our trailer has no method of charging the tt battery while driving
should i add this capability? my seven pin connector has 2 extra pins so that part is easy.
where on the tv should the power come from, i assume the car battery with a fairly large wire to the 7 pin, then a similar lead to the tt battery
The charge + port on your seven way if looking at connector on tv is about 5 o'clock.
Are you sure its not already wired?
Most tow packaged optioned vehicles are.
My suburban had did not have tow package but the wire was there but just needed a fuse in the fuse box to enable it.
Look in your owners manual.
Your camper should be wired for it already.
Check lower left terminal at 6 o'clock for 12 v +
the tv is a 2003 ford windstar without tow package, i upgraded the van as needed except tt charging
trailer is a flagstaff 21 rb about 12 yrs old and also has no connections from the 7 pin to the battery anywhere, in fact the 12 volt systems are completely seperated between running system and house system except for the breakaway switch
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1998 Forest River 21rb
2003 Ford Windstar
2 bicycles and a 3 yr old husky
our trailer has no method of charging the tt battery while driving
should i add this capability? my seven pin connector has 2 extra pins so that part is easy.
where on the tv should the power come from, i assume the car battery with a fairly large wire to the 7 pin, then a similar lead to the tt battery
If you want the job done properly, what you need is a minimum of 6 B&S fused cable run from your vehicle's dual battery in positive and negative to your popup battery and connected at the tow vehicle with a 50 Amp Anderson plug. This type of connection will overcome most of the voltage drop issues smaller auto cable results in. It will give you the best ability to charge your popup battery from your tow vehicle as you drive. A fuse needs to be in the positive cable as close as practible to EACH of the connected batteries. This type of connection is also suitable to provide sufficient voltage to run your 3 way popup fridge on 12V DC as you drive but don't put the battery and the fridge on the same circuit. Use a second cable run from the rear of your tow vehicle if you want to do this. If the battery and the fridge are on the same circuit what you are doing is adding to 'loads" onto the one circuit and that results in less available voltage to both loads. Fridge will not be efficient and battery will not charge at best rate. Two runs from the tow vehicle to the loads is the best way to go. Minimum 6 B&S cable too, not auto type light cable compared with the 6 B&S cable.
There is more to a tow package than the hitch. The factory tow package "usually" comes with an upgraded alternator and a separately fused camper battery isolator.
Your alternator is a single stage charger, sized for charging your car's starting battery and the electronics on board. It is perfectly capable of charging your car's battery and running everything in your car when the motor is running since the starting battery is almost never discharged below 95% of capacity.
The camper's battery is a deep discharge type and is typically run well below 50% before recharging. When connected to your TV, your alternator's regulator will see an average of the two voltages and ramp up its charge rate to the level required by the two batteries. This will result in an higher than needed rate to your car's battery shortening it's life. It will also shorten the life of your now "undersized" alternator's regulator.
Reference: Managing 12 Volts by Harold Barre (2nd Edition)
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Lou & Freya the wonder dog
2008 GMC Sierra 3000HD Allison Duramax
2019 Flagstaff 8529FL
Lou is right, you need to upgrade the TV system to handle the TT load. Same as in boasts and other 12vdc power hogs. Also you must ensure the systems are balanced.
__________________ Brenda and John
'14 Ram 3500 MCSB 6.7L HO PullRite 16K S/G, Grey Columbus 320RS Camped '14 - 146 days/'15 - 196 days
USN-EOD(Ret), Master Chief, 30 yrs,
Master Blaster of the Navy
well i stand corrected, the trailer has all 7 pins connected, one heavy wire(red) leads to the battery, there is also an extra yellow wire from the 7pin, it ends in the electrical box under the a frame
on the van, neither terminals are hooked up to anything. im guessing the yellow wire could be used for a backup light or some other device for use on the road
im pretty sure the windstar alternator would not be suitable for charging the tt battery as well as running the vehicle except as a "top up/ maintainance" charger. the windstar trailer package from ford used the same alternator though, in fact the only difference between non towing and towing windstars was an auxiallary tranny cooler(which i added) and the trailer pigtail for lights and brakes(which i also added)
__________________
1998 Forest River 21rb
2003 Ford Windstar
2 bicycles and a 3 yr old husky
im pretty sure the windstar alternator would not be suitable for charging the tt battery as well as running the vehicle except as a "top up/ maintainance" charger. the windstar trailer package from ford used the same alternator though, in fact the only difference between non towing and towing windstars was an auxiallary tranny cooler(which i added) and the trailer pigtail for lights and brakes(which i also added)
If you have confirmed the same alternator was used in the Tow package with the parts department at your dealer; then all you need to do is talk (nicely) to your parts guy and ask him to pull up the wiring diagram for your windstar with and without the tow package to see what is missing between the two vehicles.
