Charging trailer battery while driving - Fiberglass RV
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Old 03-16-2012, 04:21 PM   #1
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Name: Ann
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Charging trailer battery while driving

Hi everyone.We are the proud owners of a 1976 Boler. We love her! There are a couple of things that we would like to fix.
1) how to charge the trailer battery from our truck, while driving?
2) our rear window leaks abit and we were wondering if a glass repair place would beable to fix or reseal the window. Or is there something that we could do?
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Old 03-16-2012, 05:51 PM   #2
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Do you have a four prong plug or a seven, with a seven prong you can run a wire and charge the battery as you go down the road, I do not remember what gauge wire, I think it was a 12 gauge wire, because it is such a long run to the battery.
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Old 03-16-2012, 06:57 PM   #3
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Yes, heavier wire is better, I'd go a minimum of 10 gauge, heavier if you can.

Window leaks are very common . Do a search here on this site and you will see many problems listed with answers.
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Old 03-16-2012, 07:31 PM   #4
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Hi Ann, welcome to FiberglassRV... lots of kind, helpful people here.

Is the rear window of your Boler a solid piece of plexiglass installed with a gasket and lockstrip.. or is it an actual framed window? Different fixing solutions depending on what you have.

We'll help, as soon as we know more.

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Old 03-16-2012, 09:00 PM   #5
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Charge trailer while driving, look here .
http://www.kuffelcreek.com/Car%20Power.pdf/carpwr.pdf
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Old 03-16-2012, 09:30 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Roger Kimble View Post
Do you have a four prong plug or a seven, with a seven prong you can run a wire and charge the battery as you go down the road
The common 4-pin flat trailer connection is the bare minimum to be able to tow a trailer with exterior lights. The 4 pins are:
  1. White = ground or return
  2. Brown = running/clearance lights
  3. Yellow = Left turn/Left Brake light
  4. Green = Right Turn/Right Brake light
Then trailers got big enough to need their own brakes. Some boat trailers have just a 5-pin flat connection. The 5th pin is a Blue wire to activate the trailer's electric brake shoes. Next in line is the "Battery Charge" wire; it's the 6th pin and has a Black wire, 10 or 12 gauge which is heavier than the others. Those are most often 14 gauge. Some early connectors were 6-pin round. Then they came out with the BIG black 7-pin round connector, adding an "Auxiliary" circuit on the 7th pin. Many newer trailers use this line for back-up lights on the trailer. "They" reconfigured the color code for this connector which causes confusion at times.

Since Yellow is now the 7th pin for the back-up lights, the code changes for the 1st 4 pins to:
  1. White = Ground/Return
  2. Green = running/clearance lights
  3. Red = Left Turn/Left Brake light
  4. Brown = Right Turn/Right Brake light
  5. Blue = Brakes
  6. Black = Battery Charge
  7. Yellow = Back-up lights

Confused?
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Old 03-18-2012, 10:35 AM   #7
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Name: Ann
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canada
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Thanks everyone for your expertise on this. You guys are amazing.
I have a round connector with 6 flat slots going around a round prong in the middle. So I guess this would be a seven pin connector? Which wire would I connector the battery wire to? and the wire would connector to the positive post of the battery or to both positive and negative post?

Also the windows are flat with a black rubber seal going around it.
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Old 03-18-2012, 11:26 AM   #8
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Here is the standard way of connecting a 7 blade connector. The 12 volt connector is to charge the trailer battery. Note the difference between a 7 blade and a 7 pin connector.


Trailer Wiring Diagrams, Johnson Trailer, Colfax Wisconsin
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Old 03-18-2012, 04:33 PM   #9
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Cool

Quote:
Originally Posted by ann cody View Post
Which wire would I connector the battery wire to? and the wire would connector to the positive post of the battery or to both positive and negative post?
Run for the hills!
Connecting the same wire to both positive and negative post will cause lightning and weld stuff together!

Tom
According to the diagram for "7 Way Blade Plug Car End" you connect Blade #4 (12 volt) through a blocking diode to just the car's positive battery terminal.
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Old 03-18-2012, 05:14 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Frederick L. Simson View Post
..........
According to the diagram for "7 Way Blade Plug Car End" you connect Blade #4 (12 volt) through a blocking diode to just the car's positive battery terminal.

I think a relay has less voltage drop, but may be too complicated to wire for OP.
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