No power to 7-pin plug

vanovafan · 09-26-2019, 06:51 PM

I just bought a new Minnie Winnie 22M. Just assumed all I had to do was hook up a trailer and the outlet would at least provide power for lights. Figured I would have to work out how to put a Brake controller in the system one day. However, only one pin in the outlet has power and it's constant power. I can turn lights on and no other pins power up. Any Ideas what the issue is? All 7 pins on the connector have wires running to them.

Bill

BobC · 09-26-2019, 07:10 PM

If it's new, let the dealer take care of it under warranty, that's what warranties are for. Chasing down electrical issues like this can not only be time consuming but can require disassembly of your tail lights, etc. In doing so, you run the risk of causing additional damage.

powercat_ras · 09-26-2019, 07:16 PM

Check your operator's guide that came with your Minnie Winnie 22M. I'm pretty sure that it should have worked right out of the gate without you having to add any fuses or anything. You may have an item in your bag that the operator's guide and other manuals are in that is a small harness you can add under the dash if you want to install a electric trailer brake controller.
The active pins right out of the gate are:

- Always on B+ , on my Vista it is protected for 20 amps max
- Left Turn / Brake (Stop) light output: flash for turn / solid for brake
- Right Turn / Brake (Stop) light output: flash for turn / solid for brake
- Running Lights output
- Backup Lights output
- Ground return, all current flowing into your trailer needs to flow back thru this wire.

You can not do ground return current thru the hitch receiver to the chassis, not enough metal on metal connection due to paint at first and rust as everything ages.

- The electric brake output pin will be dead unless you install a trailer brake controller and wire it up under the dash

I'm 98% sure that the Winnebago diagram I have posted below is a front view of the connector, you can confirm by measuring from * to - socket pins with your ignition key in the run position.

vanovafan · 09-26-2019, 07:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BobC

If it's new, let the dealer take care of it under warranty, that's what warranties are for. Chasing down electrical issues like this can not only be time consuming but can require disassembly of your tail lights, etc. In doing so, you run the risk of causing additional damage.

thanks Bob, I'm kind of fix it myself type guy. I like understanding how it works too and I like the process of figuring things out. And the distance to the nearest dealer is a real pain. but thanks again for the advice. Might end up taking it there eventually.

Bill

vanovafan · 09-26-2019, 07:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by powercat_ras

Check your operator's guide that came with your Minnie Winnie 22M. I'm pretty sure that it should have worked right out of the gate without you having to add any fuses or anything. You may have an item in your bag that the operator's guide and other manuals are in that is a small harness you can add under the dash if you want to install a electric trailer brake controller.
The active pins right out of the gate are:

- Always on B+ , on my Vista it is protected for 20 amps max
- Left Turn / Brake (Stop) light output: flash for turn / solid for brake
- Right Turn / Brake (Stop) light output: flash for turn / solid for brake
- Running Lights output
- Backup Lights output
- Ground return, all current flowing into your trailer needs to flow back thru this wire.

You can not do ground return current thru the hitch receiver to the chassis, not enough metal on metal connection due to paint at first and rust as everything ages.

- The electric brake output pin will be dead unless you install a trailer brake controller and wire it up under the dash

I'm 98% sure that the Winnebago diagram I have posted below is a front view of the connector, you can confirm by measuring from * to - socket pins with your ignition key in the run position.

Thanks for the reply Randy. So you are thinking that there should be a loose brake controller wire behind the dash somewhere. Obviously the wire from the trailer plug on that terminal goes somewhere. As far as the other 6 wires, at least a few of them seem to be spliced into the factory trailer harness connector. So it seems to be the factory harness that is not getting powered. I'm pretty sure I saw in the manual somewhere that there was a setting in the dash board menu that allowed you to control a "trailer Setting". I have an E-450 and seems to have the simplest of dashes Ford could have possibly provided. I don't see any "trailer" settings in the menu.

Bill

powercat_ras · 09-26-2019, 07:53 PM

It's easy to check just get a $ 20 meter set it on the 20 Volts DC range and poke the red probe in the * hole and the black probe in the - hole on the 7 pin connector with the key on. Operate the right turn signal and move the red probe to the RH hole. And so on.

If it's ready to go you'll read between 12 and 14 volts.

That said if you are trying to pull a trailer you'll need to take it some where to purchase and install the electric trailer brake controller anyway, it sounds like you'd be in way in over your head to do it yourself.

vanovafan · 09-26-2019, 07:58 PM

I'm one those type of guys that installs things like brake controllers myself. and If I don't know how to do it, I get on a forum like this to get sent in the right direction. I'll figure this one out. Was just hoping someone had the same issue at some point with a new RV. I mean even if I take it to the dealer, someone has to figure out what the deal is. I just would rather figure it out myself. Have any of you guys contacted Winnebago about these type of issues? Do they answer the phone? Or do you get put on hold and grow old?

Bill

powercat_ras · 09-26-2019, 08:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vanovafan

Thanks for the reply Randy. So you are thinking that there should be a loose brake controller wire behind the dash somewhere. Obviously the wire from the trailer plug on that terminal goes somewhere. As far as the other 6 wires, at least a few of them seem to be spliced into the factory trailer harness connector. So it seems to be the factory harness that is not getting powered. I'm pretty sure I saw in the manual somewhere that there was a setting in the dash board menu that allowed you to control a "trailer Setting". I have an E-450 and seems to have the simplest of dashes Ford could have possibly provided. I don't see any "trailer" settings in the menu.

