running) before. Yeah, I know. It ain't the best practice ....

I see great value in charging from the pigtail. Here is a thread from "Long Ago" where I did exactly as you want. It was quick, simple and easy. And a good place to "park" the connector.

You can use any box you want, I just used this one because it easily mounted to the frame, as it was designed to do.

http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...ing-38147.html
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