Brake and auxillary power wiring questions (PU newbie)

[clintandleslie]

My wife, 2 kids, and I are PU newbies (and lovin' it!) and am ready to upgrade my current TV-PU situation a bit.  I've got a (used) '98 Coachmen Clipper 1270 (similar to a Coleman) towed by a '98 Plymouth Grand Voyager Mini Van (with factory tow package).  My Coachmen has a battery mounted on the trailer tongue, electric brakes, and a 6 square connection plug.  My TV only has a 4 inline plug.  The guys at the used PU dealership where I bought it wired up a homemade "plug converter" : TV 4--> 4 inline--> 7 round (female)--> 7 round (male)--> 6 square--> PU 6 (!)  This has worked great for my first several trips, but obviously I do not have auxillary power to my PU while traveling to power my refrigerator, trickle charge the PU battery, etc.  In addition, I obviously do not have use of the electric brakes.

I want to install auxillary power and a brake controller (along with the 4 inline plug) to a 7 round on my TV and just use the 7 round --> 6 square segment to patch into the PU to power everything.  I have very basic electrical wiring knowledge, but a logical mind....but I still have some questions:

Most references and wiring diagrams I've seen regarding hooking up aux power from the battery to the PU refer to an inline 30 amp circuit breaker (no problem) but suggest a solenoid to prevent continuous draw off my TV battery when parked/engine off and still connected to the PU (like at a rest stop, etc.)

Question (1) ...what is a solenoid, which kind/size/rating/etc. do I need, where do I get it, and where do I install it?  Or is this not really necessary, as I rarely park at rest stops for longer that 30 minutes, disconnect from my PU from my TV when on site, and use the local power supply box for 120v service for the PU?

For my electric brakes, I know that I need to get a brake controller, powered by a line to my battery (with 20 amp inline circuit breaker), patch it into the "cold" side of my brake pedal (no modular plug-in on my vehicle :% ) and run the blue line back to the 7 round plug on my TV.

Question (2) ...what type of brake controller should I use?  I read about timed vs. inertia elsewhere on this post and it seems inertia is better.  I live in Florida (flat) so no mountain towing is expected anytime soon, but I wouldn't rule out a PU trip to the Carolina mountains in the next few years.

Question (3) ...there isn't a really good flat spot to mount an inertia brake controller in the TV...how much of a tilt can they be on and still work?

Question (4) ...can anyone recommend a good brand of brake controller, expected price range, and source?

I apologize for the length of this post...any help you can provide would be fantastic!

P.s. Taking the PU to Disney's Fort Wilderness this weekend (July 4th), so I may be delayed in responding to your posts :Y

--Clint Greene

[tlhdoc]

Welcome to PUT.  Have a great trip to see the mouse that ate Florida.  

I am electrically challenged so I can't help you with the wiring.  I can with the brake controller.  Buy a Tekonsha Prodigy.  You can find them online for around $100.  It is well worth it.  You can mount them on a pretty good angle so I am sure you will find a spot.
Here is a link to the Tekonsha site
 
http://www.tekonsha.com/prodig.html
 
Here are a few sites selling them.  I have never Delta with these sites.
 
http://www.truckxpressions.com/truckaccessories/towingaccessories/tekonsha_prodigy.htm?source=broi&iorb=4764
 
http://rvwholesalers.com/catalog/home.php

[korey99]

Clint-

  I too recommend the prodigy.  They can be mounted at very extreme angles (check the manual) and don't require leveling.  It's a very smart controller.  Your understanding of how to wire the brake controller matches what I did.  The hardest part was finding which wire to use at the brake pedal.  I consulted a vehicle-specific forum for that one (I had 8 wires to choose from), but you can just probe for the proper wire as well.

  I put in a charge wire, including the relay, just a month ago, and it was pretty easy once I collected all the know-how I needed.  Adding the relay can prevent ruining a trip with a dead tow vehicle battery the time you forget to unplug.  Here's what I did: I found a relay ($3) at the local auto parts store.  It was 30amps and rated for continuous use, so I figured it would work fine.  I mounted it under the hood.  Of course, you'll need to get an ignition switched source to activate the relay, so rather than cut into my vehicle's wiring, I got an "add-a-fuse" and plugged it into an unused ignition-switched circuit in my fuse block.  The add-a-fuse is basically a fuse with a wire sticking out.  Also very important on the charge wire is a breaker or fuse (I was told to use 30 amps) and sufficiently heavy wire (I used 10 gauge).  Too small of wire will result in too much of a voltage drop by the time you get back to the trailer.

  This is what I did, based on the information I collected at sources like this one, and it's been working great.  I'm not an electrician, so this is my disclaimer.  Let me know if you want any clarification.  I can probably dig up my references as well.

Korey

[CAPEd CODger]

A solenoid is another name for a heavy duty relay.
A relay w/ contacts rated for the maximum current you expect to draw is what you'll need. (If you have a 30 amp breaker, get a relay with a 30 amp contact rating)

The idea is when the tow vehicle is "off", so is the relay, so no voltage goes from the vehicle to the coach. That will prevent accidental discharge of the vehicle battery.

Any auto parts store should have a relay that will fill this requirement.

I don't have a Prodigy, but it seems that everybody here loves 'em.

Welcome and best of luck.

Bob

[korey99]

Oops- sorry- I didn't see where you said "What is a solenoid"    Sorry if I omitted too many details.  If you want any further info, let me know.

[clintandleslie]

tlhdoc,
Thanks for the info. I'll be sure to check out those links!  Seems everyone loves the Prodigy.  Do you know if it is an inertia controller or timed controller?  I'm sure the sites will explain it, but I'm being a bit lazy at the moment

Clint Greene

[clintandleslie]

korey99 and CAPEd CODger...

Thanks a million...that clears up a lot!

korey99, I like your idea of patching it into the ignition switched circuit breaker (other sites discuss hooking it up directly to the + pole of the TV battery).  Don't sell yourself short on ingenuity and know how!

CAPEd CODger, thanks for clearing up the whole "solenoid" thing. And also the tip on amperage rating on the relay to match the inline fuse amperage is great!

I'll post a response when I get it hooked up after this trip to Disney!

Clint Greene

[tlhdoc]

tlhdoc,
Thanks for the info. I'll be sure to check out those links! Seems everyone loves the Prodigy. Do you know if it is an inertia controller or timed controller? I'm sure the sites will explain it, but I'm being a bit lazy at the moment
 
Clint Greene

It is an inertia controller.