Travel Trailer charger lead? 98 Dodge 1/2 ton.

Thread view:

Enable EMail Alerts

Start New Thread

Thread rating:

oz - 16 May 2005 22:46 GMT

I am trying to find the wire that should be routed to the 7 pin trailer
reciever to supply power to the trailer battery.My Dodge 1/2 ton 4x4 has a
partial tow package factory installed. There is a 40 amp fuse in the power
dist. box that is marked as Trailer that leads to the Trailer relay which
is also in the power Dist. box. From the relay there is a 12 ga. Black with
orange wire that I am assuming is the charging lead going into the main
harness. Any ideas where this wire terminates. I have a Haynes wireing
schematic for this truck but it does not show it anywhere.
Thanks in advance. Oz

Reply to this Message

Tom Lawrence - 16 May 2005 23:38 GMT

> partial tow package factory installed. There is a 40 amp fuse in the power
> dist. box that is marked as Trailer that leads to the Trailer relay which
> is also in the power Dist. box. From the relay there is a 12 ga. Black
> with orange wire that I am assuming is the charging lead going into the
> main harness. Any ideas where this wire terminates.

I'm working from a '99 service manual, but those colors match up. They show
a red/orange wire coming straight from the 40A fuse, and a black/orange
going through the trailer tow relay, terminating at the trailer tow
connector , with a splice in each. Those splices are located inside the
driver's side frame rail, underneath the crossmember for the spare tire
carrier. The RD/OR is a fused B+ connection - the BK/OR from the relay is
for your trialer lights (relay is switched by the parking lamp circuit).
Some other wires that you may find back in those wire bundles:

Brown/Red - right turn signal
Violet/Black - reverse lights
Light Blue - trailer brake output
Black - ground (two of 'em)
Dark Green/Red - left turn

Curiously, the service manual shows a 10-pin (5x2) connector. I'm assuming
they plug into this with a mating connector and pigtail, that then goes to
the 7-way trailer connector.

Reply to this Message

oz - 17 May 2005 16:04 GMT

Thanks for the info Tom. So are you saying the Bl/Or is not the charging
lead? Seeing as it is a heavier gauge wire I thought that was what it would
be for. I think it would have been easier if the truck had no package
installed at all. For example I traced the light blue elec. brake wire and
it ended in the drivers side front wheel well. Thanks for the help Oz

>> partial tow package factory installed. There is a 40 amp fuse in the
>> power dist. box that is marked as Trailer that leads to the Trailer
[quoted text clipped - 21 lines]
> assuming they plug into this with a mating connector and pigtail, that
> then goes to the 7-way trailer connector.

Reply to this Message

Nosey - 17 May 2005 18:15 GMT

> Thanks for the info Tom. So are you saying the Bl/Or is not the
> charging lead? Seeing as it is a heavier gauge wire I thought that
> was what it would be for. I think it would have been easier if the
> truck had no package installed at all. For example I traced the light
> blue elec. brake wire and it ended in the drivers side front wheel
> well. Thanks for the help Oz "Tom Lawrence"

Yours might be wired like the '97. Read the messages on this page:
http://www.dodgeram.org/tech/mods/electric/trailer_wire.htm

Reply to this Message

oz - 17 May 2005 19:32 GMT

Thanks Nosey, that helps. Found the Red /Or. wire in a different plug but
same location as the Light Blue wire. Btw. why when I reply to group is my
post missing from my computor but showing up on everyone elses? Thx. Oz

>> Thanks for the info Tom. So are you saying the Bl/Or is not the
>> charging lead? Seeing as it is a heavier gauge wire I thought that
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> Yours might be wired like the '97. Read the messages on this page:
> http://www.dodgeram.org/tech/mods/electric/trailer_wire.htm

Reply to this Message

Tom Lawrence - 17 May 2005 21:59 GMT

> Thanks for the info Tom. So are you saying the Bl/Or is not the charging
> lead?

That's right.

> Seeing as it is a heavier gauge wire I thought that was what it would be
> for.

Nope. Depending on what kind of trailer you have, you could have upwards of
20 marker lights on it. That takes a lot of juice. The charging lead is a
relatively low-amperage draw (trickle-charge).

> installed at all. For example I traced the light blue elec. brake wire and
> it ended in the drivers side front wheel well.

That doesn't surprise me. Did it end there, or go into a connector that
then ran into the firewall? The 4-pin brake controller connector is located
right around there, on the inside of the cab.

Reply to this Message