Trailer Battery Connection

[tazman547]

Hi All,
I am new to this forum and to pop up camping. We just purchased a 98 Jayco and I am setting up my TV (05 Dodge Ram 1500) to pull it. The PU doesn't appear to have breaks so I'm not worried about that. But it has a 6 wire plug, I have a 4 wire on the TV in which I hooked up a 4 to 6 wire adapter so now I have the lights working. Now what I can't seem to locate is the trailer battery wire on the back of the TV to wire into the 6 pin connector. The TV has a fuse installed in the fuse panel for it I just can't locate where it is after it leaves the fuse box to the back of the TV. Any help would be great.

Thank you,

[skoryaro]

I'm not familiar with Dodges but.........

With GM if you do not get the factory installed tow harness all the wires will be bundled in wire loom and tucked up behind the rear bumper.  I'm guessing that your 4 wire TV harness was not factory installed so, the always "hot" wire that you are looking for is not being used and is probably still in the loom.  IIRC it will probably be blue in color.  Do some searching in the wires behind the rear bumper. It's probably there.  Leave your key off and start testing wires to see which one is hot with the key off.  That will be the one you are looking for.

[skoryaro]

One more thing to add.........

Here is the function of each  wire:

Ground
Tail / Running lights
Right Trun
Left Turn
Stop Lights
Always hot (charges battery of trailer)
Electric brakes

[mike4947]

Close but no cigar. 4 wires are for brake;turn;running lights;ground.
 
The other three are for brakes,12 volt aux line, and the 7th pin (the center one) is "optional" and normally used for backup lighting.
Here's my favorite link to explain trailer/TV wiring connections: http://www.rverscorner.com/wiring/index.html

[wynot]

Not all vehicles keep a hot 12V+ line if the ignition is off.  Since I have GM, I can only speak about their electrical (which does have a hot 12V+ regardless).
 
A 4 wire is designed for utility type trailers only.  Just get wired (or rewire) into either a 6 or 7 pin Bargman connector on the TV.
 
Jayco's, if they have brakes, have surge (I believe).
 
If you decide to not go the easy route (and wire your Dodge into either a 6 or 7 pin connector), you need to find where that 12V+ lead goes.  Call a trailer place that installs hitches, they will be able to tell you exactly where to look.  Your Dodge dealer may even know (but don't bet on it).  Then running a decent hot lead back to your trailer on a #10 RED wire with a waterproof connector.
 
If Dodge went cheap, like GM did on our full size trucks, you'll need to energize that aux 12+ tap.  In GM, I had to put a fuse in it.

[skoryaro]

Close but no cigar. 4 wires are for brake;turn;running lights;ground.
 
The other three are for brakes,12 volt aux line, and the 7th pin (the center one) is "optional" and normally used for backup lighting.
Here's my favorite link to explain trailer/TV wiring connections: http://www.rverscorner.com/wiring/index.html

Thought that's what I said - I was describing a 7 point not a 4 point.

But.........your analogy of the 4 point system is incorrect.   The brake wire is combined with the turn signals so it would actually be:

Rt. Turn
Left Turn
Running Lights
Ground

"Close but no cigar"

[tazman547]

Wow! Thanks for all the respnses.

The TV (05 Dodge RAM 1500) comes factory with the 4 wire but can be upgraded to 7 for a fee. I have everything working on the trailer i.e. turn signals, running lights and brake lights. The only thing left is the trailer battery wire so that the trailer battery can be charged by the TV. I can see in the fuse box that the trailer battery line has been fused, so my guess is the wire is there some where.
If you beileve it is a blue wire on the TV that's what I'll look for, I believe the PU end is blue or is that the brake?

Thanks again for all the responses and help.

[tlhdoc]

If I remember correctly starting with the slot at the bottom (on a 7 pin bargeman plug) and going clockwise from the slot the wires are as follows:
 
blue electric brake
brown right turn/stop lights
black hot/charging line
green running/tail lights
red left turn/stop lights
white ground
yellow center backup lights (usually)
 
black.. / . . green
brown | ... | red
blue ... .. / white
 
I hope this helps.

[skoryaro]

Wow! Thanks for all the respnses.

The TV (05 Dodge RAM 1500) comes factory with the 4 wire but can be upgraded to 7 for a fee. I have everything working on the trailer i.e. turn signals, running lights and brake lights. The only thing left is the trailer battery wire so that the trailer battery can be charged by the TV. I can see in the fuse box that the trailer battery line has been fused, so my guess is the wire is there some where.
If you beileve it is a blue wire on the TV that's what I'll look for, I believe the PU end is blue or is that the brake?

Thanks again for all the responses and help.

While rotating tires tonight I happened to take note of my 7 point plug.  BLACK is Aux. Power (always hot) and  BLUE is the Brake Control

The RV wiring color code for a 6 point is as listed below:

    Wire Color     Function

    White     =       Ground
   Green     =      Running Lights
   Red      =        Left turn/brake light
    Brown     =        Right turn/brake light
    Blue      =       Brake Control
    Black      =       Aux. Power

[CAPEd CODger]

The question of trailer light wiring has come up numerous times. There's a lot of on line information regarding this topic. I found one that has a guide for just about all of them.

http://www.marksrv.com/wiring.htm

Give it a look.

Maybe the admins could make a "sticky' topic regarding light wiring?

Happy Camping

[AustinBoston]

I'm guessing that your 4 wire TV harness was not factory installed so, the always "hot" wire that you are looking for is not being used and is probably still in the loom.  IIRC it will probably be blue in color.

At least on the trailer, blue wires are the exclusive domain of electric brakes.

Austin

[NadMat]

Hey 'Codger, that is a good link, now safely bookmarked and filed, thanks.