2008 Newmar Kountry Star Toad Wiring

[NJ-Ron]

Hi,

On a recently purchased 2008 Kountry Star I was checking out the 4 pin magnetic lights I plan on using on the Honda Crv and seem to only have marker lights working and the auxiliary pin on the RV 7 pin round connector isn't hot either. All the wiring on the MH side to the 7 pin blade connector looks to be in tact, no breaks or chaffing so I was wondering if there was something I was missing that was unique to the Kountry Star that I may not know of to get these connections working ?

 

Thanks for any help offered.

 

Ron

[Kirk W]

The plugs are wired in a standard configuration when they leave the factory but with an RV that is now 7 years old there is a reasonably good possibility that a previous owner may have changed something.

[oldjohnt]

This would be easier if I were there armed with a simple 12 VDC Test Lamp and/or a plug in 7 pin tester.

 

First off, you say the wiring looks good, but you need to get a 12 VDC Test Lamp or a 7 pin plug in tester TO SEE IF ALL THE 7 PINS ARE ACTUALLY FUNCTIONING. On those 7 Pin units, you basically have: (OF COURSE YOU NEED A GOOD GROUND WIRE CONNECTION, OTHERWISE ALL BETS ARE OFF AS THATS SO OFTEN THE CAUSE OF A PROBLEM)

 

Left Turn & Stop Combo (maybe Yellow),,,,,,,,,,,,Right Turn & Stop Combo (maybe Green),,,,,,,,,,,,,,Tail/Marker Lights (maybe Brown),,,,,,,,,,,,,,Ground (maybe White) Plus three more for Electric Brakes & 12 VDC Auxiliary & Back Up Lights. 4 + 3 = 7 Trailers and old cars are 4 wire with combo Turn & Stop

 

NOTE That's (old 4 wire) NOT compatible with the newer cars 5 wire that have SEPARATE TURN SIGNLS that are NOT same as the old Combination Turn & Stop like 1157 dual element bayonet base bulbs or their new replacement.

 

NOTE if you have Magnetic Bar lights (you call 4 pin) its my pure "Guess" those are like the old system with combo Brake & Turn dual element 1157 Bulbs (or the newer blade replacements instead of the old bayonet base). Iffffffffffff that's the case, the 7 pin RV outlet should work fine with a 4 pin magnet base light assembly PROVIDED ALL WIRES ARE CORRECT. They make 7 to 4 (old flat 4 wire ribbon trailer cable) and 4 to 7 adapters and pigtails you know

 

1) Insure all, especially GROUND, terminals in the RV 7 Pin outlet are functioning (maybe its mis wired or has a bad ground or wasnt converted from 5 to 4 as necessary if RV is the new 5 wire with separate turn signals????)

 

2) Insure the magnet light bar is the old style 4 pin (Left Turn & Stop combo,,,,,,,,,,Right Turn & Stop combo,,,,,,,,,,Tail/Marker,,,,,,,,,,,,,Ground) and has a good Ground

 

3) If the RV outlet is functioning WITH A GOOD GROUND and you have the correct 4 to 7 and 7 to 4 etc adapters and all good wires to the magnet base lights AND THEY HAVE A GOOD GROUND She ought to work

 

4) If the RV is the new 5 wire (separate turn signals) THERE MUST BE A SOLID STATE 5/4 CONVERTER/ADAPTER TO MAKE THE 7 PIN OUTLET WORK RIGHT FOR A TRAILER OR OLD CAR TOAD OR MAGNET LIGHTS

 

Trailers are the old 4 pin system and Id "guess" a magnetic light bar is the same, which wires like the old trailer system,,,,,,,,,which should work on a correct wired 7 pin RV outlet as they are designed for the old 4 pin system (They have the 4 plus 3 more)

 

WARNING if the RV has the new 5 wire system with separate turn lights (NOT combo Turn & Stop like old cars and trailers) and if it has a 7 pin RV outlet THERE MUST BE A SOLID STATE 5/4 CONVERTER/ADAPTER SOMEWHERE that makes the RV operate the trailer or bar light old 4 wire systems. BUT A NEWMAR, BEING ONE FINE COACH, MAY WELL ALREADY HAVE THAT ALL DONE so maybe you just have a loose wire or bad ground???

 

My toad is the new 5 wire system (separate turn signals) while the RV is the old style 4 wire system (has combo Stop & Turn) with 7 pin RV Outlet SO I HAD TO WIRE A SOLID STATE 4/5ADAPTER SO THE 5 WIRE TOAD LIGHTS WORK CORRECT

 

My pickup is the new 5 wire system (separate turn signals lights) SO I HAD TO ADD A DIFFERENT SOLID STATE 5/4 ADAPTER/CONVERTER so I can tow an old 4 wire system trailer

 

PS When I say new 5 Wire system with separate Turn Signals, I mean Left Turn,,,,,,Right Turn,,,,,,,,,,Stop/Brake,,,,,,,,Tail/Marker,,,,,,,,,,,,Ground Old 4 Wire is Left Turn & Stop,,Right Turn & Stop,, Tail/Marker,, Ground

 

PS2 That 7 pole RV Outlet has enough pins if you needed or wanted to incorrectly wire it as a 5 wire outlet, but that's certainly NOT how I would, plus I doubt your magnet lights are 5 wire anyway, so you need to get down to the old4 w wire system most likely. If your RV is already that way its a piece of cake NO 5/4 ADAPTER REQUIRED just fix the wiring.