Bill

What came with my Winnebago was plastic bag inside was a short pig tail with a connector on one end and color coded wire ends on the other. Those color coded wire ends get spliced into a electric trailer brake controller. It's part of the Ford chassis stuff and it's nice - you don't have to tap any wires and you already get a dedicated fuse based power source sized for the trailer brake controller coming from a Ford chassis fuse. It's power is fed from an run position fuse so you don't have to worry about battery drain with key not in run position. The wire feeding the controller brake output to the 7-Pin connector is already present and ready to go.

The connector mates with a Ford connector in the Ford chassis wiring harness somewhere under the driver's side dash. Sorry I never needed to use it so I have never found and read the instructions on where the connector hooks up and what the color codes are.

Believe this is standard part of the Ford E-350, E-450, and F53 chassis wiring.

vanovafan · 09-26-2019, 08:18 PM

Thanks Randy, Ford actually makes a factory brake controller that pops right in the panel area where the Jump Switch is. But then you have to relocate the Jump Switch over to a new location. I have the Ford Switch but haven't got it to work because of the other issue I am having. I may just end up using a REDARC unit. REDARC sells a adapter harness too that plugs right into the gray factory brake plug behind the dash. I like how they look and work. I will report back once I figure out whats going on. Possibly what I figure out can help other guys who are having the same issues.

Bill

Jim_HiTek · 09-26-2019, 10:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vanovafan

I'm one those type of guys that installs things like brake controllers myself. and If I don't know how to do it, I get on a forum like this to get sent in the right direction. I'll figure this one out. Was just hoping someone had the same issue at some point with a new RV. I mean even if I take it to the dealer, someone has to figure out what the deal is. I just would rather figure it out myself. Have any of you guys contacted Winnebago about these type of issues? Do they answer the phone? Or do you get put on hold and grow old?

Bill

Winnie service answers the phone and is very helpful. But you might not need to call them. Because you can get a drawing of your chassis wiring system at there web site. That's where I'd start. To find out what the original wiring was suppose to be. Factory wiring issues aren't uncommon.

In my case, there never was a factory 12 volt supply to the 7-Blade. I added that. The running lights would be on all the time the RV's key is on, but the turn signals and brake lights wouldn't.

Here's the 7-blade wiring I did following Winnie's schematic. As I said, I added the 12 volt and heavy ground wires.

vanovafan · 09-27-2019, 06:38 AM

Boy, do I feel like a major DoDo. Jeez, I all had to do is to turn the key on. Obviously I came to the right place. I just assumed all the lights would work without the key on. Wrong assumption. Forgot about the relay the controls the trailer harness. Thanks for all your help. Jim HiTek, thank you for the harness diagram. Very helpful.

BobC · 09-27-2019, 09:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vanovafan

Boy, do I feel like a major DoDo. Jeez, I all had to do is to turn the key on. Obviously I came to the right place. I just assumed all the lights would work without the key on. Wrong assumption. Forgot about the relay the controls the trailer harness. Thanks for all your help. Jim HiTek, thank you for the harness diagram. Very helpful.

Now you can be the expert that helps the next Winnieowner with a similar problem. This is how Winneowners works. Welcome to the "tech team".

Also, if you set up a signature like I and others have, with the key info on your rig, you won't have to specify it each time you post. You do this via the user control panel (CP).

PS: I used to live in North Springfield, on Heming Ave near Lake Accotink (Annandale HS class of 1964) when my Air Force father was stationed at the Pentagon.

Jim_HiTek · 09-27-2019, 11:29 AM

Finally got my more professional looking schematic drawn up:

BobC · 09-27-2019, 01:01 PM

Jim-
What software do you use for your drawings or what do you recommend as a starter app (Mac OS)? Although I'm pretty computer savvy and have somewhat of an engineering background, I never really got myself up to speed with CAD.

Jim_HiTek · 09-27-2019, 01:36 PM

Right now I'm using KiCAD for Linux. But I also have several other programs. OrCAD is the most expensive one I have and I just recently set it up to run on Ubuntu. The schemat above was done using KiCAD.

For years I kept a Win7 machine on hand just to run my CAD programs. Now with 'Wine' (a VM that will run exe software on a Linux OS), I can run them all on Ubuntu. Spent many years using OrCAD so I'm kind of biased but found that KiCAD is just as capable. There are so many free CAD programs now days, there's no reason to pay for any of them unless you're working in an Enterprise group.

KiCAD was written by and for the people working on the CERN Nuclear Collider. As FOSS.

Here's a link to the KiCAD free download for Mac OS...KiCAD for Mac

vanovafan · 10-03-2019, 06:15 PM

Guys, thanks for all the help. I bought a REDARC Pro Elite brake controller along with a REDARC adapter harness. Mounted the control box under dash, plugged it all up, mounted the control button in the plate next to the Batter Jump switch. It worked like a charm. Controls the trailer brakes absolutely perfectly. thanks for all the help.

Bill