Have encountered a problem with replacing the plug on our Jayco Sterling.
The normal trailer wires are OK - yellow/left, green/right, blue/brakes, red/stop, and brown/rear and side and have been connected to the top half of the 12-pin plug.
However, the van wiring harness has TWO white and TWO black wires that I am unable to find a home for on the new plug. One white would obviously be the earth for the trailer lights and go into pin 3.
But how do I determine which white wire services the trailer lights? Presume try it and see which one works?
And what do the two black wires - positive - provide power to? The second white wire apparently serves as negative for one or both of the black wires.
The guide on the plug packet gives the colours for pins 8 to 12 as range/battery charger, 9-pink/auxiliary battery, 10-white/earth, 11-grey/rear fog light(?), 12-violet/auxiliary. No mention is made of black wires!
So, which pins would the two black wires be connected to in the bottom half ot the plug? (White would go into pin 10.)
Another problem is that the white and black wires are very thick and cannot be inserted into the rear of the pins. I may have to cut half of the internal wires in order to fit the wires into the 'holes,' not good electrically if the wires are meant to carry a heavy current.
The plug was bought from REPCO so is assumed to meet Australian standards - although the colours and functions of pins 8 to 12 appear to be for American trailers/vans.
Appreciate assistance so I can get back on the road again.
(I hit a deep hole north of Braidwood causing the plug to fall out and drag along the ground then torn off. First time that has happened in 56,995-kilometres! Son in law said that he always zip ties the plug on when towing - does anybody else do that?)
Murray
Edit: PS added
PS: Don't know how the emjois came to replace the 'o' in word orange!
-- Edited by Long Weekend on Sunday 18th of June 2023 07:32:12 PM
However, that site doesn't help. Only two colours are mentioned - a pink wire connected to pin 9 for the fridge and a white of course going to pin 10 for earth. There is no mention of two black wires.
By the way, the wiring details on the back of the pack state that pins 1 to 7 are rated to 15Amps, while pins 8 to 12 are rated to 35Amps. That would explain why the two black wires and one of the white wires are thick (the other one can be downgraded by thinning out for pin 3.
So I am still stuck with what to do with two black wires.
In the diag Pin2 black goes to the caravan Battery, instead move that black to one of the vacant pins (in normal 7 pin plugs pin 2 is reverse lights). My Jayco also has the 2 black which is the Pink.
I replaced the the black and white wiring feed to the 12 pin plug in the tow vehicle with 6B&S wire to an Anderson Plug, the Anderson plug on the Caravan has a pair of 8B&S wire one to the battery and the other to the fridge.
-- Edited by Gundog on Sunday 18th of June 2023 09:55:11 PM
Just to add to my original post, the packet lists a black wire going to pin 2 and providing power to a 'reverse signal.' That would presume to be a beeper that would normally only require power similar to a light bulb so would just require a thin wire. The two black wires are very thick so it is unlikely that one of them would be for a beeper.
I bought the van in December 2017 and in the six years I have never heard - nor did anybody comment on - hearing a beeper so I guess I can rule that out.
On that note, does anyone have a reversing beeper fitted to their van? Or heard of anyone else that has one?
Thanks Gundog - your post came through while I was typing my last so they 'crossed over.'
Having a wire going to the van battery makes more sense than going to a reversing 'signal,' although I would I think that a reversing 'signal' would be different to a reversing 'light.'
Perhaps one black could pretend to be orange to pin 8 - battery charger. Pink to pin 9 on the chart on the back of the packet is shown for the auxiliary battery which would agree with what you have.
Maybe I'll have to crawl under the van and try to follow the wires through. While not sure of the battery charger, the pink/black to the auxiliary battery makes sense. (Would the auxilliary battery be the one that is intended to apply the brakes in the event of a breakaway?)
Tomorrow I'll check the Ranger's manual - that might have details of the socket wiring that could help.
It is worrying that both black wires are very thick so obviously intended to carry heavy current. That makes me a bit wary to making sure they are connected correctly.
range/battery charger, 9-pink/auxiliary battery, 10-white/earth, 11-grey/rear fog light(?), 12-violet/auxiliary. No mention is made of black wires!