 

Clear as mud?????? Insure RV outlet works and has a good ground and if a 5/4 converter/adapter was needed and if so it was wired correct??

 

Whew,,,,,,,,, John T

[oldjohnt]

Yo Kirk, regardless of a "standard" I (a past RV dealer) have seen many of the 7 pole outlets ORIGINAL FACTORY wired differently grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

 

I have seen that CENTER PIN wired for a) Auxiliary 12 VDC,,,,,,,,,,, For Back up Lights,,,,,,,,,,,,,c) For Brakes lol

 

I often (seems usually) see one of the six circular as the Blue for Brakes, but its that CENTER PIN I've most often seen for EITHER Auxiliary 12 VDC orrrrrrrrrrr Back Up Lights. I didn't encounter many of the CENTER PIN as brakes. Many were factory original, while others were Farmer Billy Bob wiring schemes

 

John T

[Mark and Dale Bruss]

The only place I have seen Round 7 pin plugs in on commercial trucks. RVs use 6 flat blades around center pin. The pinouts are way different between the two.

[kathydavidb]

The only place I have seen Round 7 pin plugs in on commercial trucks. RVs use 6 flat blades around center pin. The pinouts are way different between the two.

Mine uses the 6 flat blades around a center pin as you have stated.

[oldjohnt]

Mark and Dale,

 

Likewise, the typical RV and now more and more pickups use the 7 pin FLAT plugs and outlets (Semis have the round) , and as I said, I've seen that center used as Aux 12 VDC and Backup Lights.

 

NJ Ron,

 

If your aux pin isn't hot 12 VDC, look for a blown fuse as that circuit is likely protected !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

John T

[NJ-Ron]

Thanks for all the reply's guys.

I checked all pins (7 pin flat round) with my multi-meter and only got a 12 volt reading on the brown running light pin, nothing on the Aux (red) or any others when the directional s (yellow or green) were on. I'm leaning towards a bad ground, when I check mili volts with my meter from the pin ground to a good chassis ground, I shouldn't see any reading at all but the meter is reading .009 volts. I going to run a new ground connection to the connector and see what gives. My friend mentioned that the running lights might be working because it's getting it's own ground from where ever they tapped into the running light circuit.

 

The reason I made the post was thinking there was something unique to Newmars for the rear connector. I checked the electrical compartment and couldn't find any blown fuses or disconnected connections.

 

Will post the results after running a new ground wire.

[SIBERNUT]

"(7 pin flat round)" ????????????????

You gotta decide which you have, here. As Mark said, round pin (pin, not the plug itself) is commercial & wired differently that flat pin

[NJ-Ron]

"(7 pin flat round)" ????????????????

You gotta decide which you have, here. As Mark said, round pin (pin, not the plug itself) is commercial & wired differently that flat pin

 

It's round and has 6 flat connectors and a center connection. There's a schematic on the front cover stating what connector does what.

[oldjohnt]

NJ Ron, if all the connector's terminals yield the correct voltage (12 VDC + or -) for when tail lights are on, plus each left and right turn are operated etc., WHEN USING YOUR OWN TEMPORARY JUMPED CHASSIS/FRAME/BUMPER AS GROUND, but DO NOT operate if you use the 7 pin outlets Ground terminal,,,,,,,,,,The 7 pin outlet isn't getting a good ground to its appropriate terminal. But it sounds like you're well aware of that and are in the process of tracking that down.

 

One of those 7 terminals in the 7 pole RV outlet is, as you know, a GROUND of course. Sometimes if a trailer is mounted on the hitches receiver ball it gets its frame to frame ground via that path, but a magnet light bar would NOT have such a path, so it needs the actual connection (BOTH Light Bar Plug & RV Outlet) to provide a good ground.

 

PS use an ohm meter and check for continuity from the RV 7 pin outlets ground terminal to a known good bright shiny ground on the frame or chassis or steel bumper etc and it should be near 0 ohms, if not fix it. I have been known to run a big wire from the Batteries Neg terminal back to the ground terminal on the RV outlet, now that's a serious and good ground.

 

John T

[NJ-Ron]

Problem solved !

Further diagnostics on the ground wire for the connector showed it to be OK. Newmar put me in touch with Spartan Inc. the chassis builder. The Spartan tech told me where to find the chassis fuse box, a small box in the rear compartment on the passenger side of the coach, and what fuses to check. 2 fuses marked " Trailer left & right signal and brake 7.5 volts".

Both were blown, replaced them and every thing is working OK.

 

Now all I have to do is figure out what caused them to blow. Like I mentioned previously all the wiring looks in tact, no chaffing or cracking on the exposed wiring, all the rest of the wiring is wrapped pretty tight.

 

Thanks for all the responses and suggestions

 

Ron.

[Kirk W]

Great news! Thank you for letting everyone know that the problem is solved and the solution.

[oldjohnt]

Congrats, SIMPLE things like fuses and grounds are where to check FIRST. Then if all else fails, read the instructions or call the manufacturer (usually my LAST thing lol) You're right, if she's blowing fuses there may be an intermittent short somewhere, like pinched wires or stripped insulation etc. I would suspect the light bar and its wiring if that's what started this whole mess????? versus coach wiring

 

John T