Plug with camper doesn't work properly help needed please

[Mcmarkrazz]

The camper scamp has a 6 plug that plugs into a 6 way plug and then has a 4 pin plug that goes into the truck. When plugged I get one brake light and if i use the right blinker the left light blinks lol... What are my options to fox this ?

[Thomas G.]

The first question I would ask is why does the Scamp has a six pin plug? Does it have brakes? Is it set up to charge the trailer battery when you drive?

[Mcmarkrazz]

Originally Posted by Thomas G.

The first question I would ask is why does the Scamp has a six pin plug? Does it have brakes? Is it set up to charge the trailer battery when you drive?

Just got it so dont know but no batter was woth it so im guessing not.

[Thomas G.]

Originally Posted by Mcmarkrazz

Just got it so dont know but no batter was woth it so im guessing not.

It is worth knowing for sure because you really can't wire it properly if you don't know. Look behind the tires and see if there are two blue wires coming out of a round metal plate.

Follow the wires from the 6 pin connector back and see if they just go to the external lights or if a thicker one runs inside.

Count the wires coming out of the 6 plug connector. Are there four or six?

[Brian B-P]

Work step by step through the connections (I would start at the 4-pin socket on the tow vehicle), to see where you no longer have the right pin turning on at the right time. There are testers that just plug in; otherwise use a test light or voltmeter to check between the contact of interest and a known "ground" point, comparing to one of the many available connection diagrams. The eTrailer wiring diagram set is pretty good, except that the colour codes are wrong for the 7-way flat-blade connector.

When all the connections are good, the next place to test is at the bulb sockets themselves, in case there is a bulb or socket problem, or a trailer wiring fault.

There is a Scamp wiring diagram in the FiberglassRV Document Center. I don't know if it is correct, or current, or if it applies to this Scamp (trailers get modified a lot), but the use of a 6-way connector suggests that this is likely original Scamp equipment, since few people would put that on a trailer now. The Scamp diagram doesn't show which pin of the 6-pin connector is used for what... that leaves you with the generic wiring diagrams for connectors.


Some additional notes:

1. If the tow vehicle has a 7-way RV-style socket (in addition to the 4-way it must have), I would use that instead of the 4-way, with either a 7-way-to-6-way adapter, or by replacing the old 6-way plug on the trailer with the more common and more functional 7-way.
2. A Scamp usually uses combined stop and turn signals, but could be set up with separate stop (brake) and turn lamps. The 4-way connection will only run the combined system properly.
3. Since a 4-way plug can't run electric brakes, I assume that this trailer doesn't have electric brakes. If it does, and they're just not being used, now would be a good time to get them hooked up... which means ditching any use of that 4-way connection. I can't imagine towing a trailer with brakes and not using them.
4. Since a 4-way plug can't provide power from the tow vehicle to the trailer battery, I assume that this trailer never had a battery or (more likely) the tug isn't set up to provide power. Again, now might be a good time to get that hooked up... which again means ditching any use of that 4-way connection.

[Mcmarkrazz]

Originally Posted by Thomas G.

It is worth knowing for sure because you really can't wire it properly if you don't know. Look behind the tires and see if there are two blue wires coming out of a round metal plate.

Follow the wires from the 6 pin connector back and see if they just go to the external lights or if a thicker one runs inside.

Count the wires coming out of the 6 plug connector. Are there four or six?

Six wires coming in from the front of camper but I do not see a baettery hookup wire anywhere,
Here is the wire scamatic from my 1978 scamp

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Thomas G.

It is worth knowing for sure because you really can't wire it properly if you don't know. Look behind the tires and see if there are two blue wires coming out of a round metal plate.

Those would be the electric brake wires... not directly related to the battery, but an indicator of whether or not there are electric brakes which should be hooked up.

(Just for clarity, since this came in the middle of a discussion of whether or not the trailer had a battery)

[Mcmarkrazz]

I think the trucks second plug is a 7 way..could I get a 6way into 7way adaptor for this to work. Properly or might here still be issues since the 4way isnt working right?

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Mcmarkrazz

Six wires coming in from the front of camper but I do not see a baettery hookup wire anywhere,
Here is the wire scamatic from my 1978 scamp

If the trailer is still wired this way, then that diagram shows:

1. the tow vehicle should have at least a 6-way and preferably a 7-way connector to support all of the trailer's functions; a 4-way is just not enough
2. the stop and turn signals are separate (stop is centre pin, yellow wire in trailer, black wire at tail lamps; left is LT pin, red wire in trailer and at tail lamp; right is RT pin, brown wire in trailer, red wire at tail lamp)
3. there is no provision for electric brakes; brakes are not expected on a 13' Scamp, especially an old one
4. there was no battery, and interior lights run directly from the tow vehicle's battery; if a battery is added it would be connected to the black (+) and white (-) wires in the trailer

To run this from only a 4-way connection to the tug:

• there will be no power for the interior lights
• if the turn signal lamps are red then they would be used as combined stop/turn lamps; if they are yellow then the red and brown wires in the trailer would need to be connected to the black wires of the tail lamps, and the yellow wire in the trailer would not be used

The alternative is to set up the tug with a matching 6-way connector or a 7-way connector. In either case, to run separate stop and turn lamps (which is a better system, but not commonly used on RV trailers) the tow vehicle wiring would need to be set up for that.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Mcmarkrazz

I think the trucks second plug is a 7 way..could I get a 6way into 7way adaptor for this to work. Properly or might here still be issues since the 4way isnt working right?

If the truck has a 7-way connector, I would absolutely use that.

If the 7-way is available, I wouldn't worry about why the 4-way isn't working, because that may be related to the way the 4-way to-6-way adapter is wired, and that wouldn't be used any more.

The adapter (such as this one, which I also linked above) may or may not be set up to match the separate stop and turn signals; with any luck, the auxiliary connector of the 7-way (the centre pin) would be connected to the centre pin of the 6-way, and so would be suitably set up to handle the separate stop lamp. Unfortunately, the truck is likely set up for combined stop and turn signals, not separate; in that case, as long as the turn lenses are red (not amber), it would likely all work without any changes.

I would get the adapter, plug it in, and see if what shows up on each pin is as required... or just plug in the trailer and try it.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Thomas G.

Count the wires coming out of the 6 plug connector. Are there four or six?

Good thinking, but if it is still wired as per the wiring diagram we now see, there will be six wires, even without either a battery or electric brakes!

[Mcmarkrazz]

Ordered an inexpensive $6 6 way to. 7 way connecter so will let all know what happens from there next week..thank for all the great input we want to take the scamp out for a camp but safty first and cant believe I didt notice this when we purchased it yesterday duhhhh

[Thomas G.]

Originally Posted by Mcmarkrazz

Ordered an inexpensive $6 6 way to. 7 way connecter so will let all know what happens from there next week..thank for all the great input we want to take the scamp out for a camp but safty first and cant believe I didt notice this when we purchased it yesterday duhhhh

This may work as is or you may need to move some wires around. I'd get a 12 volt test light if you don't have one - it makes it a lot easier to diagnose wiring issues.