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Old 10-06-2018, 10:11 PM   #1
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7 wire connector battery charge line

Is anyone using the 12 volt charge line in the 7 pin power cord to charge their toads battery? #4 has battery voltage when coach is running. If so how did you wire it to the battery? fuse? circuit breaker? other? Thanks
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Old 10-06-2018, 10:37 PM   #2
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Originally Posted by cptdzl View Post
Is anyone using the 12 volt charge line in the 7 pin power cord to charge their toads battery? #4 has battery voltage when coach is running. If so how did you wire it to the battery? fuse? circuit breaker? other? Thanks
I used the #7 pin for my towd charge line with a #12 wire. I added a 30 amp circuit breaker at the plus terminal coming off the chassis battery . Also put another 30 amp breaker where the towd charge line connects to the towd battery.
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Old 10-07-2018, 12:17 AM   #3
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I purchased an RVI Towed Battery Charger for the toad:

https://rvibrake.com/products/towed-...SABEgINIfD_BwE

This fits between your toad's battery and the toad's connector socket. It has its own 15A fuse and monitors the charge status of your toad's battery and controls the charging accordingly. I considered this a better option that a direct charging line.

I had an unused, ignition-switched 15A circuit under my dash that was originally intended for a CB radio. I ran a 12 gauge wire from it to the center pin of the 7-pin connector at the rear of the motorhome.

My toad has a 6-pin connector so my connecting cable converts the 7 pin to the 6 pin connector. There are a couple of options for the 6-pin charging circuit so, if you have this situation, you'll need to figure out how your connecting cable is wired in order to select the correct pin on your toad's socket for the wire to the RVI "charger". If you're 7 pin to 7 pin, it's simple, center pin to center pin.
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Old 10-07-2018, 07:08 AM   #4
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I have the same setup as Roy1 however using #12 wire I believe that 20 amp breakers should be used instead of 30 amp.
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Old 10-07-2018, 07:23 AM   #5
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The rv comes with fused or breaker protection but I highly recommend a 20 amp breaker near the toad battery. 30 amp is common but that is a lot of current and could lets smaller wire go up in flames versus tripping the breaker.
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Old 10-07-2018, 07:26 AM   #6
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You have the correct pin. Just run a 10 ga wire to the + (positive) pole of your toad battery. Just before the battery put a 30A fuse. This fuse is not to protect any electrical or electronic equipment, it's just there to protect the wire if you have a dead short in it somewhere in the power line. Numerous manufacturers have come up with their version of "Power Chargers or Protectors" that do not do anything but drain your wallet and reduce the power available to charge your toad battery. I first found out how to hook up a charge line when we got our first travel trailer back in 1968 and I've been doing it ever since. Well in excess of 200,000 tow miles, and numerous toads and RV's with NEVER a problem.
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Old 10-07-2018, 07:29 AM   #7
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Rick, sounds like you have a Freightliner Chassis, right? If so, that #4 pin 12 volt supply is already fuse protected by a 20 amp fuse.

I used that plug's #4 pin 12 volt supply and connected it to the Honda battery using a matching 20 amp fuse right at the Honda battery. This fuse will protect the Honda battery incase the pigtail between the coach and the toad shorts out because of damage, or other reasons. Nothing else is needed. When the coach engine is running, current will automatically flow to the toad battery, if it is needed.
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Old 10-07-2018, 07:51 AM   #8
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Thank you everyone for your input. The charge line is the last item on my install list. Installed my breakaway switch yesterday and ready for a test drive and then off for a week of fall camping.

Thank you all.
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Old 10-07-2018, 01:57 PM   #9
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I like to use a simple breaker on the toad because I have accidently touched things and popped fuses before. A breaker will reset itself and you won't have to diagnose a blown fuse.
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Old 10-07-2018, 02:03 PM   #10
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I like to use a simple breaker on the toad because I have accidently touched things and popped fuses before. A breaker will reset itself and you won't have to diagnose a blown fuse.
You have to have an auto reset breaker to reset automatically. Breakers have to be reset manually. The one pictured earlier is an auto reset one.
#4 pin is the RV standard for use for a charge line. The center one is for backup lights. Yah, I know that's screwy. Several places to download the "standard" wiring diagram and there are several standards too.
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Old 10-07-2018, 02:19 PM   #11
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I saw a post probably a year ago where a owner was sorry he installed a resetting breaker in the charge line. Apparently a short developed in the pigtail after it was damaged from a fuel station curb, and the breaker kept resetting. The entire front end of the towed car was on fire after the short started to melt things. True or not, who knows, but that was what he attributed the fire to.
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Old 10-07-2018, 06:10 PM   #12
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Don't forget that some motorhome / tow car setups need a diode in the line to keep the battery voltage from the tow car from flowing back into the "charge" wire. If you find that you can't shut off the engine in your coach when the tow car is hooked up, you need the diode to keep power from back flowing into the coach.
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Old 10-07-2018, 06:16 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BCam View Post
I purchased an RVI Towed Battery Charger for the toad:

https://rvibrake.com/products/towed-...SABEgINIfD_BwE

This fits between your toad's battery and the toad's connector socket. It has its own 15A fuse and monitors the charge status of your toad's battery and controls the charging accordingly. I considered this a better option that a direct charging line.

I had an unused, ignition-switched 15A circuit under my dash that was originally intended for a CB radio. I ran a 12 gauge wire from it to the center pin of the 7-pin connector at the rear of the motorhome.

My toad has a 6-pin connector so my connecting cable converts the 7 pin to the 6 pin connector. There are a couple of options for the 6-pin charging circuit so, if you have this situation, you'll need to figure out how your connecting cable is wired in order to select the correct pin on your toad's socket for the wire to the RVI "charger". If you're 7 pin to 7 pin, it's simple, center pin to center pin.
I did the same. The install is easy and it contains a diode to make sure current only flows from the MH to the toad.
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Old 10-07-2018, 06:31 PM   #14
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Don't forget that some motorhome / tow car setups need a diode in the line to keep the battery voltage from the tow car from flowing back into the "charge" wire. If you find that you can't shut off the engine in your coach when the tow car is hooked up, you need the diode to keep power from back flowing into the coach.
Can you expand on this a little? As a dumb old hillbilly, I'm stumped.
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