Toad electrical connectors

[jupoa]

Does anyone know a site that has closeup of toad electrical connectors or mechanical drawings?

I'm setting up an 09 Vibe for a toad. The goal is to use a Roadmaster Sterling towbar that comes with integrated safety cables and 6 wire electrical cord. The plan is not to purchase the towbar until I have the toad and the motorhome completely set up. The problem is that I can't identify mating electrical connectors for the motorhome and the toad from the pictures and information on the vendor's website.

Actually, the motorhome connector is easy but I'm stuck on the connector for the toad. I need to obtain an electrical connector for the toad that will mate with the Roadmaster Sterling electrical cable.

Thanks in advance.

[jupoa]

Does anyone know a site that has closeup of toad electrical connectors or mechanical drawings?

I'm setting up an 09 Vibe for a toad. The goal is to use a Roadmaster Sterling towbar that comes with integrated safety cables and 6 wire electrical cord. The plan is not to purchase the towbar until I have the toad and the motorhome completely set up. The problem is that I can't identify mating electrical connectors for the motorhome and the toad from the pictures and information on the vendor's website.

Actually, the motorhome connector is easy but I'm stuck on the connector for the toad. I need to obtain an electrical connector for the toad that will mate with the Roadmaster Sterling electrical cable.

Thanks in advance.

[Route 66]

Take a look HERE.

[Gary RVRoamer]

Dirk,
I don't see anything at that link target that helps with a 6 wire connection. Did I miss something or did you perhaps mean to use a different link?

[Gary RVRoamer]

Jupoa,
If you know what you connected at the coach end, then you know what is coming out of the tow bar at the toad end. Just make the receptacle on the toad match what you did at the other end.

You need to know whether the coach has separate stop and tail lights (6 wires) and also whether the toad has separate ones. If either one is different than the other, then you have to wire for a conversion, either coach 6 wire to toad 4 wire or coach 4 wire to toad 6. Otherwise it will be either 4 to 4 or 6 to 6. Once you have identified the combination to be used, everything else is pretty straight forward.

Roadmaster doesn't care what wire you hook to what pin on the tow bar wires - you just have to make them match however you wired coach and toad.

[Route 66]

I use a 6 wire also, but I don't use them all.

There are some wiring diagrams and color codes that may be helpful via links from that page.

[chasfm11]

This is a very timely conversation as I just ordered a new 6 wire cable (with both ends) from RVUpgrades for our new toad.

Dirk, I've looked at the diagrams in your link but agree with Gary that there really isn't a 6 to 6 picture. I'm following Gary's point that as long as the wiring is consistent on both MH and toad, it really doesn't matter what the pattern is.

My expectation is that only 5 wires are needed to make separate brake and turn signal bulbs work. With individual wires for left and right turn signals, a brake light, running lights and a ground, that should be all that is necessary. I'm planning to use the 6th wire to carry the break pedal indicator signal from the toad back to the dash of the motor home. Am I missing something or headed down the wrong path?

Thanks,

Charlie

[paz]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by jupoa:
Does anyone know a site that has closeup of toad electrical connectors or mechanical drawings?

I'm setting up an 09 Vibe for a toad. The goal is to use a Roadmaster Sterling towbar that comes with integrated safety cables and 6 wire electrical cord. The plan is not to purchase the towbar until I have the toad and the motorhome completely set up. The problem is that I can't identify mating electrical connectors for the motorhome and the toad from the pictures and information on the vendor's website.

Actually, the motorhome connector is easy but I'm stuck on the connector for the toad. I need to obtain an electrical connector for the toad that will mate with the Roadmaster Sterling electrical cable.

Thanks in advance. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
The round, 6-pin receptacles are standard and are available at Wal-Mart and most auto part stores. I don't know about Roadmaster, but the Blue Ox cable I bought came with 2 receptacles - one for the toad and one for the motorhome. Our motorhome came pre-wired with a 7-pin connector, so I have a spare receptacle if I ever need it. The 6-pin to 7-pin adapters are available at Wal-Mart as well should you need one of those for the motorhome.

[RVThere]

Jupoa,

Are you connecting the MH lights right into the Vibe wiring harness?

I had my 08 Town and Country set up a few months ago for a toad. The dealer set up a separate wiring harness and lights just for towing. They stated, and I totally agree, that new cars have such sophisticated electronics that you don't want to tap into that factory harness with your tow lighting system.

They installed a 6 round female connector on the front of the mini-van and ran a new 4 way trailer wire to the rear tail light enclosures. In the enclosure, they installed separate brake/signal light sockets and bulbs.

So far that system has been working like a charm. It may be a little more work up front, but it will save you many electronic headaches later on.

[Route 66]

OK, try THIS LINK.

[jupoa]

Thanks all for responses. The information was helpful and informative.

Unfortunately, I must not have stated my circumstance or question clearly.

Specifically, what kind of connector should mount to the car to mate with the connector of the Roadmaster Sterling electrical cable. Is it identical to the connector that mounts to the motorhome with 6 male pins, or is it a connector with 6 female pins? If it has female pins, is it available with mounting flanges like the motorhome connector or does it hang loose on the wires? If I wasn't too cheap to spend for a tow bar before its actually needed, I'd have cable to look at first hand.

The connectors and cables for sale locally all indicate they are designed for connecting a trailer to a car and most us the flat 4 pin connectors on the trailer end.

BTW: I'm using the kind of toad lighting with the separate rear lamp sockets and four wire connection. The other two wires will be for the brake system.

[paz]

jupoa, both ends of the coiled electrical cable are the same - female. Both receptacles (motorhome and toad) are recessed male. Click HERE to see the Roadmaster electrical cable (6-wire Flexo-Coil). It looks like the Roadmaster cable also comes with 2 receptacles the same as the Blue Ox cable.

As I said in my previous post, these receptacles are standard and are available in Wal-Mart and auto parts stores. Some have plated steel covers, some have plastic covers, and some have die cast covers. Just make sure you get one with the correct number of pins. But why not stop into an RV dealer or go ahead and order your cable online ahead of time since the receptacles come with it?

[jupoa]

Paz,

Thanks for your second reply. That both ends of the cable are the same is just what I needed to know. Usually, with other types of cables, the gender of the pins would be opposite on opposite ends of the cable.

The Roadmaster Sterling towbar comes with the safety and electrical cables preinstalled into channels cast into the towbar arms so the electrical cable can't be ordered seperately.

I like the Blue Ox towbar toad attachment hardware better than the Roadmaster but I like the rest of the Roadmaster overall design better. So, to save money and to be able to locate my towbar attachments higher on the toad, I built my own Blue Ox attachment style base plate and will order a Roadmaster Sterling towbar modified to attach to a Blue Ox type baseplate.

Thanks again for your reply.

[paz]

jupoa, you're welcome. Glad I could help. I see what you mean about the integrated electrical cable on the Sterling tow bar. That's a nice, clean arrangement.