wolvenwood
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Post by wolvenwood on Aug 25, 2014 15:34:18 GMT -8
We currently tow a pop-up behind a Honda minivan. We are rebuilding a '67 NuWa (tiny, 10' box) that we will tow with it. The honda has a flat four connector. Is it imperative that I have the Honda wired with a 7-pin connector for the NuWa? I was not planning on battery charging from the tow vehicle, and the old '67, like the pop up, does not have brakes.
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Post by bigbill on Aug 25, 2014 17:25:41 GMT -8
If you are towing a trailer with a Honda make certain the trailer loaded isn't exceeding the max tow weight and that the transmission is properly serviced for severe duty. If you want to know why check with the local Honda repair transmission shop as to what a total rebuild will cost. I know of a couple of nice Honda mini vans that went to a salvage yard rather than to pay to have the transmission repaired.
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wolvenwood
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Post by wolvenwood on Aug 25, 2014 18:09:29 GMT -8
Right now the trailer has no tow wiring, so I'm begining the research on the options. If I dont use a 7 pin to charge the battery, will I get enough from the charger/converter when plugged into shore power to fully charge a correctly chosen battery?
Thanks, Bigbill. You are absolutely right. Before we even started towing the popup we had the required coolers added by our Honda dealer. Not doing so would also goof our warranty in case of transmission damage. And I will be very conscious of my weight limit.
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Post by vikx on Aug 25, 2014 21:10:06 GMT -8
Wolvenwood, to answer your question,
A four way flat will work for the Nuway if you don't plan on a battery and don't have brakes. Personally, I always go with the 7 way on the trailer, wired properly in the J box. The 7 way can be adapted to 4 way for now and upgrades are always possible down the road.
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wolvenwood
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Post by wolvenwood on Aug 26, 2014 4:43:39 GMT -8
Thanks, Vikx. Thats the way I'll go to get started. And I'll jcall the Honda folks and see what they charge to install a 7-way.
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John Palmer
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Hi, From a vintage trailer guy located in Santa Ana, CA. It's good to see lots of activity here.
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Post by John Palmer on Aug 26, 2014 7:50:00 GMT -8
Thanks, Vikx. Thats the way I'll go to get started. And I'll jcall the Honda folks and see what they charge to install a 7-way. Using a test light, a screw driver, a wire stripper, and twenty minutes of time, you can hook your existing four wires to a new seven wire female trailer plug.
You need all of these tools to work on trailers, and the time would be less than driving to a Honda Dealer who would have to charge you over a hundred dollars.
Just saying.
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Post by vikx on Aug 26, 2014 20:46:43 GMT -8
NOTE TO ALL: Do NOT use eTrailer diagrams for your 7 way connections!
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wolvenwood
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Post by wolvenwood on Aug 27, 2014 6:13:18 GMT -8
Thanks, John Palmer. I have all the tools you listed, and I am all about saving money. Can you point me to some instructions for doing this upgrade? Also, I suppose I could find a flat-four to 7-pin adapter for the popup camper, right?
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John Palmer
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Post by John Palmer on Aug 27, 2014 9:57:00 GMT -8
Thanks, John Palmer. I have all the tools you listed, and I am all about saving money. Can you point me to some instructions for doing this upgrade? Also, I suppose I could find a flat-four to 7-pin adapter for the popup camper, right? Sorry, I think we have taken this one about as far as we can go.
You might want to grab a couple of How-To books on basic electrical wiring.
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wolvenwood
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Post by wolvenwood on Aug 28, 2014 6:10:17 GMT -8
My wife is totally against messing with her van's wiring, so it looks like this little trailer will be wired flat-four from the git go. (As Rumpole of the Bailey says, "She who must be obeyed...") If I put in a junction box, we could upgrade down the road, though, right?
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John Palmer
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Post by John Palmer on Aug 28, 2014 19:38:59 GMT -8
My wife is totally against messing with her van's wiring, so it looks like this little trailer will be wired flat-four from the git go. (As Rumpole of the Bailey says, "She who must be obeyed...") If I put in a junction box, we could upgrade down the road, though, right?
I'm sorry, but it sounds like we are not communicating.
If you want to hook up ground/tail/brake/turn lights on any modern vehicle it best to buy the wiring install kit from a hitch company like DrawTite. It will be vehicle brand and model specific, and will be completely a "plug in" accessory. You will not be splicing any wires, it just plugs in, and even comes with instructions. When your done with the car and need to turn it in for the lease, just unplug it. It's only about $25.
This will give you everything except the (blue) electric brake wire, and the (black) battery charging wire. Using a seven way female plug, the tow wiring kit, and running the two additional wires will give you everything you need. Your looking at about a hours work time.
You wife knows best, maybe you should take it to a trailer store and pay them to complete this project.
A very smart man on this forum once told me that he never tries to give electrical or wiring advice on the internet. His position "which I highly respect" is that you have to have a good basic knowledge of automotive and household wiring and electricity, or the advice will not help anyone, and it's easy to make serious errors when trying to work with electrical without a full understanding. If you do not feel comfortable, take it to the pro's.
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wolvenwood
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Post by wolvenwood on Aug 29, 2014 8:12:19 GMT -8
I completely understand about long distance electrical advice. I installed the flat four when my wife got her pop-up, and that was a breeze. I think the communication problem is more between me and my wife than you and I. I have trouble explaining technical things to her. Thanks for you help on this.
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