Adding Another RV/Toad Wiring Harness

[Zulu]

Shortly after I had some RV engine work done, my RV's 7-way toad connector stopped working. A Cummins/Spartan repair shop wasn't able to find the problem.

So . . . I'm thinking of using one of the Hopkins kits to add another toad outlet, bypassing the 7-way completely.

Anyone done something like this?

[I'mdonewiththis forum]

I'm confuzled.......... You had Cummins do some engine work and now the seven way doesn't work? You mean a terminal. a couple or the whole thing quit? If you use the four way connector what are you using for brakes on the toad?

[Devilishjim]

Have you got a blown fuse somewhere ? My thinking is that you will still need the same wires, so they all need to work. Engine work got done, did he by chance forget to hook up a grnd wire ?

[Kirk W]

9 hours ago, Zulu said:

So . . . I'm thinking of using one of the Hopkins kits to add another toad outlet, bypassing the 7-way completely.

 

I have used a kit of that type, but I don't recall what brand the kit was. I see no reason why this would not work, but like others am wondering if you won't be running wires to the same locations as the existing ones? Have you attempted to diagnose the existing harness already? If you have a 12V test light such as this it shouldn't be too difficult to trace. 

[Zulu]

2 hours ago, Mntom said:

I'm confuzled.......... You had Cummins do some engine work and now the seven way doesn't work? You mean a terminal. a couple or the whole thing quit? If you use the four way connector what are you using for brakes on the toad?

2 hours ago, Devilishjim said:

Have you got a blown fuse somewhere ? My thinking is that you will still need the same wires, so they all need to work. Engine work got done, did he by chance forget to hook up a grnd wire ?

The 7-way gave up the ghost after we were hundreds of miles away from the dealer who did our engine work (and who may have cause the problem to begin with).

Anyway, we gave Newmar a call, they said to call Spartan, and Spartan determined that when our 7-way was installed in 2000/2001, it was connected directly to the RV's lighting system -- no special fuse for the 7-way.

So we took it to a Cummins/Spartan dealer close to us and after 3 hours they couldn't find out what was wrong. I told them to stop work and they graciously only charged me $244. 

So . . . I'm going to just bypass the current 7-way system, and install another wiring harness.

The Tekonsha Zero Contact Interface looks like the solution because I won't be "cutting" into any of the RV's wiring.

[Devilishjim]

How gracious for not finding the problem !!! Are you saying that none of the terminals on the 7 pin are working ? If so sounds like you lost the ground. Try running a jumper wire from the frame of RV to the frame of toad...see what that does

[Kirk W]

11 hours ago, Devilishjim said:

Are you saying that none of the terminals on the 7 pin are working ? If so sounds like you lost the ground.

That would not prevent one from reading 12V on other pins with a device such as I linked to. Vehicles use a chassis ground for 12v systems so any ground will work to check the pins of the plug and the ground pin can be checked with an ohm meter. 

[oldjohnt]

Ive also had good results with Hopkins wiring devices. On soooooooooo many such type trailer and device wiring problems ITS A BAD GROUND that causes it (especially if nothing seems to work) . A simple 12 volt test light can find so may problems even if the ground in the connector is bad use another iron conductive member as ground to complete the test. My troubleshooting procedure is to start at the source then the wiring from there to receptacles then receptacles to the load etc etc systematic.

 

John T    

[Zulu]

7 hours ago, oldjohnt said:

Ive also had good results with Hopkins wiring devices. On soooooooooo many such type trailer and device wiring problems ITS A BAD GROUND that causes it (especially if nothing seems to work) . A simple 12 volt test light can find so may problems even if the ground in the connector is bad use another iron conductive member as ground to complete the test. My troubleshooting procedure is to start at the source then the wiring from there to receptacles then receptacles to the load etc etc systematic.

Um, oldjohnt and others, the Cummins/Spartan service techs couldn't find the problem after 3 hours. I don't think they were incompetent or slackers. So I don't see me doing any "simple" test to locate the problem. Also, oldjohnt, I wouldn't be troubleshooting a trailer, I'd be tracing a fairly convoluted wiring harness in my RV . . . in fact, I'd have to remove my RV's bedroom engine cover to access part of the harness. Simple? I don't think so.

I'm going to use a Tekonsha Zero Contact Interface instead of a Hopkins kit because the Tekonsha uses induction so no wires have to be cut. The Tekonsha sounds too good to be true. We'll see. Today I discovered my Newmar uses a 3-wire system (separate wires for brake, signal, and taillights) and identified each.

