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Crushed 7 way cable. Not mine.
Folks,
Over Memorial weekend we visited family and somehow I got asked to look at a heavy utility dump trailer with a non working turn signal.
Quick visual and the plug end looked "ok" the Bargman type but not a Bargman. TV receptacle useable but dirty. The focus became a ding in the 7 way cable itself, it showed damage but no copper wires sticking out. the trailer had to go on the road a couple wraps of tape and it's gone.
The focus shifted to checking the Silverado receptacle to prove all's well. The right turn signal contact was not working, this was the first focus of the repair. Period. But it worked behind the 7 way adaptor to body plug. That was later determined to be a lack of tension from the connector to the blade.
Fast forward after lot's of searching I found three blown fuses. Right turn, charge line and trailer brake. New fuses installed. While waiting for the trailer to come back due to troubleshooting the right turn signal decision was made to eliminate the plug from the body harness to the 7 way receptacle as it was proven intermittent. A new 7 way extension cord (it had both ends used for 5th wheel extension) was used to make a stub line to the body harness wires and the other 7' of cord and plug was to make a new trailer cable to eliminate the highly suspect cable.
New cable installed, circuits are working and no fuses blown.
Autopsy time.
I tested each 7 way connection to the trailer wire ends and the charge line was OPEN circuit. I skinned a small piece of insulation above and below the crush. Continuity above, open below. Then I skinned off the insulation and nothing but the green crusty was under it.
The green wire on this setup was right turn and a small nick was proven to show a break in the insulation grounding that circuit and blowing the fuse. See red circle.
The white ground wire insulation was damaged and significant tarnishing of the copper.
I did not find a source for the brake line failure that blew the fuse.
The message, don't allow your 7 way cable to flop around and get pinched between the coupler and hitch ball mount. The position of the damage was right where the cable would hook under the ball, a good dip in the route the coupler moves and it's cable crush time.
If it happens to your rig don't expect that a wrap of tape is gonna get you all fixed up.
Now if anyone challenges the color codes compared to common standards, you're on my side. This Vanguard cable did not follow RV common colors or even wire gauge. They ran a black #10 for the BACK UP lights and the trailer mfgr didn't even connect the charge line to the electric hydraulic dump battery.
It became an interesting troubleshooting and repair.
Gary
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S/OS #001 2005 Dodge Ram 2500 5.9L 6 Speed
16" Michelins, Hi Spec Wheels, Max Brake, Dexter 4 Piston Disc Brakes, Carslile Actuator, Equal-I-Zer, Dill TPMS. Campfire cook. BMV-712. DEMCO 21K Lb Cast Iron coupler
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