Running lights on mod

[Dan S]

Anyone ever mod their argosy to have the running lights on while disconnected from the tow vehicle?

I think it would be cool to have them on while camping and run off a separate battery.

Thoughts?

Dan

[FreshAir]

Here is a thread on this. From this I'm sure that you can figure out what to do when dry camping. http://www.airforums.com/forums/f447...ing-75667.html

Neil

[TG Twinkie]

Just jumper the charge line terminal and the tail/marker light pins together on the trailer UCord plug. I do it quite frequently.

[Dan S]

I used both a fuse to bridge the 11 and 1 o-clock blades which are the battery and tail lights which I confirmed with voltage meter on the truck, and nothing is lighting up.

I also ran a small piece of wire between the two and nothing as well.

Next step would be to hook up the tow and plug in to confirm everything is working , any quick suggestions?

Thanks

Dan

[TG Twinkie]

Do you have a battery in the trailer? Or is the shore power connected and the converter on?

[Dan S]

Battery is in, all interior lights work.

I did install a new converter a few
Weeks ago.....

[TG Twinkie]

Do the lights work when plugged into the TV? If so, you must not be getting a good connection with your jumper.
Since the 12 volt lights inside work, that says you have a good connection to common/ground.

[Dan S]

All lights work with TV. How did
You connect to the pins?

[TG Twinkie]

Initially I used a jumper with the skinny nosed alligator clips. But now I have a receptacle (like on the TV) which is hard wired with a jumper across the appropriate terminals. Just plug it in and Wah Lah!

[Dan S]

Here's a twist. After taking the volt meter back out to the trailer, I show power in the center of then connecter, yet the center on the TV is for back up lights.

I've purchased a TV side connector and wired it the 11 and 1 o'clock and nothing I've also wired the power to the center and tried the other in several locations yet nothing lights up. I plugged into the TV and everything works properly.

Stumped.

[TG Twinkie]

Sounds like your trailer is still wired for the charge line in the center. That's the way they were in the last century if I remember correctly.
What do yo get when you connect the black lead of your meter to a clean spot on the frame? Then check for the 12 volts source?
If it works from the TV and does not work when disconnected I would suspect a bad ground connection to the trailer battery. Or a bad connection on the positive side causing a voltage drop.
Can you get the lights to work with a battery charger thru thru the UCord?

[Dan S]

Clean ground on frame and 12v still on center connector. I've been thinking of replacing my ground connector on the battery for some time, maybe now is the time.

[TG Twinkie]

You have the 12volts on the wrong pin on the UCord. The charge line as it is commonly referred to should be on the 11:00 position of the UCord plug when you are looking at the end that goes into the receptacle on the TV.
When you take the assembly apart and look at the back where you make the terminations the 12 volt wire ( charge line) should be connected at the 1:00 position.
Unless you have functioning backup lights on the trailer there should be nothing connected to the center pin.
Not everything is working when you plug into the TV. All of the lights may work but the charge line from the TV is not.
I'm not sure about the brake wiring. I'll assume you have verified that it is working properly.

[Dan S]

TG Twinkie, thanks for the help. I jumped the center and 11:00 position on the trailer using a new TV 7 pin connector and it works. As you point out my converter must not be getting charged while connected to the TV as the pins are not lining up, I'll take care of that within the next couple weeks.

Thanks again.

[TG Twinkie]

You are welcome.
I should point out that it is not the converter that gets charged by the "charge line" from the TV. It is the "house battery" that receives the charge from the TV. While you are driving down the road.