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63air · 03-19-2009, 07:53 PM

I am in the process of replacing the umbilcal cord on my 63 Globtrotter and deciding how to rewire it. I removed the inspection plate under the trailer near the tongue to see what was there and it doesn't look too bad . Now the problem is hooking up the new one and I have a couple of issues to deal with. In the trailer side loom:

1. There are four red wires , they connect to the tail/marker lights, left turn/ brake, and right turn/ brake. The fourth wire which was not connected also will run the tail/marker circuit. Is it just in there as a backup/spare for that circuit?

2. The breakaway switch is spliced in up near the front of the old umbilical and I can't see what it is wired into until I pull it out. How should it be wired into the new umbilical cord? I haven't been able to find any kind of diagram.

I realize that that the color code in my 63 trailer harness is not the same as todays but that I've got that figured out . Big problem is the breakaway switch wiring.

Inland RV Center, In · 03-19-2009, 08:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 63air

I am in the process of replacing the umbilcal cord on my 63 Globtrotter and deciding how to rewire it. I removed the inspection plate under the trailer near the tongue to see what was there and it doesn't look too bad . Now the problem is hooking up the new one and I have a couple of issues to deal with. In the trailer side loom:

1. There are four red wires , they connect to the tail/marker lights, left turn/ brake, and right turn/ brake. The fourth wire which was not connected also will run the tail/marker circuit. Is it just in there as a backup/spare for that circuit?

2. The breakaway switch is spliced in up near the front of the old umbilical and I can't see what it is wired into until I pull it out. How should it be wired into the new umbilical cord? I haven't been able to find any kind of diagram.

I realize that that the color code in my 63 trailer harness is not the same as todays but that I've got that figured out . Big problem is the breakaway switch wiring.

The breakaway switch, must be wire between the 12 volt charge line, and the hot brake line. That charge line, thru a 12 volt circuit breaker, about 50 amps, goes directly to the battery. Never a fuse.

Make sure that one side of the brakes is grounded.

The color code, should be the same as today's, for most part.

Andy

jimmini · 03-19-2009, 08:15 PM

ON a 7 way the black charging wire goes to a thermal braker then to the + side of the battery off this thermal braker the red wire goes to another thermal braker then to the brake way switch then to the blue brake wire that comes from the 7 way plug to power the brakes.

soldiermedic · 03-19-2009, 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Inland RV Center, In

The breakaway switch, must be wire between the 12 volt charge line, and the hot brake line. That charge line, thru a 12 volt circuit breaker, about 50 amps, goes directly to the battery. Never a fuse.

Make sure that one side of the brakes is grounded.

The color code, should be the same as today's, for most part.

Andy

I am interested in a diagram of this layout. I am completely redoing the wiring from scratch on my 53 Flying cloud, and have been wondering the best way to do the break away switch. Are you stating that I need to hook one wire from the break away switch to the 12v hot from the battery/converter and the other to the brake line?

Steve

markdoane · 03-19-2009, 08:26 PM

I think this is what's going on with the four red wires.

The "old way" was separate circuits for:
1. Running lights
2. Left turn signal
3. Right turn signal
4. Brake lights

The modern method used by most vehicles and 7-way umbilicals is a combined circuit for the right turn/brake and the left turn/brake, as you have listed.

So the fourth wire is a legacy brake light wire, which isn't used today.

jimmini · 03-19-2009, 08:57 PM

If you hold a 7 way plug in you hand and look at the end that plugs into TV the 1 oclock pin is clearance lights green wire 14 ga.the 3 oclock pin is left turn and brake red wire 14 ga,5 oclock pin is -12v ground white wire 10 ga.the 7 oclock pin is brake power to your brakes blue wire 12ga. The 9 oclock pin is right turn and brake light brown wire 14ga. The 11 oclock pin is 12v + the charging wire to your battery black wire 10 ga.The center pin is your back up lights yellow wire 14ga.

Lumatic · 03-19-2009, 09:26 PM

You probably know this, but just in case. When you test your breakaway switch Make sure the trailer is not plugged in to the tow vehicle or you may fry your brake controller.

63air · 03-20-2009, 06:05 AM

Thank you Andy , this brings up a couple more questions. Was my 63 originally wired into a circuit breaker for the breakaway? When I pulled the access plate for the wiring a ,small well coated device is attached to it (looks like it could be a circuit breaker) . A ground wire and I believe possibly a hot wire were attached to it. Could this be a breaker and should it be replaced due to age? The brakes were wired into a ground.

Anyone have a diagram for this breakaway switch wiring?

