7 pin Trailer Charge and Reverse - Dutchmen Owners
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Old 03-30-2014, 03:58 AM   #1
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7 pin Trailer Charge and Reverse

I have to wire up my Expedition from 4 to 7 and I'm wondering about the charge line and the reverse line. Does anyone use these? It's a long run from the relay up front to the trailer battery. Not sure 10 awg will get any charge to the battery. Also my TT does not have clear reverse lights. Guess I could buy a set of cheap driving lights.
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Old 03-30-2014, 12:49 PM   #2
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The charge line will keep power to the trailer while the tow vehicle is running. Not only charging the battery, but power to the refrigerator. Not sure what else would be drawing power while towing. I find it useful, especially if we stop on a rest stop and want to run the furnace at night. I know that when I shut the truck down, the trailer battery is charged and will run the furnace for the night.

As far as the reverse line, unless you have reverse lights, or tow a trailer that needs the reverse signal to release the brakes when backing, I wouldn't worry about that. My buddies large boat trailer needs the reverse circuit. None of my RVs have used it.

You are correct, for the long run of the charge/hot wire from under the hood, you want a heavy gauge wire to carry as much power without losses. I used a heavy duty self resetting breaker, not a relay when I wired my Explorer from 4 pin to a full setup. Fortunately, my F250 can factory wired for towing, including a connector for the brake controller harness.
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Old 07-16-2014, 04:36 AM   #3
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Reverse line is sometimes used to power a 12V camera so you can see a monitor when backing up. Several types available.
Charge power - hmm. I like the idea of trailer battery being charged while driving, but I unplug it when stopped. Whether on shore power or just 12V, I don't want my "get out of here" vehicle to have a dead battery because I used the camper lights too much. If that's not paranoid enough, I also carry a battery-fed jump-starter!
As to your original thoughts, 10 ga ought to be right. It'll do the job, especially if the trailer battery/ies are not drained too bad.
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Old 07-16-2014, 06:46 AM   #4
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My camper has backup lights, so I have use the reverse wire.

Your charge wire is going to charge your batteries fresh as your towing. Assuming that you wire it correctly, once you shut down your TV the flow of power stops. In other words each system is isolated and nothing flows from TV to camper or reverse.
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