Hi I’m new Brakes with 4 pin

[AlexaM]

Hi, I’m new. I just picked up a PROJECT last week. It’s a 1976 Ventura. Been stored for a couple of decades and needs a lot of work! I have tons of questions, so I hope I don’t make people crazy. Really excited about the project though and appreciate any suggestions!. Here’s my question, it seems like these trailers are wired 4 pin flat (although there is no wiring in my trailer…) However it’s got electric brakes, so doesn’t that require seven pin? I’m just trying to determine how the Ventura was originally wired and if I’m missing something. I’m towing with a Honda CRV, keeping it light inside to maintain the 1500 pound Canadian/US listed tow limit. And the CRV has four pin connection which I recognize I will have to adapt as well. Any thoughts on how the wiring originally worked with electric brakes and four pin or were the brakes just never hooked up or?? I guess somewhere I have this fantasy that somehow I could find some modern wiring that allows me to hook up electric brakes with four pin ha ha Ha. Yes, I know it came to me in a dream

[Darwin Maring]

Trace the brake wire from the wheel back to a connector. That should give you another question.

[AlexaM]

Originally Posted by Darwin Maring

Trace the brake wire from the wheel back to a connector. That should give you another question.

Thanks! Had a good crawl around and met a few spiders. Brakes were connected at some point, but I’m not sure if it was original. However, I found a nice selection of orange, red, yellow, green, brown, white and blue, so it had brakes and seemingly not 4 pin.

[Darwin Maring]

Originally Posted by AlexaM

Thanks! Had a good crawl around and met a few spiders. Brakes were connected at some point, but I’m not sure if it was original. However, I found a nice selection of orange, red, yellow, green, brown, white and blue, so it had brakes and seemingly not 4 pin.

YES, You found the answer. Now, B 4 you do anything else, see if your tail lights, stop lights and turn signals work.

Once you have completed that you will know if those wires are OK then I suggest you run new wires to the brakes then connect all the wires to the new plug.

[Darwin Maring]

Look here for parts.
https://www.etrailer.com/dept-pg-Tra...%7E_Blade.aspx

[AlexaM]

Originally Posted by Darwin Maring

Look here for parts.
https://www.etrailer.com/dept-pg-Tra...%7E_Blade.aspx

Awesome! Thanks

[AlexaM]

Originally Posted by Darwin Maring

YES, You found the answer. Now, B 4 you do anything else, see if your tail lights, stop lights and turn signals work.

Once you have completed that you will know if those wires are OK then I suggest you run new wires to the brakes then connect all the wires to the new plug.

No, they don’t work. I wish. For one thing, there are no lights. And second, the wires are cut and curled up in a cupboard next to the assorted Christmas lights, fishing tackle, and dendritis left by the previous owner.

On a positive note, while looking for the wiring, I realize that the soft spot in the floor is not rot, but a gap that was apparently filled with Styrofoam as they cut the three-quarter inch subfloor too small.
Thanks for your help. I really appreciate it.

[GOB]

For brakes you will need a 5 or 7 plug. Use the 7 if you want a TV charge line to the trailer. Not many people use the 5 pin anymore.

[Darwin Maring]

Here is a great product. A Junction box that is on the camper and the 7 pin connector.
Then attach the camper wiring to it. This setup gives you everything you need including the battery charge wire. Now, Because you have brakes and if your state requires an annual inspection, you will need a break away switch that applies the brakes should the trailer become unhitched while towing, (That assembly has a small battery) That distribution box is where you make the connection. Does the camper have lights on the back?
https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Bre...y/3802337.html

[AlexaM]

Originally Posted by Darwin Maring

Here is a great product. A Junction box that is on the camper and the 7 pin connector.
Then attach the camper wiring to it. This setup gives you everything you need including the battery charge wire. Now, Because you have brakes and if your state requires an annual inspection, you will need a break away switch that applies the brakes should the trailer become unhitched while towing, (That assembly has a small battery) That distribution box is where you make the connection. Does the camper have lights on the back?
https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Bre...y/3802337.html

Thanks! That’s not even something I thought of. Will definitely check it out. I don’t think I’m required to have an inspection. With the weight of my trailer, in British Columbia, I’m not even required to have brakes. The back of my trailer has holes and a lot of globs of silicon. No doubt I will have to replace all of the wiring. Apparently, it was put in a shed and used as an office, so not towed for years. I got it home on a flat deck.

My next questions are going to be about exterior. I wish there were a competition for ugliest exterior as I would certainly win. I think there was damage on the front and somebody did a patch job of fiberglass and camouflage paint. It currently looks like a lumpy camo lizard with peeling. 2 1/2 sides look original. Maybe I will start a new thread. I am currently thinking I will use a very very fine wet sandpaper to get some of the flaking and mess off and see what I’m left with.

Retire early they said. Get a hobby they said…

[Darwin Maring]

Here where I live in Virginia, If the trailer has something, it must work. Lights, Brakes.

