adding a hot wire to toad while towing

[fxdave]

has anyone added a hot wire to toad while towing ? my brake buddy seems to drain my battery so i was wondering if there is a way to add a hot wire to the toad ive seen where some have mentioned it before i thought when i tow for more than 4 or 5 hrs seems my battery goes dead any thoughts ? or ideas ?
my toad is a jeep liberty thanks

[njs42]

TOAD-CHARGE Dinghy Vehicle Battery Charger/Maintainer

Check this out; it works for me. There is another thread running on this same topic; grounded toad.

[garym114]

To operate the Toad Charge a hot wire has to be run back to the toad. Why not just run it to the battery and save the $$$?

When I wired up my 7way I included a hot wire, 10 gauge. It runs from the MH chassis battery to the toad battery with a fuse on each end. Fuse is for the wire. I think the fuse is 20 or 25 amps. With that gauge of wire and the length it will never pass that much current to the toad battery.
No problems with the toad battery.

[BFlinn181]

The toad charger works, but is over $100. Many of us have a heavy wire (10 gauge) directly from the chassis batteries to the toad battery with an auto resetting 30 amp circuit breaker in the line near the MH battery and another near the toad battery. These two circuit breakers keep the draw from being too much if there is a great difference in the batteries charge. Some add a diode in the line to prevent the toad battery from discharging the MH overnight, I just unplug the wire when I stop for the night.

[wa8yxm]

IF you had gone with the US-Gear Unified Brake Decelerator, which is installed in the towed car and remains invisible to the driver when it is driven, it is NOT removed to drive. Instead of the box you have to wrestle in and out all the time.

The install includes a Charge wire for the towed..

All they did was hook a breaker to the towed battery, A second one to the motor home's chassis battery lead (In my case they hooked it up at the battery control center, Handy connection spot) and a wire between them, No fancy electronics.

I do recommend something like "Towed Charge" which protects the motor home battery in case something is wrong with the towed.. But .. The US-Gear straight wire with a breaker on each end... Worked fine.

The breakers in my case are 20 and 40 amp.. I think the 40 was on the car end, (Since it had to run the braking system) but a pair of 20's should work for you.

[1ciderdog]

I ran a wire from the seven pin connector to the battery in the tow car. I have it fused and with a on/off switch. Seems to work just fine and no more dead battery in the tow car.
Safe Travels
Bob

[fxdave]

Originally Posted by 1ciderdog

I ran a wire from the seven pin connector to the battery in the tow car. I have it fused and with a on/off switch. Seems to work just fine and no more dead battery in the tow car.
Safe Travels
Bob

where in the 7 pin connector ? that is what im lookin to do do u have any pics thanks dave

[fxdave]

Originally Posted by garym114

To operate the Toad Charge a hot wire has to be run back to the toad. Why not just run it to the battery and save the $$$?

When I wired up my 7way I included a hot wire, 10 gauge. It runs from the MH chassis battery to the toad battery with a fuse on each end. Fuse is for the wire. I think the fuse is 20 or 25 amps. With that gauge of wire and the length it will never pass that much current to the toad battery.
No problems with the toad battery.

gary can u be more specic ive got a 7 wire connector where did u run the wire ? and it connects to the battery in the toad correct ? pics plse

[fxdave]

seeing im not clearr on the 7 pin im gonna run a wire from chassis battery to my toads battery with a circuit breaker at the battery couldnt understand about the 7 pin any thoughts on what kind of connectors to use ?

[wa8yxm]

Originally Posted by garym114

To operate the Toad Charge a hot wire has to be run back to the toad. Why not just run it to the battery and save the $$$?

I mentioned that the US-Gear system does exactly that (They run a single wire via a circuit breaker on each end).

The problem with running aa wire is the posibility of overloading it when starting the motor home. ... Of course, that's why US-Gear puts breakers on both ends.

[1ciderdog]

FXdave. I took a test light and at the seven pin connector at the back of the RV used the test light to find the "hot" wire. I believe the hot wire was at about the one o'clock position when looking into the receptacle. Mine does not become hot until the key has been on for maybe 15 seconds. You need to have a steady hand when checking for the hot wire or you can short a blow a fuse. I also used the test light to check the other lights and found the tail light fuse was blown so replaced that fuse. Here is a site that shows the seven pin wiring. seven pin trailer plug wiring - Google Search

[fxdave]

thanks buddy appreciate it

[wa8yxm]

If you are running the wire on Pin-7 what do you mean by "What kind of connector" If you mean at the battery.. A standard crimp on ring terminal at not the battery but the first junction where wires are bolted together, or the brass studs under the fuse block (on many vehicles) And you want breakers on BOTH ENDS of that charge wire, MOtor home and towed. I've been very glad mine is set up that way.

[colemole]

If you run from the hot connector located at 1.00 0clock in the 7 pin to the toad battery it doesn't over charge the toad battery?
Thanks