Tail Lights reactions

[Martin kim]

Hello alll,

I’ve become the owner of the used Trailmanor recently.
There are many things that I am very curious about TM. But I think below are priority of all.
Could anyone kindly answer to my questions? It would be highly appreciated.

1, when I step on the brake pedal, any lights don’t’ show any clue that I tried to stop or slow down on the road
( in case of car, when driver step on brake pedal to slow down, other drivers behind would notice my intention on the brake light)
Is this normal?

2, I am not sure there are misconnection or not but back up light is also stay silent when I shifted gear to return.
I want to know what normal feedback on the tail lights is when I try to drive backward.

FIY, I used to use Jayco model so 7 circuits is set for it.

Thank you in advance

Martin

[tentcamper]

yep they should work like you car (TV). Do the running lights come on when you turn on the lights? Do the turn signals work?

No lights? you have a problem. It could be with the wiring for the connector on the TV? Or, it could be on the camper? If none of the lights are working. I would think its a ground issue on the camper or the ground connection of the 7 pin connector.

FYI, The basic 7 pin connector installation is only wire for 4 pins. If your JACO did not have backup lights, your 7 pin connector most was not wired for backup lights. You will need to have that wire added. If you did not have a brake controller? you need to get one installed. If you did not have a battery charge wire? It might be a good time to add the battery charge wire?

[Martin kim]

Thanks a lot for your reply, yes turning signal and running light is working.

And I found that 7 pin circuits for Jayco is different from TM’s circuit pin arrangement.

Jayco’s circuits arrangement are, from 1 o’clock, Marker, Left turn, Ground, Brake control, Right turn, Brake light and backup light in the center.

As you might have noticed, not like TM, Brake control and Brake light is separated and 12V charge cable in in Jayco’s brake light position.

I think this caused problem but I don’t know why the back up light(which is in the same position with Jayco’s) is not working.

Could you figure out what would be the problem with the information above?

Any opinion will be highly appreciated.

Thank you

Martin

[Bill]

Martin -

Take a look at this diagram in my TM Tech Stuff album.
http://www.trailmanorowners.com/foru...&pictureid=442
You need to re-wire your tow vehicle's 7-pin connector to match this diagram.

The difference is that according to your description, the Jayco connector hookup has one pin dedicated to brake lights (both of them), and two other pins dedicated to left and right turn signal lights. My conclusion is that the Jayco has brake light bulbs that are separate from the turn-signal bulbs.

The TM's more standard setup does not have separate bulbs for these functions. Instead the left brake light is the same as the left turn-signal light, and the right brake light is the same as the right turn-signal light. In other words, on each side, STOP and TURN are the same bulb. This frees up a pin for the +12VDC feed (sometimes called AUX or AUX PWR) to the trailer.

To add to the confusion, each of these bulbs has a second filament inside. This second filament is used as a running light (aka marker light, aka parking light). This second filament is not related to the turn-stop function.

Bill

[tentcamper]

the issue you describe with separate bulbs for brake and turn signals on the TV is solved with the 3 to 2 wire adaptor.

The 7 pin connector which is the standard for trailers does not have a brake light wire. Not sure what jayco did or if someone custom wired your 7 pin connector and maybe the trailer. But i'm thinking they had use one of the other pins to make it work? They used either the Brake wire that actuate the electric brakes from the brake controller, the battery wire, or the Aux wire used for backup lights.

History of the issue: All cars use to have only three wires for the rear lights plus ground. The standard 4 pin connector with Running, L-turn, and R-turn and ground. Brakes used both L & R turn.

If turning or 4 ways while braking. Relay logic turns off that turn bulb at a flashing rate. Somewhere back in the 80's/90's the europeans developed a standard for independ turn signals and we started seeing the rear yellow turn signals. This required 4 wires plus ground (5 wire). US followed in the 90 and 2000's and most turn signals went back from yellow to red. But using 4 wires plus ground (5).

Trailers have stayed with the 3 wire plus ground (4 wire) for the lights. But the industry has made an adaptor for the transition from the 5 to 4 wire system. It's called the 3 to 2 wire adaptor, which references how many wires are used for turn and brake lights. I think you need to wire this on the TV 7 pin connector.

[Bill]

TentCamper -

Great follow-up! Thank you. I always wondered how the two "standards" got mixed.

Bill

[Martin kim]

I got excited by infirmation. I think I shold know about TM basic tech as owner and am getting to know little by little.

Thank you again.