Questions on wiring brakes and lights

[the544man]

nice thread guys--i'm in a similar stage that Silverhoot was in: now that you're probably finished: What did you end of doing and what would you do differently. Here's my current sitiuation on my 1956 bubble. with a few questions below.

1. the trailer had a 4 pin light connector and everything worked properly
2. i just cut this 4 wire harness and sent it into my trailer to my junction box under my front dinette seat.
3. I also just ran my new 7 pin harness (wired end) into the same spot to connect to the junction box.
4. while I was drilling holes I drilled another hole to send a 12 gauge wire which will eventually be my trailer brake wire (which i'll need to split in two to go to my two wheels right?)


here are a couple questions as i'm learning the light and brake system:

a--can i just run one larger 8 gauge wire from my junction box direct to my battery--so the alternator of the tow vehical charges (the battery's conected to my progressive dynamics converter). If so--do i ever need to disconect this lead to the battery when not in tow?

b--if my 4 pin lights worked fine--can i just link in my white wire from the 4 pin harness to the junction box with the 7 pin white wire as well. I can assume it's grounded fine somewhere if it's currently working right?

c. I havn't purchased a brake controller yet as i'm still rebuilding the bubble. my main tow vehicle will be a 2005 odyssey van. What controller would you recommend.

am i missing anything else? you can see my progress at the thread i started called: 1956 bubble restoration start to finish (for reference if needed).
I've done everything in the interior from scratch--but i'm using the 4 pin harness as a splice since i have easy access to it and couldn't imagine finding the original wiring.

your help is appreciated--cheers--ted

[mello mike]

Originally Posted by the544man

here are a couple questions as i'm learning the light and brake system:

a--can i just run one larger 8 gauge wire from my junction box direct to my battery--so the alternator of the tow vehical charges (the battery's conected to my progressive dynamics converter). If so--do i ever need to disconect this lead to the battery when not in tow?

b--if my 4 pin lights worked fine--can i just link in my white wire from the 4 pin harness to the junction box with the 7 pin white wire as well. I can assume it's grounded fine somewhere if it's currently working right?

c. I havn't purchased a brake controller yet as i'm still rebuilding the bubble. my main tow vehicle will be a 2005 odyssey van. What controller would you recommend.

Here's your answers:

a. Yes. No, you don't need to disconnect it
b. Yes, that should work fine. The umbilical junction box or umbilical plug is usually grounded. Is yours?
c. I used the Tekonsha Prodigy, it's an excellent controller and highly rated.

[the544man]

hey mike--i'm using a new junction box and 7 pin cord from vintage trailer supply. so it sounds like i need to run a ground wire from the frame to the junction box then? although--since my 4 pin connector lights worked before i cut it to splice to the junction box--it must be grounded to the frame somewhere to work so it must already be grounded right? another ground would be redundant--or not? thanks for your help.

[Minno]

I also use a Tekonsha - but I'm not sure of the model.

I would connect the white wire from the new 7 pin cord to ground somewhere, if that's what you're asking. If through your junction box, then use a 10 gauge wire, which I think is what you'll fine the white wire in the 7 pin cable is. The reason: for when the TV is connected using the 7 pin connector and charging the battery. You want a heavy enough ground wire to carry the current - it should match gauge of the +12 VDC battery charge line in the 7 pin cable. If the only ground connection you have to the frame is the original white wire on the 4 pin connector, that's not big enough for the 7 pin connector since you're adding the battery to the current flow now. Plus, if you plan on using the skin & frame as the return for all your 12 volt fixtures, you'll want a bigger white wire between the frame and the junction box too.

Chris

[the544man]

hey chris,
a friend told me that i will have to get some type of adapter for my toyota truck and honda van to convert the circuits from foreign to american. It still doesn't quite make sense to me why the 4 wire harness into an 7 pin adapter into my toyota 7 pin receptacle worked fine. But when i just went out and put the for color coded wires to the junction box with the new 7 pin trailer harness--i got all mixed signals and it didn't work right. i'm scratching my head still. maybe the ground wasn't legit? any more advice? ted

[Minno]

Hey Ted - do you have a picture or diagram of what you're doing? I'm trying to visualize it without too much success.

For the most part, if your TV has separate brake and rear turn signal bulbs, you'll need and adapter to convert the separate turn signal wire and brake wire on the TV to the single combination rear turn signal/brake light on the AS. Automotive places sell the converters. I've never needed one, so I have no experience with them, but others have used them and said they are very easy to install.

Chris

[the544man]

yes chris--i think i had some bad information i was reading online. Hopefully the chart i have now is the american standard. So I have some time tomorrow i think i can give it another go. basically I've took the 4 wire harness from my trailer (which worked perfect), sliced it--and redirected it back into a hatch under my dinette. There i am going to send the 4 wires into a junction box to link up with a new (7 way flat) bargman umbilical that will be permanent and mate up with a 7 pin receptacle on the tow vehical. So I think i figured it out? by the chart i'm looking at this is what i should do if everything on the toyota truck was wired right:

4 wire connected to color coded junction box and colorcoded 7 wire to umbilical
green --rt/stop connect to brown-- rt turn
yellow--left/stop connect to red --left turn
brown--tail/clearance connect to green--tail
white--ground connect to white--ground then black--to battery, blue--to brakes and yellow--unused (back up)


will my brake/stop lights still work right i wonder since the turn circuit does both in the 4 wire harness?

since my lights worked with the 4 pin harness--i can assume this redirecting will work right. tomorow will tell. thanks for your input. ted

ps--the local trailer company here near salem oregon said he might be taking in a bambi 2. i'm going to have to go chcek it out for fun.

[the544man]

all is good! and the trailer brakes were very easy to install--napa even had ones compatible for my 1956 bubble hubs. All the lights do what they're supposed to and the brakes work excellent. thanks for your input friends.