7 Way Plug Trailer ReWiring

[Steven@147]

Got to working on my 20 ft car trailer getting ready for a long trip, and found the exterior lights & brakes are not working, 7 way plug is cracked and in bad shape. Was rewiring the brake away switch eliminating the small battery on the tongue to the full size battery inside running the winch. Also the break away switch was intermittent. Got some work to do to get her up to snuff. I got the brakes and bearings to do also.

This got me to thinking about the shape of the RV 7 Way wiring since it was built in the fall of 2016, so I crawled underneath the tongue and found the 7 way connection junction box already corroding, and what a wiring mess.
Got a Mictuning HD 7 Way Cord and Junction box coming and will start on it Monday. Got to go buy some ring terminals and cord clamps, nice to have spares of these anyway.

Jim, Rob and Others, thanks for your postings on what you had done, searching I found your posts and what you had used. Now got to geterdone.

I Love This Forum!

[Chiefblueman]

Got to working on my 20 ft car trailer getting ready for a long trip, and found the exterior lights & brakes are not working, 7 way plug is cracked and in bad shape. Was rewiring the brake away switch eliminating the small battery on the tongue to the full size battery inside running the winch. Also the break away switch was intermittent. Got some work to do to get her up to snuff. I got the brakes and bearings to do also.

This got me to thinking about the shape of the RV 7 Way wiring since it was built in the fall of 2016, so I crawled underneath the tongue and found the 7 way connection junction box already corroding, and what a wiring mess.
Got a Mictuning HD 7 Way Cord and Junction box coming and will start on it Monday. Got to go buy some ring terminals and cord clamps, nice to have spares of these anyway.

Jim, Rob and Others, thanks for your postings on what you had done, searching I found your posts and what you had used. Now got to geterdone.

I Love This Forum!

One of the best wiring mods I've done. While I was under there I rewired the battery disconnect switch so it's really a disconnect (except the breakaway switch) and got rid of the ridiculous 50 ground wires in 1 big blue wirenut. Sweet!

[Cate&Rob]

Hi Steve,

I was helping a friend the other day with the electric drum brakes on his horse trailer. I pulled the break-away switch . . . nothing. I asked him if he had ever tried that switch before. He said "never in 6 years of ownership". I know that mine was corroded open when I did my conversion to disc brakes. Now, I carry a spare.

Just a reminder to everyone . . . check your break-away switch . . . if you haven't done this recently, it probably doesn't work.

Rob

[Steven@147]

Hi Steve,

I was helping a friend the other day with the electric drum brakes on his horse trailer. I pulled the break-away switch . . . nothing. I asked him if he had ever tried that switch before. He said "never in 6 years of ownership". I know that mine was corroded open when I did my conversion to disc brakes. Now, I carry a spare.

Just a reminder to everyone . . . check your break-away switch . . . if you haven't done this recently, it probably doesn't work.

Rob

Absolutely people, check that switch. They are inexpensive, less than $10 bucks. I have two on order. They also can be bought at some auto and trailer parts stores.
Here in Texas (most states) there is an annual trailer inspection. It must pass inspection before you can renew your license plates. However, I have never seen an inspector check the break away switch for proper operation. If they don't you should!
Its easy to do and should be checked every once in awhile. If you haven't checked your switch recently, for new RV people, on your next outing do the following.

ADDED: Its a good idea to disconnect the 7 Way trailer plug from your tow vehicle while testing the emergency break away switch, just to protect your break controller.
With the trailer all hitched up to your tow vehicle and ready to go, Pull the lanyard pin from the switch, put your TV in drive gear, foot off brake pedal, if your trailer wont move (disc brakes), or does move a little then stops (drum brakes) or you drag your trailer tires, the break away switch is working.
Then Of course stop your TV, put it in Park and set TVehicle emergency break and shut the engine off (I always do this). Re-insert the pin in the switch fully to release the trailer brakes. Try another test roll with your TV to make sure the trailer emergency brakes are released.

Here is another gottcha! Above I said "set TV emergency break and shut the engine off". Guess why? Your maneuvering your TV, either aligning the hitch ball/pin, or just slow rollout testing like your breakaway switch. You put your truck in park, jump out to check something and now your truck / tow vehicle rolls away. You were in a hurry, You may not have gotten the gear selector all the way in Park or the gear selector jumps out of Park (it has happened) Not Good! The truck emergency brake will save you and with the engine off, at least you have a chance to run it down and jump back in and stop it!

I don't know how many vehicles I have worked on that the emergency brake doesn't work.

If you need to take a driving test because you need a special drivers license (over 26001# GCVW), they may check to make sure you set your emergency brake and shut the engine off before getting out of your truck. I don't know if they do or not, If they don't they should and I would do it anyway.

Murphy's Law will bite you sooner or later!

[Steven@147]

Well - got my car trailer 7 way plug changed, no wonder things didn't work so well. the outside shell was cracked and let moisture in.
on these cheaper plugs good idea to take them apart and check them minimum once per year. i put a little dielectric grease on the wires and the prongs inside the plug connection when I installed the new one. RVs are no different plug wise.

now on to bearing repack on the torque tube axles. Same kind of bearings as on an RV but a completely different axle set up.