cleaning contacts on 7-pin plug on trailer and 7-pin receiver connector on truck

[aircommuter]

Also in coastal fog environments. Having taken care of a fleet of trucks I have cleaned many.

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by aircommuter

Also in coastal fog environments. Having taken care of a fleet of trucks I have cleaned many.

In coastal climes it's not just the fog, add a heaping helping of salt too.

If anyone's ever owned a boat they've used in salt water they know full well how perpetual the battle with corrosion on electrical contacts/connections can be.

I personally have found this stuff to be great and use it not only on my 7-pin plug but every connection made on all 12v connections where there is the slightest possibility of moisture coming in contact (like ground connections to frame, etc. I even put a little inside crimp connectors on my #4 awg wire when I re-wired from batteries to converter/power panel.



Amazon has it and one tube will last a long time. It could even be handed down to future generations

https://www.amazon.com/NO-OX-ID-Tube...gateway&sr=8-1

Utilities will use this on exposed switch gear to keep corrosion from shutting down the lights.

[aircommuter]

That’s the same stuff I have bought in a 1/2 pint can for years. Goes pretty fast when you are 2/0, 4/0 and 350mcm connections. It is a must for those cu to al connections, many of the larger crimp connectors have it already inside.

[Dakota 1120]

Originally Posted by curteric

Dielectric grease, plug and play, never had an instance where things didn't work


.

BINGO!! Use Dielectric grease on the plug contacts and whenever replacing a battery (in anything, even flashlight) a lite coat on the contact points. Works great on light bulb contacts too.

[gw1800]

I use Deoxit D5. It's both a cleaner and protectant. Can also be used on switches and low current electronic connectors and controls.

This stuff will also remove the crud from leaky batteries in your flashlight, etc.
Plastic safe.

[imjustdave]

Originally Posted by Oaklevel

Oh my.................Well I guess I'm bad I have never in 40 years of owning trailers with 7 pin plugs cleaned a plug with anything................. I currently own three trailers with 7 pin plugs............. never had an issue with a plug because of it either ................


Dang something else I should have been doing

You never get dirt in them? Or do you never keep a trailer or truck long enough 2006 dodge had a crappy setup for the plug, and the trailer is long enough to hit the ground.

I view the thread as IF I need to clean it what are some good ideas and or bad ideas not a OMG need to add this to the list of things like oil changes. I'm on 13 years with my pickup and over the years have slopped in some dialectric in there. and hosed it out best I could, when needed.

[jflarin]

When I was brining back to life a general purpose trailer (as opposed to a RV) with a sandblaster for the steel structure and I saw the 7-pin trailer plug is a very bad state (beyond what a emery file can fix), I though, why not try it. Half a second sand-blast in the trailer plug and it was back to new, even in the deepest corners.

Of course I guess I should put back a coating to prevent corosion since the metal is all exposed now... But the contact are very clean now!

jf

[cl733]

Use the contact cleaner and then blow it out with a can of computer dust off or similar I clean mysnow plow like this and the contacts come up sparkling clean use a little dielectric grease as well to prevent

[aircommuter]

Originally Posted by cl733

Use the contact cleaner and then blow it out with a can of computer dust off or similar I clean mysnow plow like this and the contacts come up sparkling clean use a little dielectric grease as well to prevent

Why dielectric?

[cl733]

Its made to fight corrosion in electrical connections within plugs

[aircommuter]

Actually it is made for the rubber part of a connector like on spark plugs and since it resistant to the flow of electricity it won’t conduct to the boot rubber. Read back and you soon learn what to put on those contacts. Hope this helps.

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by imjustdave

You never get dirt in them? Or do you never keep a trailer or truck long enough 2006 dodge had a crappy setup for the plug, and the trailer is long enough to hit the ground.

I view the thread as IF I need to clean it what are some good ideas and or bad ideas not a OMG need to add this to the list of things like oil changes. I'm on 13 years with my pickup and over the years have slopped in some dialectric in there. and hosed it out best I could, when needed.

I think a lot of people overlook the fact that the TV receptacle has a little flap that does a fair job of keeping it dry and crud free but the Plug on the trailer pigtail spends a great part of it's life just hanging out in the weather. SOME people will take the time and trouble to protect it by putting it in a Zip Lock bag and securing it one the cable with rubber bands or "whatever".

I try to remember and put my plug up inside the Propane tank cover to keep it out of the weather but I often forget.

For those that do nothing, the occurrence of a problem is not a matter of "IF", just "WHEN". Who knows, maybe those who've never had a problem trade their TT's in frequent enough that they get a new plug before the old one has built up enough corrosion, etc. Same with their Tow Vehicles.

Me? I try to maintain all these things so I can get max life out of my equipment. TV is 15 years old and the Trailer I sold when I bough my 2018 was 22 years old. A lot of years of good use after the last payment was made on both.

[aircommuter]

No propane tank cover then make do like this.