2003 Scamp wiring question

[hinshawscamper]

Ok, bought a used 2003 scamp (16ft) and was assured that with a new battery everything would work.... well it does not seem to be the case. Any suggestions on where to start? I was excited to remodel curtains and such, i have no idea about wiring! Help please ! We need to take this on a trip in two weeks! And so far none of the lights work!

Additionally the blinker/brake lights don't work (but this may be due to my convertor 4 to 7 prong rather than an issue with the scamp

[likeair2me]

Hi Megan, does the trailer have the 7 plug or your car? If the trailer is 7 pin, then you have electric brakes and you need a brake controller because the activation is tied to your tow vehicle. The lights are part of the circuit.

[hinshawscamper]

My car has a 4 pin and the scamp has the 7 slat... I bought a converter and nothing worked on my car or my dad's. we then used my car and converter on a neighbor's trailer (7 slat) and it didn't work! This makes me think that the 4 to 7 converter does not work!

For the converter we simply plugged it in as the uhaul guy instructed- did not attach any of the dangling parts... perhaps that is a necessary step? Any help would be much appreciated

[likeair2me]

If your converter has a white wire with a quick connect terminal that is not attached to anything, that is a ground that needs to be connected to your tow vehicle. I just learned this on Friday as I was trying to tow my motorcycle camper that has a five pin round, with my four pin flat tow vehicle and a converter. Guess what, no tail lights, no brake lights, no signal. After scowering the garage for a decent piece of wire I could salvage, I screwed my extension to one of the bolts that holds my hatch door catch and tightened it well. I had to wire nut the two pieces for a temporary fix as I was trying to leave. It held for this weekend, but I will be needing a more permanent solution with better wire. I am getting a new axle and brakes installed and going from 4 pin flat to a 7 pin setup soon.

This is how that evil ground wire looked. See the connector directly to the side of the adapter. I stripped the QC terminal off, since I didn't have any available.

[Paul O.]

How old is your car and was the 4-pin trailer connector ever used before? Its contacts could be so badly oxidized that some cleaning is necessary, scraping the contacts. You may be lucky and plugging them in repeatedly may do enough.

With the car only having the 4-pin connector you won't have working brakes on the Scamp, and the battery charging line. I would not tow it far, or at all, without the brakes.

[Roy in TO]

A handy tool to have when finding any electrical problems starting at the harness is a tester. They make both 7 blade and 4 pin.
https://www.etrailer.com/Accessories...y/TR20117.html
https://www.etrailer.com/Accessories.../Curt/I26.html

They will quickly tell you where to start looking - Tow vehicle or trailer.

[Borrego Dave]

Originally Posted by hinshawscamper

Ok, bought a used 2003 scamp (16ft) and was assured that with a new battery everything would work.... well it does not seem to be the case. Any suggestions on where to start? I was excited to remodel curtains and such, i have no idea about wiring! Help please ! We need to take this on a trip in two weeks! And so far none of the lights work!

Additionally the blinker/brake lights don't work (but this may be due to my convertor 4 to 7 prong rather than an issue with the scamp

First off, welcome to FGRV. From what you say I can only gather that nothing was checked before your purchase but all is not lost. You need the 7 pin plug on the tug to match the TT that have the correct wiring connections to both. There is no telling how the 4 pin is wired or even connected to the tugs wiring and totally useless on a TT with brakes. The Scamps plugs wiring/color code is in your manual. Have you plugged it into shore power to see if you get any lights, 12v or 110v inside? Is your house battery fully charged? I don't have a Scamp but there is a fuse close to the battery that may be blown. Are all the breakers closed on the converter? Others with Scamps will be along soon with hands on experience for you. Just for the record, lights, bearings, brakes, tires and any safety items come way before any upgrades for looks. Trailer brakes also require a brake controller installed in the tug. BTW, what are you going to use as a tow rig? None of this is really hard but I'm sure a bit overwhelming for someone new to any type of RV. We all had to learn at some point .

