I need wiring assistance!!!

[StephanieJacobson7]

I am in need of....a wiring diagram for my 1973 Hunter Compact II. I am trying to wire it to a 7 way plug on a 2004 Chevy Tahoe. The wiring harness on the camper is a mess, too many wires possibly? My camper does have back up lights, license plate cover light.
Do i need trailer brakes wire..? is the camper heavy enough for the brake controller?
I read in other forums that some people put a battery in their camper?..do I need one?
Can a fellow RV'er help me out?

[Bob Miller]

I have all of the original papers for my 1973 Hunter and there apparently is no wiring diagram. There are a few generic FGRV wiring diagrams out there, but one-size-fits-all can also mean one size fits none.


The best and usually easiest way to take care of lights on an older FGRV is to start from scratch. You can but quality Flat-4 color coded wire for the lights at an RV or auto supply shop and, if you have back up lights and want a charging line for on board battery you can easily add that into the new loom. If you just want lights, there is an adapter that will plug into the 7 pin connector and you can plug a flat-4, Lights only, plug into that.


Most (98%?) FGRV's have batteries for lights and accessories such as water pumps, furnace etc. But a few still find happiness without those luxuries. My Hunter Compact-II now has two batteries to assure that we have enough power for being off grid for 3-4 days.


If a previous owner changed the original axle and added electric brakes, by all means, hook them up.


For some ideas, here is a link to some pics of mine, there are two albums on the Compact-II in the Library:
Hunter Compact II by Robert Miller | Photobucket

Hunter Mods 2014 by Robert Miller | Photobucket

[Jim Bennett]

There is rarely a wiring diagram supplied with any trailer. The driving lights are a pretty standard thing, and the supply to the trailer components/fixtures can vary from one trailer to the next.

Like Bob said, it is often easier to rewire, than to sort out what is there. Plus, you can then have the confidence that everything is okay. You do need to have a good basic understanding of electricity too, but that can be learned. Buy a new 7-pin pigtail to lead into the trailer, and run new wires from there. Here is a drawing that shows where various wires go to. It is quite simple, if you know your stuff.









I have never wired a trailer with backup lights, but you can use the aux circuit for that. The license plate light is put on the marker light circuit.

You can add a battery too, most put it on the tongue as it needs to be ventilated for gasses. How do you intend to charge the battery, other than when it is hooked to the vehicle? The battery needs to be fused, as well as the distribution lines to the individual draws (lights/pumps/fans/etc).

I prefer to return all the circuits with a wire back to the negative connection, rather than rely on the frame. It is a wee bit more work, and a small cost, but I have seen too many problems with the frame connections corroding.

If the trailer is equipped with brakes, you do need to ensure they are wired in correctly, and will need a brake controller installed in the tow vehicle.

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by StephanieJacobson7

Do i need trailer brakes wire..? is the camper heavy enough for the brake controller?
I read in other forums that some people put a battery in their camper?..do I need one?
Can a fellow RV'er help me out?

What does your vehicles manual state in regards to how much weight you can tow before you need to have brakes on the trailer? Same vehicles require brakes on a trailer that weigh as little as a 1000lbs.

Per the thread Trailer Weights in The Real World you can expect a Hunter II loaded for camping to weigh between 1720lbs and 2020lbs.

It is actually not very common for someone to have an all electric trailer so the majority of trailers do have a 12v battery system onboard. As others have suggested it is much better that the battery be installed on the outside of the trailer rather than on the inside of the trailer due to ventilation/safety issues.

[Bob Miller]

I realize what the actually weighed Compact-II's on the list show, but mine, before the bathroom was converted to a porta-potty and storage space, came in at a bit over 1350 lbs.


When were at Lake Casitas two years ago, and Fred was weighing FGRV's, as I had just had mine weighed, I passed on that opportunity, now I see that I shouldn't have done that, just to get mine on the list.

[StephanieJacobson7]

thanks so much.

[Bob in Mb]

Basic rule of thumb - if trailer weight exceeds one half the weight of the tow vehicle you should have brakes , however brakes are always good .

[steve dunham]

My tow vehicle has a tow rating of 10250 lbs and my vehicle's owners manual says I need trailer brakes on any trailer exceeding 1000 lbs. As Donna D has stated many times "It's a lot cheaper to replace trailer brakes
than the brakes on your tow vehicle. If you ever had a trailer come around on you in a panic stop you 'll
quickly discover the value of trailer brakes!!

[Joe Romas]

Steph.

Look under your trailer behind the wheels and see if it has brakes first.

Regarding an on board battery. If you have brakes you should, must maybe, have a break away switch and that requires an on board battery of some sorts.

Also most campers have 12 volt lights, water pump, fantastic vent fan and more.
that requires an on board battery.
That introduces the need for a "converter" that charges your battery when plugged in and operates most 12volt things in your trailer from off of converted 120volts AC.

So what starts out as a simple request turns into something more involved.