You have have all you need already; just not wired up and a pre-made pigtail way be available through your dealer.
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Lou & Freya the wonder dog
2008 GMC Sierra 3000HD Allison Duramax
2019 Flagstaff 8529FL
So do you just need to add a fuse in the under hood fuse box to make the power wire hot?
Without the tow package there may have been no preinstalled harness or socket. If the "stock" harness has the wire IN it. (the parts guy will know) there will be a taped off wire at each end for the charging line and no wires need to be run; just terminated and connected. A fuse in the correct spot would be needed too.
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Lou & Freya the wonder dog
2008 GMC Sierra 3000HD Allison Duramax
2019 Flagstaff 8529FL
yes the alternators are identical and a short lead(capped) is under the hood for running a lead to the 7pin at the back, there is no wire to the back of the van. the tow package from ford was dealer installed for the winstar and never installed on our van.
the dealer said to run a wire to the 7 pin, add a fuse at the battery and call it done
the ford trailer package harness has this wire in it and its 10 ga
now the yellow wire on the trailer 7 pin. what would that typically be used for? we dont need 12 v for the fridge( its a 2 way) but i can certainly see that a backup light would be handy(a big one!!) even if it just has a manual switch somewhere on the dashboard
__________________
1998 Forest River 21rb
2003 Ford Windstar
2 bicycles and a 3 yr old husky
now the yellow wire on the trailer 7 pin. what would that typically be used for? we dont need 12 v for the fridge( its a 2 way) but i can certainly see that a backup light would be handy(a big one!!) even if it just has a manual switch somewhere on the dashboard
The backup wire to your existing TV's tail lights are right there to tap off of. While you are adding wires to the bargman you can wire that as well.
Adding the wires to your camper's rear lights could be more problematic since you may not have backup lights in your camper's tail lights.
__________________
Lou & Freya the wonder dog
2008 GMC Sierra 3000HD Allison Duramax
2019 Flagstaff 8529FL
adding a suitable light and wire to the back of the trailer is easy, even a small led "driving or fog" light mounted on the bumper would do the job
i dont understand why backup lights arent on trailers really, especially decent ones. we do a lot of long distance travelling overnight.
most lights in vehicles these days are "cold side switched" hence those electronic adaptors for the stop, turn and running lights. i dont know if the backup lights are switched that way though, easy enough to find out
i now have the trailer battery charging off the vehicle as per the ford trailer package, it was easy, insert a fuse in a holder, run a wire to the back of the van etc etc. the guy at ford said it would take a long time to completely recharge a dead battery but great for "maintainence" and would not affect either the alternator or vehicle battery
__________________
1998 Forest River 21rb
2003 Ford Windstar
2 bicycles and a 3 yr old husky
i now have the trailer battery charging off the vehicle as per the ford trailer package, it was easy, insert a fuse in a holder, run a wire to the back of the van etc etc. the guy at ford said it would take a long time to completely recharge a dead battery but great for "maintenance" and would not affect either the alternator or vehicle battery
Great! Glad you got your issue solved.
Harold Barre's book is not the first reference to state that routinely charging low deep discharge batteries via the TV charging system will ultimately damage the TV's 12VDC system. Your mech is quite correct that the TV's system is much better suited to keeping a fully charged camper battery "topped off" due to the TV and camper battery voltage being very close to the same potential.
The complete explanation is on pages 64-78.
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Lou & Freya the wonder dog
2008 GMC Sierra 3000HD Allison Duramax
2019 Flagstaff 8529FL
Harold Barre's book is not the first reference to state that routinely charging low deep discharge batteries via the TV charging system will ultimately damage the TV's 12VDC system. Your mech is quite correct that the TV's system is much better suited to keeping a fully charged camper battery "topped off" due to the TV and camper battery voltage being very close to the same potential.
The complete explanation is on pages 64-78.
i'll have to find a copy of that book!!
we dont boondock much, just the occasional walmart type stop, other nights are plugged in
i just want to ensure there is always adequete power for the breakaway if someone leaves a light on or something else. i also assume the propane fridge uses a small amount of 12 volt power
a backup light is next, i can think of several times i needed one last year, we do our long distance travel at night. i have installed them on work type cubevans in the past, very useful even with a spotter
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1998 Forest River 21rb
2003 Ford Windstar
2 bicycles and a 3 yr old husky
Brenda and John
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