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trailer plug wired wrong

mikeimikei Member Posts: 6
in Battery/Electrical & Solar
  Realized I had no brake/signal lights.  Happened to be near a TAB dealer on a trip thru Ukiah, CA so I took a chance they could look at my rig.  Service guy got under the rear bumper and saw a pulled wire because there was too much tension on the wires and he said we must have gone thru a driveway and the plug got pulled rearwards.  Got the lights working but he says Uhaul wired up only only 4 of the 7 wires to the plug and that because of that I had no power to the 320 there were no trailer brakes and the batteries (2 - 12 v.) went dead running the refrigerator.  Having full hookups in the KOA we thought the batteries would charge during the 48 hrs. we camped.  No such luck. 
   Right after getting the brake controller and trailer plug installed I pulled trailer out of the back yard and noticed (I thought) that the trailer controller was set too high and brakes were grabbing too hard.  I turned it down to 15 and the grabbing stopped.  2 years later after getting brake/signal working I cannot tell if trailer brakes are working or not.  Any advice?
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Comments

  • Sharon_is_SAMSharon_is_SAM Administrator Posts: 9,760
    What controller do you have installed?  
    Sharon / 2017 T@B CSS / 2015 Toyota Sienna Minivan / Westlake, Ohio
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  • mikeimikei Member Posts: 6
    Uhaul installed a "Reliance" brake controller.
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  • MuttonChopsMuttonChops Member Posts: 1,724
    Am I reading the sequence of events correctly as:
      2-years ago the brake controller was installed and appeared to work correctly.
          You selected a 15% brake force setting at that time.
      In the recent past your 7-pin wiring was damaged, then repaired.
         Now you are not sure the Brake Controller is working

    Does your Controller have any error codes?
      E1 no trailer, or E2 blue wire short.
    Have you tried your braking test with Controller set well above 15%?

    You have a couple of options for additional troubleshooting.
    These are in no special order and are ideas/suggestions to consider.
      1.  With TV connected, jack one trailer wheel off the ground.
            You should be able to rotate wheel . . . will it rotate when TV brakes are on.

      2.  The Reliance is a Time Based Brake Controller.
            There is a short time delay between pressing the TV brake pedal and when voltage appears
            on the 7-pin "blue wire".  Also the voltage value will change with the 5-100 setting of the Controller.
               At 100 you should be able to read 12VDC on the blue wire.
              At 50 you should see something lower, most likely near 6VDC

            Note:  Might have to measure at T@B junction box as Controller might need "to see" the trailer
              lights load so the E1 error clears.  However, it might still output brake voltage when E1 is displayed.

    If either [1] or [2] indicates the brakes are engaging.
    Then consider adjusting the brake shoes or increasing the Controller setting.

    If brakes are not engaging 7-Pin wiring should be checked again.
    Or controller has failed.
    '18 320 S,  pitched axle, 3020HE; PNW based
    TV: '17 Colorado V6 Z71 4x4, Tow Package, GM Brake Controller
    Adventures:  54   Nights:  341  Towing Miles 43,780
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  • AnOldURAnOldUR Member Posts: 1,420
    Everyone should be manually checking that their trailer brakes are working as part of their check list when hitting the road. Just as important as checking brake lights and turn signals. It should be Towing 101, but seems to be ignored.
    Stockton, New Jersey
    2020 nuCamp T@B 320S * Jeep Wrangler

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  • Denny16Denny16 Member Posts: 5,431
    @mikei, if you were just recently at Vogel’s RV in Ukiah, and you are using the same TV, which the Vogel tech said was not completely wired up on the 7-pin, I would take your TaB and TV to any good Trailer repair shop, doesn’t have to be a TaB dealer, and have it checked out.  If the 7-pin is not completely wired up correctly, I suspect your brakes are not working correctly either.  At any rate, if it has been two years since it was last service, it is time to have it checked, trailer wheel bearings repacked and brakes checked out and adjusted.
    cheers
    2018 TaB400 Custom Boondock,  Jeep Gladiator truck, Northern California Coast.
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  • N7SHG_HamN7SHG_Ham Member Posts: 1,261
    Four of seven wires would mean you have never had any brakes or charging from TV. For the same reason you can't simply have a 4 to 7 pin adapter and get those working.

    As far as shore power not working, that is a totally separate and non related issue to the trailer to tow vehicle wiring.
    2019 T@B 400 Boondock Lite
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  • MarcelineMarceline Member Posts: 1,610
    If you're in Northern California you can't do better than Vogel's. I would make an appointment and take it back there. 
    San Francisco Bay Area
    2013 CS-S us@gi
    2015 Toyota Tacoma PreRunner Double Cab
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  • Denny16Denny16 Member Posts: 5,431
    I would second that Marceline, Vogel’s RV is top notch in the service department.
    cheers
    2018 TaB400 Custom Boondock,  Jeep Gladiator truck, Northern California Coast.
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