[AlexaM]

Originally Posted by Darwin Maring

Here where I live in Virginia, If the trailer has something, it must work. Lights, Brakes.

Thanks! I will definitely research it.

Follow up: Interestingly, the issue becomes the weight of my tow vehicle. So, the trailer is clearly under 3000 pounds which is the brake requirement, but it will also be (when it has an interior) pretty close to half of the weight of my CRV which would be The other determining factor for requiring brakes. Therefore, brakes are definitely in my future. Thanks for helping me sort this through folks!

[Borden]

Originally Posted by AlexaM

Thanks! I will definitely research it.

Follow up: Interestingly, the issue becomes the weight of my tow vehicle. So, the trailer is clearly under 3000 pounds which is the brake requirement, but it will also be (when it has an interior) pretty close to half of the weight of my CRV which would be The other determining factor for requiring brakes. Therefore, brakes are definitely in my future. Thanks for helping me sort this through folks!

They make some really good brake modules. See you are aware of the 50% rule and 3000 lb. rule.

Do not know if a CRV is considered a truck or a car; if it is under a cars rules they also care that the passengers, cargo, hitch and tongue weight do not exceed the weight at the door sticker vehicle limit. That is why we pack in the trailer not in the trunk of our car.

Most cars recommend 8% to 9% tongue weight for controle unlike trucks at 15%.

Trucks have a total weight for both deal.

First thing we did was get a set of new STr Special Trailer radial tires in C class rating for our trailer. B rating was enough C was just a bit extra.

The boler manual for our trailer said it required electric brakes.

Hope this is of some help

[thrifty bill]

Here in the litigious US of A, if a trailer has brakes, but they are not connected, look out. If something were ever to happen, the brakes being not connected would immediately be emphasized by a lawyer and expose you to potential risk. Even your auto insurance may decline to cover you if brakes are not connected.

In the case of the CRV tow rating, in the US, it is only 1,500 pounds IF you have trailer brakes. Otherwise, its lower. I have a Honda Element, which shares the CRV drivetrain. IMO, it has barely enough power to keep up with traffic on inclines. I would not use it as a tow vehicle. Of course, I see others towing with almost anything.

Last point on weight. Load the camper and run it across a certified scale (just about every truck stop will have one). It takes multiple weights to get the complete trailer weight including tongue weight. Unless you have such weight in hand, I would bet your trailer is over 1,500 pounds. My Trillium 1300 weighed 1,540 pounds but that was with no battery, no water, no propane and no "stuff".

4 pin = no brakes, unless you have surge brakes.

In the world of trailer towing, STOPPING is much more important than GOING. When facing a big hill, maybe you will have to go slow, but you are still going. When coming down that big hill, being able to stop, particularly in an emergency, is critical.

[AlexaM]

Thanks yes I’ve had some great advice on how to get the brakes connected. So will definitely do that. Maybe I’m a little optimistic on weight, but there is no longer a furnace, a fridge, water tank etc.I’m going to keep it as light as possible. I’m going pretty minimalistic as I dip my toe in this RV lifestyle. I’ll just throw a cookstove and a cooler in the back of the CRV. I found a rechargeable faucet you just plop on the top of a water bottle and voilà tap. Once I get lights hooked up and brakes, I will definitely take it over the scale. That’s a great idea.

[AlexaM]

Thanks for this! I did not know about the weight ratio. That’s really interesting. On another note, talking about this is bringing a lot of “back in the 50s” stories from my dad. I promised to bring him out to watch me grease the bearings, something he made me watch him do when I was in my teens. Who’d have thought!

And thanks for the advice on the tires! It’s got a beautiful set of white walls, but I think they are pretty ancient.

[thrifty bill]

I have seen hundreds of trailer weights reported, and for those that did not actually weigh their trailers, 100% of the time, their guess/estimate is low, often way low. I call these weights "I saw" or "I read" or "I heard" weights. Getting a true weight at a truck stop is well worth the minor cost ~ $10, particularly if you are close to max.

When I bought my Trillium 1300, the seller told me it weighed 750 pounds. I knew better, and his weight figure did not enter into my decision making process.

On tongue weight, if you are too light, the trailer will tend to sway. On an extreme, sway can and has lead to serious crashes, so skimping on tongue weight can be a bad decision.

As you remove appliances in your trailer, it will be lighter. Furnace, fridge, water tank (and water) all add weight to a trailer.

[Dudley]

you probably want the brakes living in BC! When I got my Ventura, both magnets in the brakes were toast. The blue wire had rotted off at the magnet. Good luck finding a replacement magnet, just replace the whole brake backplate. I think it was 2 1/4 x 10. Check out for a shop that does truck trailer spring work or Princess Auto. In Edmonton, Princess Auto sold them for about $80/ side but City Spring was $38/ side in 2011.Ventura brakes

[thrifty bill]

Last point on an older trailer. If the brakes themselves need work, it’s a great time to replace the axle and buy an axle complete with brakes. Axles have a lifespan too, and spending $$ to replace brakes on an old axle can be a bad decision.