[Jon in AZ]

There are are actually 3 electrical systems on your Scamp, separate but interconnected: (1) 12V chassis wiring- running lights and brakes- powered from your tow vehicle via the connector at the bumper, (2) 12V coach wiring- lights, fridge, furnace, water pump, roof vent fan- powered from the trailer's battery OR from the converter when you plug in the trailer's power cord, and (3) 110V coach wiring- fridge, A/C, wall outlet, fluorescent light- powered when you plug in the trailer's power cord. "None of the lights work" is a bit vague, since all three systems have associated lights.

First step is to test each of the three systems separately.

For the 12V chassis wiring, it would be helpful to connect your trailer to a vehicle with a known-working 7-blade connector. Alternatively, you will need to use a tester to determine which side is not working. Wouldn't hurt to clean the connectors first. EDITED- I misread your post at first.

For the 110V coach system, connect the trailer's power cord to an outlet. Plug in a fan or hair dryer to the power outlet inside the trailer. If it doesn't work, check the main breaker inside the streetside dinette bench. If it does, test the other 110V appliances: fluorescent light, fridge (on AC power), A/C (if equipped).

For the 12V coach system, first leave the power cord plugged in and try the 12V lights and vent fan (if equipped). Then disconnect the power cord, make sure the coach battery on the tongue is properly connected and clean, and again test lights and fan.

Come back and let us know exactly what works and what doesn't.

Could be something simple like breakers/fuses, a disconnected ground wire, dead battery, or dirty connections, but if it's more than that, it may be time to bring in a professional. Diagnosis of electrical faults takes time and being conversant with the use of a multi-tester. Correction of problems requires knowledge of codes. Mistakes can be dangerous to person and property, and you're working under a time crunch. Unfortunately, this is exactly the time of year when a lot of RV repair shops are swamped with work.

An auto repair shop or U-Haul could at least work on the chassis lights and connector part to get you on the road safely. I agree with Paul that the lack of working brakes is a problem, though. California requires brakes on any trailer over 1500#, and your trailer is going to be a lot heavier than that once you load it up with food and gear, typically 2400-2600# for a Scamp 16. Since your vehicle only has 4-flat wiring, connecting the brakes will run several hundred dollars for the controller and wiring upgrade. In addition, the brakes themselves should be inspected and serviced.

What is your tow vehicle, BTW?

[Jon in AZ]

Some other safety checks before your first trip in a new-to-you used trailer... Check tire dates and condition. Check lug nut torque. Check wheel bearings. Check the adjustment of the coupler. If you plan to use propane, drop test the LP system. If not, make sure the tank is off. Make sure you have working smoke and CO detectors and a fire extinguisher in the trailer.

Curtains may have to wait!

Welcome to the forum, Megan, and I do hope you get things sorted out for your first trip. You don't have to fix everything, but as Dave already said, the first priority is your safety.

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by likeair2me

...If the trailer is 7 pin, then you have electric brakes...

That is not necessarily true for all Scamps. For a number of years, Scamp has installed a 7-blade connector on all builds, regardless of whether they were equipped from the factory with electric brakes.

I believe electric brakes are standard on 16'ers, so I'm reasonably confident the OP's unit has them. She just needs the wiring on the tow vehicle to power them. But they are optional on 13'ers. Mine came from the factory with a 7-blade connector and no brakes.

[likeair2me]

Thanks Jon, I guess they were anticipating you adding brakes at a later date.... or maybe they just ran out of 4-pin flat plugs that day. HAHAHA

I was kinda guessing about the brakes, based on the unit size. I am having brakes installed on my 13 to save wear and tear on my TV, and increase my safety factor. I bought a controller, but still have 4-pin wiring. More wiring is needed before I pick up the trailer.

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by likeair2me

Thanks Jon, I guess they were anticipating you adding brakes at a later date.... or maybe they just ran out of 4-pin flat plugs that day...

The former, I'm sure, since the axle also had a brake mounting flange.

I bought the Scamp used. If I had ordered new, I would certainly have included brakes. In my opinion they should probably be standard even on 13'ers. State laws aside, many compact and mid-sized tow vehicles require them over 1000#, which includes even the lightest unloaded Scamp 13. But at least they are straightforward to add.