Total Newbie questions....

[OPIE]

so forgive me in advance if all this seems obvious to you. The trailer has a 7-blade round plug, the tow vehicle has a 4-pin. Do I just need an adapter, or is more wiring needed? Do I really need a brake controller on a single axle T-1550? How easy is it to do myself, and if it's a pros only job, what should I expect to pay?

[Honda03842]

I have a 1550 and ran into the same problem when I bought it. I went to a nearby uhaul center and bought a 7 pin that the four pin plugs into. Very simple and works and lets you expand to using the brakes if you choose.

We towed our's home 200 miles, towing with a 2004 Honda CRV, without a brake controller without a problem. It tows amazingly well. We have subsquently bought a controller and a friction sway bar.

I did not find any sway but apparantly it's nice to have in an emergency.

We've had ours for two months and love it.

Happy in New Hampshire
Norm

[OPIE]

Well- I only need to tow it about 4 miles from the home of the sweet old lady who gave it to us to the driveway where it will sit while it gets cleaned, aired out and a little updating. I just need to do it fast as she wants it off her yard soon, and was hoping I could get away with a cheap adapter until I had time to do the other stuff. All I really need is the brake lights to work for this trip, it's literally a straight line from there to here.

[MACK C-85]

No problem Opie, I'd rather answer the newbie questions than have you have a problem on the road!!!

(Everytime, I go to post this, there's more info!!!)

You'll be OK getting it home that short distance w/o brakes. But, you need more wiring and yes, you want to use the brakes. Normal driving you probably can get away with it, but if you have to stop NOW you want the trailer stopping with you not trying to pass you!!

I have not done the job myself, but had the same thing done (4- pin existing, to seven pin) when we bought our T-276. The price was included in our sales price but I don't think it was more than $150 and that included the controller. We also had a brake controller added to our '04 Dodge and it was around $125, but that truck had the trailer package that was prewired for a seven pin and involved using a harness that plugged the brake controller into the Dodge harness. SO, I'm thinking about an hours labor + the cost of the controller if you have someone install it.

I'm sure there are others here who have done the job themselves that can give you some insight on how involved it is.

[PTHutch]

Hi OPIE,

I agree, you'll be ok for the 4 mile trip home, just get a 4-7 wire pin adaptor.

However, I would recommend a brake controller if you plan to do any traveling out of state. Each state has different towing laws wrt when trailer brakes are required. Check out this State Towing Laws for more information on each state. MA has a 10,000 lb limit until brakes are required , but most states are 3000 lbs, inc. NY, VT, CT (NH is 1,500 lb limit). That is if the trailer weighs more than 3000 lbs, it needs to have brakes. So if you travel out of MA to one of your neighboring states, you will need a brake controller. Unless you want to try the argument that the law only states that the trailer has brakes; and the trailer does have brakes, The law says nothing about requiring them to be hooked up.

If you’re handy, it’s a job you can do yourself. Since you only have a 4-wire plug now, you’ll probably have to run the wires from the front to the back plug receptacle. Depending on your tow vehicle, this could be easy or very difficult. I remember years ago when we had a 7-wire plug installed on our Ford Aerostar, the wires were run inside and plug just hung out the rear tail gate.

Sorry I don't know the price of installation. I use Camping World a lot as a price bench mark for compaison shopping. CW has a $79 installation charge when you buy a brake controller from them. You can use this price for comparison.

Hope this helps.
Hutch

[Honda03842]

Further information.

My temporary solution with a 4 to 7 pin adapter cost about $20 and took minutes.

Norm

[OPIE]

Thanks to all for the input - I think I'm going to see if I can get the brake lights to work so I can mave it across town, then I'll have the pros do it right.

[OPIE]

OK - I went out and got a Hopkins 4wire flat to 4wire flat & 7 RV blade adapter. I get the flat connector goes to the flat connection on the SUV - no problems there....the white wire goes to a good ground spot - OK - I can do that...

The middle of the round connector says reverse. Do I have reverse lights? The middle of the trailer plug seems to be empty?

The blue wire says it goes to the electric brakes. So I leave that off until I get the controller?

And the black wire just says switched. So I find a switched lead for this one..?

HELP?

[PTHutch]

OPIE

Here's a wiring diagram for the 7-wire plug. This may help.


If you notice, the center pin is Auxilary, so it's ok if it's empty.

There are no back up lights on the trailer, so that also is a don't care.

Hutch

[Sunline Fan]

Hutch,

Actually, you're wrong. My '86 1550 had back up lights and model years before that had them. Sunline quit doing that before or by the early '90's. I just checked my pics for a '84 coach and it does have the BU lights, so Opie, I'd say yours does have them.

Jon

[nickster60]

I have done this in the past. If you only have to go 4 miles have the wife or a friend follow you. Then you can set it up correctly when you get home

[PTHutch]

Jon,

Thanks for correcting me. Never knew earlier Sunlines had back-up lights.

Hutch

[OPIE]

Again - thanks to all - this forum is a wealth of information.