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Jukenut · 04-15-2020, 06:44 PM

I can use a little help with a brake controller harness question. I have a 2018 canyon star 3710, i am looking at wiring a brake controller wiring harness and using it to light a led to let me know when toad brakes are activated. I was under impression , from videos i watched online that the harness is un- used just under the dash, i just need to plug the brake control wiring harness into it. Well it took me a while to find it, it was tucked under there pretty good. But to my surprise there was already a harness plugged into it, and the other end was spliced to a couple of wires ( i think orang and black) with a label that says “instrument panel feed”. Any ideas what this would feeding in instrument panel ? I got done late today, i unplugged it, i plan to start the coach up tomorrow and see if i see if any changes on instrument panel.

Thank you in advance for any and all assistance.

l1v3fr33ord1 · 04-16-2020, 05:08 AM

Jakenut-

Are you the first owner of this coach?

As far as I know, Ford ships a pigtail to the RV manufacturer. It may be loose or it my be already plugged into the trailer electric brake connector when the coach comes out of the factory. Usually, there's nothing wired to that pigtail.

I take it that:

- the first picture shows the pigtail that was inserted in the connector, as you found it
- the second picture is the splice, as you found it
- the third picture is the label on the pigtail you bought

Please let me know if these are incorrect.

There are no orange or black wires in the Ford instrument panel illumination circuit. Newmar has, in the past, provided unterminated orange and black wires between the dash and the coach hitch connector. Some people have used those wires to provide a 12V charge line at the hitch connector. So, what you could have is a splice between the trailer electric brake (12V, 30A fused) red power wire and the orange and black wires. That would have been done by a prior owner.

In any case, I suspect the blue and white wires in the existing pigtail are probably unused, and you can attach your toad brake activation LED to it and that will accomplish your purpose.

l1v3fr33ord1 · 04-16-2020, 05:52 AM

Jakenut-

OK, I unearthed my Ford spare parts. I found a Ford brake controller pigtail of the correct type. Lo and behold, there's a label on it near the connector that says "Connect to instrument panel feed," which means "plug this end into the correct trailer electric brake connector under the dash." I would have hoped that Ford worded it more clearly, but ...

I am more certain now that you will find the red wire in the pigtail spliced to the orange and black wires, done by a prior owner.

If that is the case, you will want to use the original pigtail, with the splice, and attach your LED to the blue and white wires in the pigtail, and call it a day.

Plug the original pigtail back in. With the engine running, check the one o'clock pin of the 7-pin coach hitch connector for 12V (diagrams here). Then, shut off the coach, disconnect the original pigtail. With the engine running, check the same pin. By my hypothesis, it should be dead. If you want to keep a working 12V charge line, use the original pigtail.

Save the pigtail you bought for when you want to tow a trailer with electric brakes. Splice that pigtail to the trailer electric brake controller wires, swap the pigtails at the connector, and you're in business.

If the red, orange and black wires are not spliced, well, I'll have to come up with another hypothesis!

Jukenut · 04-17-2020, 06:40 AM

Did a little testing yesterday.
Btw- this is a new motorhome, and it is a 2019 not 2018 , my mistake.

With the wiring and harness as i found it , i have tail lights, brakes and blinkers working on toad. I tested 7 way on motorhome with test light and multimeter, i have nothing for 12v , and aux trl brakes. I put my harness in, so i can run power from my brake switch from toad to a led in motorhome so i can see when brakes are applied to toad, i get nothing. My toad is a 2014 jeep wrangler. I have my wires going to a six pin socket. I believe i terminate my brake power to pin “s”. I use a 6 to 7 way cable to connect toad to motorhome. A hopkins 47053. I verified i get power to my 7 way cable at 11 o’clock pin ....12v, which i think is wrong i should have it at my 7 o’clock pin for brake controler output. Not sure of how to get there.

Thanks

l1v3fr33ord1 · 04-17-2020, 07:40 AM

Jakenut-

A note on the trailer wiring diagram link I provided says, for 6-pin connectors:

Quote:

Note: In some applications, the black battery power connection and the blue brake controller output connection are reversed.

Sounds as if that's the case here.

That umbilical cable has molded ends. So, you need to rewire the connector on the Jeep.

Test the umbilical cable. The brake signal needs to show up on the 5 o'clock pin of the coach's 7-pin hitch connector. That corresponds to the 7 o'clock pin on the umbilical 7-pin connector. Find out what pin on the 6-pin end of the umbilical is connected to the 7 o'clock pin on the 7-pin end. Wire the Jeep's 6-pin connector so that the brake activation confirmation signal goes to that pin. It may not be pin "S."

Jukenut · 04-18-2020, 03:38 PM

Well, i went back and revisited my wiring on my 6 pin socket, as soon as i looked at it was pretty obvious, i had my line for my brake led on wrong terminal. I had 2 terminals to choose from, i Choose wrong one. Moved it to other terminal......presto it works perfect. This is y i really dont play lottery or go to casinos......50 % chance of getting it right, and i got it wrong.

Thanks everyone for your help, much appreciated.