Trailer Brake Question??

[catchbats]

First off I want to say this is the first trailer I've owned with brakes, so sorry. I have a Toyota 4runner with the flat4 plug. The trailer has the RV style round plug on it. I have an adapter that was given to me. But I have an extra wire hanging out of the tongue. Black. I have all the lights working " "brand new LED's". I'm assuming this is the bypass for the brakes. It goes into the tongue and stops. Does this get hooked up to my reverse light circuit on my truck. I don't have this wire on the truck plug side so I'll have to run an extra wire then. Or is this just an extra ground. I do know that my brakes lock up in reverse if I don't do it SLOWLY. Its a 2000 Four Winns Trailer with the disc brakes on it. I dont see a manual type switch to bypass the reverse???? Ideas? I found a couple links but no wiring for the trailer specificly. Let me know, Thanks!

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Trailer Brake Question??

See if this link helps you:

http://www.easternmarine.com/em_store/tech_info/light_tech.html

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Trailer Brake Question??

nice link, bruce

 

[catchbats]

Re: Trailer Brake Question??

Not really because I only have the flat side on the vehicle and the round on the trailer. It really doesnt say what needs to be hooked up on the vehicle to covert a flat 4 to a round with trailer brakes. The round plug is wired as far as lights go, but the brake wire is out of it. "I can hook that back up". I need to be sure that the other end "the vehicle end" needs to go to the reverse wire?

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Trailer Brake Question??

How many poles connector do you have on your trailer?

Here are some more pictures with typical colors:

http://www.etrailer.com/faq/wiring.aspx

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Trailer Brake Question??

Since you have disk brakes, you may want an electric solenoid(you may have this already) that locks out the brakes when you go in reverse.

If you have the 7 pole connector, you could use the orange wire for the back-up lights to turn on the solenoid.

From the pictures I posted, you can see that black corresponds to 12V. You can use any of the extra wires you want but keep in mind the day that another vehicle tows your trailer and plugs that into their socket with black as 12V...the brakes may be imobilized in that situation if you use black as the disk brake lockout.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Trailer Brake Question??

His problem is on the truck. A flat four connector does not have a "back up light" wire in it so the fix is to remove the flat four and install the proper connector that will accept the trailer plug. Then wire the back up light wire on the truck to the whatever terminal will be used for the reversing solenoid.

 

[catchbats]

Re: Trailer Brake Question??

That's what I'm gonna do. I'm just going to remove the flat4 and replace it with a 7pin RV style connector. That way I don't have wires hanging. I really don't like wiring that's been butchered. You are correct though. It's not that I don't know how to wire the plugs or the trailer, "that's been all replaced with LED"S and is all new. It is the fact I don't have a back up wire. A flat4 only has a ground, left ts, right ts, and tail lights. I don't know if the wire I have hanging out of my tongue is a ground or a power wire. I suspect power???

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: Trailer Brake Question??

Those are electric brakes on the trailer? If so the blue will have to be wired from the tow vehicle and a brake controller installed. The black is just a 12 volt feed,all of our car haulers are wired that way,the black keeps the winch battery charged..

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Trailer Brake Question??

Electric Disc Brakes??????

 

[catchbats]

Re: Trailer Brake Question??

Yes. They are disc brakes. It's a 2000 Four Winns Trailer. What I'm saying is that with the surge brakes there should be a relief switch for the reverse. Meaning that if I go into reverse, like up a hill or were there's a bump. The tongue will slide and trigger the brakes. Keeping me from backing up. This wire hanging out basicly should power a solenoid that stops the brakes from working when I go in reverese . A reverse lockout. At least that's what I've found online so far. Some trailers have a manual one that you can turn by hand when you want to back up. Mine doesn't seem to have that. I'm guessing that's what this wires for. It goes into the brake control and stops there. It doesn't go down the tongue. My only problem is that it's black. I think I'm going to bust out the impact gun tomorrow, take it apart and just confirm that's what it is. Then hook up a 7pin style on my 4Runner with a reverse light wire to control it. This whole thing is nothing while launching because going down hill you don't have an issue because the brakes won't trigger. It's only backing up hill or over bumps. I also shouldn't need a controler because they are just surge brakes the tongue actually controls them.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Trailer Brake Question??

The lock out switch would in the brake line right after the master cylinder. You can probably see it without taking much apart.

 

[catchbats]

Re: Trailer Brake Question??

I guess the standard color for these things is Blue. For some reason someone before me used a black wire. I had to make sure where it was going.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Trailer Brake Question??

The standard color for electric brakes is blue. You do not have electric brakes.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Trailer Brake Question??

My last response was in regard to Gary's comment about electric brakes. We understand how surge brakes work.

 

[catchbats]

Re: Trailer Brake Question??

Gotcha, Thanks Guys!