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Old 05-26-2017, 02:11 AM   #1
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1967 26' Overlander
Durham , North Carolina
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Mystery cylinder on hitch & turn signal brake light issues

Hello,
We are trying to troubleshoot turn signal/brake not flashing issue. The rear brake lights stay on just does not blink, when brake pedal is pushed and turn signals turned on nothing happens. Its on a 1967 overlander.

I have been reading up and it looks like issue can often be associated to loose ground. I noticed white wire which likely is ground wire is disconnected/severed to this cylinder. There is no wire left on cylinder device to solder wire back to. I am not sure what this cylinder is near the propane tank, if it can be easily replaced, opened up and repaired or if it is even needed. It originally attached to bottom of cylinder where other wire is.

Thanks
Nick
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Old 05-26-2017, 03:31 AM   #2
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That is a breakaway switch.
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Old 05-26-2017, 10:06 AM   #3
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Sounds like the wiring is messed up. You should be able to figure out which wire is which. There are wiring diagrams on the internet. The round thing is a break away switch and it should be wired in series with the line that provides power to the brakes. There should be a cable on the pin in the center of the switch and will turn on the brakes if the trailer breaks loose of the hitch. It may or may not work. I have found the old ones are pretty good if they work. It can be replaced with a new one but they are cheap plastic and will have to be replaced often.

Perry
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Old 05-26-2017, 11:07 AM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by perryg114 View Post
....The round thing is a break away switch and it should be wired in series with the line that provides power to the brakes. There should be a cable on the pin in the center of the switch and will turn on the brakes if the trailer breaks loose of the hitch. ...

Perry
The breakaway switch is not wired in series with the brake line. It is wired in parallel with the brake line. One side of the breakaway switch is connected to the battery, the other side is connected to the (typically blue) brake line. A stranded steel wire cable goes from the pin in the switch to a point on the tow vehicle. Should the hitch fail, the trailer will pull away from the tow vehicle, pulling the pin, and apply the trailer brakes to prevent a runaway trailer.

A working breakaway switch, I believe, is a legal requirement on all trailers with trailer brakes. If I'm wrong about it being a requirement, it is still a REALLY good idea.

Regarding your wiring question, a loose ground will typically cause things not to work. You have a light working that shouldn't be and brakes and lights that don't work when they should. I think you should be looking for two problems. A short that is causing the light to stay on, and a bad connection that is causing the brake and lights not to work.

Al
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Old 05-26-2017, 11:25 AM   #5
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My bad he is correct. It is wired in parallel. Yes a loose ground would cause problems but I would check that all circuits are wired properly.

Perry
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Old 05-26-2017, 11:28 AM   #6
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Older trailers are not wired in the same configuration as the newer ones in the 7 pin connectors. Some where in the forums this has been discussed and pictures shown of oler pin location vs new pin locations. Use the search feature to find them.
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Old 05-26-2017, 04:41 PM   #7
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You can take that red 12V wire and cross connect it with the different lights and test each circuit is working. You can do all this from the trailer end. Just don't connect the red and white or things will get hot. White is the ground and it should have close to zero ohms resistance relative to ground.

http://www.rpodnation.com/uploads/730/7-way1.jpg

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Old 05-26-2017, 05:15 PM   #8
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The picture Perry gives you the link to is for the new 7-pin connectors.. The male end that is on your trailer is not wired this way. You will have to move around some wires in the male end to make it conform to your truck. Then all should be fine.
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Old 05-27-2017, 11:13 PM   #9
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breakaway cable

When you get the breakaway switch working never connect the cable to the hitch ball. Always connect it to the frame of the tow vehicle. There have been situations where the pin holding the hitch failed and the entire hitch came out and if the cable goes with the hitch, it will not activate the brakes.

I bought a coiled cable with a clip on the end that attaches to the breakaway switch and clip it to the chain loops on the truck. That's much easier than using the standard looped cable.
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Old 06-14-2017, 05:59 PM   #10
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1967 26' Overlander
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Thanks everyone ended up being the ground on the turn signal issue. Probably not best way to fix but running a ground wire from plate light is attached to then to shell got it working again.



Also learned about breakaway switch and that I need to repair it.

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Old 09-07-2017, 10:50 AM   #11
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Hey there, and I am re-wiring all the wiring inside my '53 airstream next into the seven Pin connector from the trailer that goes to my tow vehicle...... runner lights, brake lights, turn signals, the brakes, everything… What gauge wire do I need for all of that? Also, what gauge wire needs to connect to the battery for the breakaway brakes to be connected?
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