electrical connection from scamp to tow vehicle

[Josh Wink]

Hello,

I am restoring a 75 scamp and as I was installing new LED tail lights I have ran into some problems.

My scamp has a 6-pronged plug and also a traditional 4-pronged trailer plug (see photo). My tow vehicle only has a 4-pronged wiring connector. The running lights and original tail lights all worked with the 4-pronged connection.

After installing two new LED tail lights, the running lights no longer work, and the tail lights only work as brake and blinkers. The old tail lights had four connecting wires and the new ones only have three.

I have trouble shot everything I can think of, and now I am wondering if I need to change the wiring on my tow vehicle, or get different tail lights.

Does anyone have any advice.

I appreciate your help!

Josh
scamprevamp.blogspot.com

[The Minimalist]

You say the running lights are not working. Do you mean the tail lights or side marker lights. If you're talking tail lights, you may have the polarity on the non-working light backwards. LEDs are light emitting diodes(read one way valve) and have to be connected with proper polarity.

In your trouble shooting, were you getting power to the tail/running lights. If you need it, here is a link on how to wire the 6 prong connector:

https://www.etrailer.com/question-11194.html

You likely have both a 4 way and 6 way connector to allow the PO to pull with different vehicles, but with the 4 way, you loose the trailer brakes. So, if you have trailer brakes, you will need to rewire the the TV. If you do, switch both the TV and the TT to the more common 7 prong connector.

Good luck.

[Josh Wink]

Thanks Clif,

I do not have trailer brakes, so maybe I can get by with the 4-way. The side marker lights and tail lights are not working. Only the break lights and the turn signal lights. The side marker lights were working before I wired up the new tail lights. I'll play around some more. Thanks for the link!
Josh

[The Minimalist]

OK. The marker lights and tail lights are on the same circuit.

I suspect that you are not getting proper power to the trailer. One of the trailer's connectors may have a faulty connection.

Are you getting power at the brown wire on the vehicle 4 way connector, the one directly adjacent to the ground connector? If so, try hooking a jumper wire from the brown wire on the vehicles 4 way connector to the brown wire on the 6 way. If you have lights now, you have found the problem. You would do better to completely reinstall that trailer 4 way and get rid of the 6 way for now.

I don't know what you are towing with, but trailer brakes are highly recommended, both for safety and to save wear and tear on the TV brakes, which are much more expensive to service and replace than trailer brakes.

[Josh Wink]

I figured it out! I guess I had blown a fuse on my truck, a 10amp tail light fuse. I replaced this and everything seems to be working. What a mess.

Thanks for the advice on breaks. I have a 2010 tacoma. Do most people have trailer breaks for 13' scamps?

[The Minimalist]

I'm glad you found and fixed your problem.

Brakes are optional. I don't know what percentage of 13ers have brakes.

The Little Joe came without brakes and we towed it with my 07 Silverado and our 04 Mazda Tribute. When we got the '14 Subaru Outback, we had to put brakes on the trailer to achieve the 2700 lb tow rating. It's not just about pulling. It's about stopping too.

Anyway, I set up both the Silverado and the Outback with brake control wiring, and share the controller between the two. When braking now with the Silverado, I feel much more in control and don't feel like the trailer is pushing me. Same with the Outback.

The Little Joe, loaded to travel, weighs in at 1760 lbs, with a tongue weight of about 180, so we are right at the 10% tongue weight target.

[Josh Wink]

Thanks again, I'll have to get it out on the road a few trips and make the breaking decision. Sounds like a good idea.
Josh