I think someone did a rewire on mine and I want to get it right not just duplicate what was there.

silverleeper · 03-20-2009, 07:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 63air

Thank you Andy , this brings up a couple more questions. Was my 63 originally wired into a circuit breaker for the breakaway? When I pulled the access plate for the wiring a ,small well coated device is attached to it (looks like it could be a circuit breaker) . A ground wire and I believe possibly a hot wire were attached to it. Could this be a breaker and should it be replaced due to age? The brakes were wired into a ground.

Anyone have a diagram for this breakaway switch wiring?

I think someone did a rewire on mine and I want to get it right not just duplicate what was there.

This may help here is a basic diagram for a breakaway switch.

Inland RV Center, In · 03-20-2009, 08:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 63air

Thank you Andy , this brings up a couple more questions. Was my 63 originally wired into a circuit breaker for the breakaway? When I pulled the access plate for the wiring a ,small well coated device is attached to it (looks like it could be a circuit breaker) . A ground wire and I believe possibly a hot wire were attached to it. Could this be a breaker and should it be replaced due to age? The brakes were wired into a ground.

Anyone have a diagram for this breakaway switch wiring?

I think someone did a rewire on mine and I want to get it right not just duplicate what was there.

The old old 12 volt circuit breakers that Airstream used were coated with rubber.

Only 2 wires were hooked to them. A hot wire in and a breaker protected hot wire out.

I have never seen one that had a ground wire.

Andy

63air · 03-21-2009, 08:27 AM

It is rubber coated so it must be a circuit breaker. Now I'm really going to have to figure out what was going on. I marked everything when I took it apart so it probably is a hot wire and not a ground. Should that breaker be replaced due to age? Also the schematic for the new Tekonsha breakaway switch shows it going directly to the battery and not through the charge line and a breaker. It looks to me that if that breaker should fail in the open position on the charge line the breakaway will not work.

When I bought the new switch the dealer also told me only wire directly to the battery with nothing in between ,no fuses no breakers. Getting anothe wire to the battery could be a real challenge. Which way do I go.

63air · 03-21-2009, 09:12 AM

I may have solved my own problem. Is the answer just to put the splice for the breakaway after the breaker then it will always be hot.

**azflycaster** · 03-21-2009, 09:35 AM

If you have a power jack, it is usually tied to the power line to the break away switch. Make sure you have an in line fuse to that device.

63air · 03-21-2009, 09:40 AM

No power jack, just arm strong. I sure have thought about it, thanks for the info.

**Action** · 03-21-2009, 09:43 AM

Is that what the unused wire in post 1?

Is it hot with a battery connected?

>>>>>>>>>Action

soldiermedic · 03-21-2009, 09:50 AM

I am curious what people do with the wires that run out to the break away switch to keep them safe from the weather and UV exposure. Anyone have a good idea for this?

I think for my plan, I will have my 7 pin enter the trailer through the a-frame channel, and into a 12v distribution box that I found on etrailer. From there I can hopefully make all the connections without splicing too many wires.

Steve

63air · 03-22-2009, 08:55 AM

The unused wire when made hot, lit up the running light curcuit. I'll just leave it dead. Otherwise everything on my trailer is just as Andy predicted, curcuit breaker and all. My umbilical and the wires for the breakaway run inside the frame from the tongue and back out a hole in the frame at the connection point. Not a lot of fun to get the new cord /wires back through the hole. The new cord is a slightly larger diameter than the old one. With a little filing and lots of effort everything is now in place and ready to hook up. If this winter ever ends I'll be ready to go!

**Action** · 03-22-2009, 09:24 PM

Winter ends!!!!!! It ended last week. We are in spring, man!

~ding~

you are now free to move about the country.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>Action

ticki2 · 03-23-2009, 05:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Inland RV Center, In

The breakaway switch, must be wire between the 12 volt charge line, and the hot brake line. That charge line, thru a 12 volt circuit breaker, about 50 amps, goes directly to the battery. Never a fuse

Andy

I have questioned , as others have , about a fuse in this line . In my '76 the battery power goes to the converter fuse panel and from there is distributed . Both the hot and ground have a 50a fuse , this is from the factory , therefore everything from that point on , including the brakes are fuse protected . It would seem to me that if it were not fuse protected and there was a dead short in the brake wire it would burn up the wire all the way back to the converter which is inside the trailer. If in the brakeaway situation the brakes tried to draw more than 50a it would be because something had shorted because that size wire couldn't support more than that , at that point the brakes wouldn't be working anymore so it doesn't matter.

Were there any years that Airstream didn't have these lines fused ?