TRAILER PLUG?

[rjv1210]

I have a new to me 2002 36 MDDS. I want to tow a trailer with trailer brakes but I can't find a wire for the brake controller. There are 6 wires going to the plug and I found the rt and lt turn, tail lights and the ground. What are the other two for and where do they go? Three weeks till we head for Florida with our hotrod. Thanks Rick

[rjv1210]

I have a new to me 2002 36 MDDS. I want to tow a trailer with trailer brakes but I can't find a wire for the brake controller. There are 6 wires going to the plug and I found the rt and lt turn, tail lights and the ground. What are the other two for and where do they go? Three weeks till we head for Florida with our hotrod. Thanks Rick

[Wayne R]

Rick,

12 0clock =right turn
2= left turn
5= tail/marker
7= stop/break
10= auxiliary I suspect constant 12 volt
Center = ground

This is from my manual and may not match your coach. There is no brake controller wire supplied. I had to run my own.

[Rich and Cork]

This is a very useful site:

http://www.dasplace.net/RVWiring/wiring.html

Rich

[Route 66]

HERE is a link to a site with pictures of the plugs.

[Jim&MaryJo]

I recall asking that question at WRV and was told there are 2 un-used wires run from the genset area to the rear.

I may be wrong, but it might be worth calling the factory before running wires.

[Mike & Mike]

Rick,

Jim's info was the same as I got from the factory. In the genset "area", and specifically where a bunch of wires go thru the "firewall" into the interior of the coach (under the passenger side windshield) there were two wires on my coach marked SPARE1 and SPARE2. WRV told me these most likely terminated in any of 3 locations at the rear of the coach: the battery box area, somewhere near the transmission, or somewhere near the trailer connection.

I looked for a couple of hours and gave up. I then dug into the fattest wire loom passing from front to rear thru the storage compartments and found SPARE1 & SPARE2. I spliced in 2 wires from there (the rearmost storage compartment on the passenger side) and ran my 2 wires back to the battery box area. From there I ran one to the brake controller and left the other available for future use.

Note that I've got a 6-pin trailer light plug now which replaced the 4-pin plug that was on the rig when we bought it used. So, I do run my 2 wires to my brake controller thru a 2-wire cord from the coach to the toad. Our toad brake system is the US Gear Unified Tow Brake.

One other interesting thing that WRV told me for our 2004 was that, with the Vansco system (the boxes with all the wires going into and out of them and dozens of LEDs either on or off, found in the battery box area and behind the panel in front of the passenger feet), there is not a "positive 12V" present when you step on the brake pedal. Apparently, with the Vansco system, it's all about "negative 12V" being present at the brake light switch attached to the brake pedal. WRV sent me a schematic which requires a relay and diode in order to have that "negative 12V" signal turn into the "positive 12V" signal that the brake controller expects to see.

I'm out of state and do not have access to the schematic but I could send that to you within a few days when I return. Let me know if you think you need it (if you have the Vansco system).

Edited 12/15 by Mike to delete little green face!
Good Luck!

[Old Scout]

Rumors/facts persist about the existents of spare wires going from front to back--location of said wires varying from model year to year. I too gave up and just ran a spare wire. Its a bit of a pain but there are enough seams and corners thru the basement bulkheads to make it work. It was also easy enough to spice the controller into the brake light switch leads (on the master cylinder under driver's compartment for my 2003).
While you are at it--install a secondary multi-fuse box under the driver's side dash--just route some primary wire from the passenger side wiring harnesses [using either the switched or unswitched source]. Gives you options for powering any future 12v gadgets on the driver's side of the coach.

[rjv1210]

Thanks for the info, now I know where to start looking. Thanks Mike, but my 02 does not have the vansco system. After this snow storm here in Maryland passes I'll look around the right front for spare wires. Rick

[Jim&MaryJo]

Mike,

Thanks, that's great info. I've been contemplating a brake controller for a trailer and did not know about the Vansco "twist".

If you dig up that schematic, I'd appreciate a copy.

[Mike & Mike]

Jim,

You bet!

I should send a copy off to Ron in PA for the Knowledgebase also.

[Mule Skinner]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by rjv1210:
I have a new to me 2002 36 MDDS. I want to tow a trailer with trailer brakes but I can't find a wire for the brake controller. There are 6 wires going to the plug and I found the rt and lt turn, tail lights and the ground. What are the other two for and where do they go? Three weeks till we head for Florida with our hotrod. Thanks Rick </div></BLOCKQUOTE>



Rick,
I went thru this as well, I found a wire up front labeled "Brake Lights", tapped into that, ran it inside the front wall to the controller, back out the wall, then fastened that wire along the bottom of the frame to the rear. Yes it would have been nice to conceal the wire thru the body some how but what the heck, it don't show. Also had to set up a relay in the battery compartment to increase the volume of power to run the clearance lights. My trailer has a lot of lights. It is a standard 24' Haulmark race car trailer. What I did was find the wire in the battery compartment that runs to the running lights, cut the wire, run it into and out of the relay. Then attached a wire directly to one of the 12 volt batteries, ran that thru a inline fuse, into and out of the relay. The problem I had was the power draw tripped the auto resetting breaker. Looked pretty funny going down the road, lights on,,,lights off,,,lights on,,,,, well you get it!