silverstreakgrl
Wild Wet West
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Joined: 08/20/2008
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Hi, I am new to travel trailers and am having trouble figuring out where to start with all I need to learn. I just bought a 1983 Silver Streak trailer that's in pretty good condition for its age.
The 7-way connector on it is not compatible with what's on the tow vehicle, so I bought a new plug for it that will connect. But I've never done any electrical work in my life! I know that I should disconnect the negative terminal of the battery before starting work, and I have a schematic of how the wiring should go.
I don't know how I should remove the old plug. Do I just cut it off? The replacement has a screw to tighten but the old one doesn't and I'm afraid I'll mess it up if I take it off wrong. Sorry I don't have a picture.
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parametric
Kamloops, BC. Canada
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Joined: 03/08/2008
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Try this Connector diagram
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silverstreakgrl
Wild Wet West
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Joined: 08/20/2008
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Thanks very much for your fast response. I don't need a connector diagram, though. I need to know how to remove the original connector plug.
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MattyL
Pennsyltuckey
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Joined: 04/22/2006
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are you putting a 7-way rv plug on both the TT and TV? if so is your TV already wired for the 7-way. hopefully it is, its one less thing to deal with. as far as putting the new plug on it, just cut it. there should be 7 wires in there of various colors. your new plug end will, or should be, coded where each color goes.its pretty easy.
be careful of that diagram that was posted earlier. it very well may be accurate, but i used it just a week ago to re-do mine. the plug on my chevy truck was saying something different than it should have. so i changed all the wires around to fit the truck, and all that did was make my horn go off when i hit the flashers....ok not really but i did blow a fuse or two, pulled some hair out and just went back to what the plug end said. and that was correct. just be sure to cut the plug as close as possible to be sure you have enough wire left to accomadate turns.. i actually have to unplug my TT now whenbacking into a spot. good luck. post back if ya have any problems
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YC 1
Yuba City Calif.
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Joined: 01/11/2005
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You may come up short connections if the tow vehicle has fewer pins than 7. You may find the tow vehicle was not set up for brakes or a charge line. If you need those on the TT you should change the tow vehicle to match.
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silverstreakgrl
Wild Wet West
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Joined: 08/20/2008
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MattyL wrote:are you putting a 7-way rv plug on both the TT and TV?
No, the TV has a 7-way plug already.
Quote:be careful of that diagram that was posted earlier. it very well may be accurate, but i used it just a week ago to re-do mine. the plug on my chevy truck was saying something different than it should have. so i changed all the wires around to fit the truck, and all that did was make my horn go off when i hit the flashers....ok not really but i did blow a fuse or two, pulled some hair out and just went back to what the plug end said. and that was correct.
Thanks! I have looked at many diagrams, and they all seem to show something slightly different from the others. I looked at the plug end, and will go with that for my first try. With any luck the rain will hold off long enough for that to happen today.
Quote:just be sure to cut the plug as close as possible to be sure you have enough wire left to accomadate turns.. i actually have to unplug my TT now whenbacking into a spot. good luck. post back if ya have any problems
Yikes! I'll do my best ... doesn't sound like the best job for me to start with, but it needs to be done if the trailer is going to move!
Thanks very much for your excellent help.
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sweethome alabama
Scottsboro, Alabama
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Joined: 08/07/2004
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Just cut it off and take a knife and cut back the outer insulation of the cord. try not to cut back no more than you have to were the outer insulation will go into the plug when finished. Just enough to keep your individual wires short to install into the plug.When done shouldn't see any of the inner wires when the plug is put back together. mike
04 suburban 1500
00 silverado 1500
05 jayco 27bh
Couldn't get rig to post,so here is my burgler alarm!!
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johntank
Oxford, Ms 38655 USA
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Joined: 06/17/2003
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To replace the plug of the trailer one of the first things is to know what wire is what on the trailer; tail/running, stop/turn left & right, brake, 12V, and ground the center pin is not normally used (on my Dodge it is for back-up lights don't know how GM or Ford lable theirs).
As far as your schematic goes just make sure that you use the one for the trailer end and wire accordingly.
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pete42
Jamestown, Ohio
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Joined: 09/21/2007
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johntank wrote:To replace the plug of the trailer one of the first things is to know what wire is what on the trailer; tail/running, stop/turn left & right, brake, 12V, and ground the center pin is not normally used (on my Dodge it is for back-up lights don't know how GM or Ford lable theirs).
As far as your schematic goes just make sure that you use the one for the trailer end and wire accordingly.
All plugs GM, FORD, DODGE, whatever should be the same.
otherwise how would a trailer manufacture know what type of
vehicle the new owner would own?
Now old trailers may not be wired same as new ones.
different colored wires ect.
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silverstreakgrl
Wild Wet West
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pete42 wrote:All plugs GM, FORD, DODGE, whatever should be the same.
otherwise how would a trailer manufacture know what type of
vehicle the new owner would own?
Now old trailers may not be wired same as new ones.
different colored wires ect.
Well, here's my story. I got the original plug off with no problem. The inside of the Reese replacement plug had labels for where the various colored wires should be connected, and I followed that. It mostly lined up with the schematic I had copied from a diagram online.
I don't have the paper with me now, but the color details don't matter. What matters is that I had no lights on the right side of the trailer, and I think absolutely no backup lights. (My assistant for the testing was my easily distracted young son.) I got left turn signal indicators going whether I turned the blinker to the left or the right in the tow vehicle.
My TV is a Ford, and I recall in my searches for information seeing that they change how they do their wiring from time to time. I don't know whether that's the source of my difficulty, or whether the trailer was wired by someone hitting the sauce a little before 5 p.m. on a Friday.  I have a multimeter, but I need a length of wire long enough to test the rear lights with the wiring up front.
I also discovered that, even though I cut the cable as flush with the original plug as I could, I had to nearly run the TV's back bumper into the hitch in order to connect the two vehicles to test my work. (The previous owner had apparently used an adaptor cable, so length wasn't an issue for him.)
So at this point, I'm planning to test my wires and match colors to functions, and go back to the store to get a long 7-way connector with enough cable to safely connect the vehicles.
That might seem like a failure to some of you experts, but I am actually quite pleased with myself. I did electrical work without shocking myself, and I did it correctly -- in that some of the lights worked as supposed to and my work looked like what was described above (no loose wires hanging out). I also took the opportunity to check and clean my battery terminals and cables. Now that I know what I'm doing a little better, I think the real repair should go much more smoothly.
Thanks again for all your help! 
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