[Devilishjim]

1 hour ago, Zulu said:

Um, oldjohnt and others, the Cummins/Spartan service techs couldn't find the problem after 3 hours. I don't think they were incompetent or slackers. So I don't see me doing any "simple" test to locate the problem. Also, oldjohnt, I wouldn't be troubleshooting a trailer, I'd be tracing a fairly convoluted wiring harness in my RV . . . in fact, I'd have to remove my RV's bedroom engine cover to access part of the harness. Simple? I don't think so.

I'm going to use a Tekonsha Zero Contact Interface instead of a Hopkins kit because the Tekonsha uses induction so no wires have to be cut. The Tekonsha sounds too good to be true. We'll see. Today I discovered my Newmar uses a 3-wire system (separate wires for brake, signal, and taillights) and identified each.

But you still have wires in there that are supposedly connected to your RV lights correct ? Care to guess what happens when those rat chewed wires start touching together. Smoke and FIRE will fly if they short out. It sure would be nice to be able to isolate that wiring completely from your rig before that happens ! Even then the Tekonsha interface sounds terrific .

 Rereading your post when was the last time you looked under that engine cover for rats nests ?

[oldjohnt]

Its no surprise to me so called competent service techs couldn't find a problem lol. A while back I took a car to a huge reputable NON GM dealer who had the car a week with several techs working on it and they couldn't fix it but said the computer was bad............Next I take it to one of the largest GM dealers in Florida who told me I needed a whole new wiring harness under the dahs and it would cost $1500 to repair it............................SOOOOOOOO I dropped it off at a mechanic who lived in a house trailer and had a carport where he worked on cars,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,I drove by 30 mins later and the car was repaired and was running perfect and he charged my $40, a wire under the daSH had overheated and melted insulation and shorted so he repaired and repacked and fixed the blown fuse........  

Moral of story KISS keep it simple stupid and get back to basics and systematic troubleshooting which so often in RV and trailer and connector wiring a 12 volt test light can help find the problem 

I'm ONLY saying what worked for me and what happened above and it may well not hold true for others or other vehicles, I'm here to help NOT bicker..........My experience may well be different from others. If trailer lights or the receptacle or the source is having a problem give me a 12 volt test lamp and I can often find the problem and I bet I'm NOT the only one who has used a simple test lamp to trace down trailer and lights and outlet problems BUT TO EACH THEIR OWN METHODS and what works for them

John T   

[Devilishjim]

On 8/14/2017 at 5:59 AM, oldjohnt said:

Its no surprise to me so called competent service techs couldn't find a problem lol. A while back I took a car to a huge reputable NON GM dealer who had the car a week with several techs working on it and they couldn't fix it but said the computer was bad............Next I take it to one of the largest GM dealers in Florida who told me I needed a whole new wiring harness under the dahs and it would cost $1500 to repair it............................SOOOOOOOO I dropped it off at a mechanic who lived in a house trailer and had a carport where he worked on cars,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,I drove by 30 mins later and the car was repaired and was running perfect and he charged my $40, a wire under the daSH had overheated and melted insulation and shorted so he repaired and repacked and fixed the blown fuse........  

Moral of story KISS keep it simple stupid and get back to basics and systematic troubleshooting which so often in RV and trailer and connector wiring a 12 volt test light can help find the problem 

I'm ONLY saying what worked for me and what happened above and it may well not hold true for others or other vehicles, I'm here to help NOT bicker..........My experience may well be different from others. If trailer lights or the receptacle or the source is having a problem give me a 12 volt test lamp and I can often find the problem and I bet I'm NOT the only one who has used a simple test lamp to trace down trailer and lights and outlet problems BUT TO EACH THEIR OWN METHODS and what works for them

John T   

Todays mechanics rely on a computer to tell them whats wrong, so  computer said replace all the wiring...lol

[oldjohnt]

15 minutes ago, Devilishjim said:

On ‎8‎/‎14‎/‎2017 at 8:59 AM, oldjohnt said:

 

Todays mechanics rely on a computer to tell them whats wrong, so  computer said replace all the wiring...lol

Jim, it appears NONE of the mechanics bothered to even look under the dash where I told them it smoked when I plugged into one of the 12 volt outlets, ALL they did was plug to the OBD port. The little shop owner DID look under and saw the burned wire and repaired it in 15 mins. The OBD said cant communicate when I plugged my cheap reader in. A huge dealer and a huge GM dealership BOTH said it needed computer and harness etc YEAH RIGHT LOL

Nice chattin with you

John T