Comment: Trailer Wiring Diagrams

Submitted: Saturday, Jun 22, 2013 at 21:40

ThreadID: 102894 Views:5370 Replies:7 FollowUps:12

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Trailer Wiring Diagrams

This is a basic reference article about trailer and caravan wiring; the plugs and sockets that are commonly in use in Australia, and the pin colour codes that are designed to coordinate proper

Nigel C3

Hi, Have just bought a caravan and have plugged in my car and all lights and electric brakes work perfectly but the 12volt interior lights of the caravan do not work when stationary .Have tested my car plug and of course have no positive feed off it with the car lights and engine turned off .How do I wire up my plug so that I can have 12v lights in caravan when we are stopped .My car plug is set to standard 7 pin plug wiring . The previous owner of caravan said they worked perfectly. Where shouild I pick up the power from and to what pin on the car plug should it be attached to .
Thnaks so much .
Regards NigelAdelaide

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Reply By: Member - PJR (NSW) - Saturday, Jun 22, 2013 at 22:43

Saturday, Jun 22, 2013 at 22:43

Go to the Articles section on the exploroz site and have a look at the wiring diagrams. There is a note about auxiliary circuits.

I also think that the previous owner was pulling you leg or has used non standard wiring.

Phil

AnswerID: 513611

Follow Up By: Bonz (Vic) - Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 at 08:40

Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 at 08:40

Hey Phil the problem seems to be in the vehicle plug wiring not the caravan plug, so the prev owner is probably correct mate.

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Follow Up By: Member - PJR (NSW) - Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 at 09:39

Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 at 09:39

Not necessarily so Bonz

If you look at the 7 pin wiring in the articles section of this site you will see that it does not have a 12V lead from the battery when the ignition is turned off.

Pin 1 - Yellow - Left-hand turn indicator
Pin 2 - Black - Reversing signal
Pin 3 - White - Earth return
Pin 4 - Green - Right-hand turn indicator
Pin 5 - Blue - Service brakes
Pin 6 - Red - Stop lamps
Pin 7 - Brown - Rear lamps, clearance and side marker lamps

Where is the 12V feed in this standard mate.

Phil

FollowupID: 792365

Follow Up By: Bonz (Vic) - Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 at 13:06

Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 at 13:06

yep theres different standards, the other owner may have the 12v feed in Pin 2 standard.

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Follow Up By: fisho64 - Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 at 13:31

Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 at 13:31

usually the reversing pin is used as not many trailers use this for anything else.
But it should be a 7 pin large to carry any reasonable current

FollowupID: 792383

Follow Up By: Member - PJR (NSW) - Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 at 13:52

Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 at 13:52

Just like here. Phil's standards and everyone else's, I always wanted to be different. No borg members here.

Phil

FollowupID: 792385

Reply By: Member - Ed C (QLD) - Saturday, Jun 22, 2013 at 23:10

Saturday, Jun 22, 2013 at 23:10

The No. 2 pin on the standard 7 pin plug/socket is designated for a reverse lamp signal..

Not many trailers/caravans have reverse lamps fitted, so many owners use this (No. 2) pin to run the aux. power feed to the van...

I suspect you'll find that your van has been wired thus...

Power can be run direct from the battery (appropriately fused of course), or if there's an aux. power outlet in the the vehicle's cargo area, you can take it from there.

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AnswerID: 513614

Follow Up By: Ross M - Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 at 00:36

Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 at 00:36

That pin 2 should connect with the black wire in the caravan if std wiring.

C'van maker probably has used the black in the plug.

In the wiring under the rear of the vehicle there may be a black wire just "hangin' around" ready for connecting the 12v power to it.

FollowupID: 792348

Follow Up By: Bonz (Vic) - Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 at 08:43

Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 at 08:43

Have you tried the caravan lights or tested with the vehicle in reverse? It may be correctly wired and all you have to do is slip the vehicle into reverse and voila Caravan Lights!!

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Follow Up By: Ross M - Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 at 10:46

Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 at 10:46

He might then be regarded as loopy if he is parked with the ignition on ,in reverse, all night.

He says the caravan works, his car might not, so he has to arrange the wire to it's 7 pin base no matter what else is suggested.

FollowupID: 792376

Follow Up By: Bonz (Vic) - Monday, Jun 24, 2013 at 18:01

Monday, Jun 24, 2013 at 18:01

Nah Ross, you see the reverse lights on the car provide perfect ambience lighting for around the van at night and have a magnificent chance of flattening the battery by the morning lol. Yep I meant try it and see, just for a check.

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Reply By: awill4x4 - Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 at 09:54

Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 at 09:54

Nigel, check your caravan doesn't have a switch (usually just by the door) that you have to move to change the lights over to 12V.
In our 03 Galaxy van it's just like a normal light switch (except ours is black) no 12V appliances including lights will work unless the switch is in the right position.
Regards Andrew.

AnswerID: 513628

Reply By: Nigel C3 - Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 at 14:56

Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 at 14:56

Hi Everyone
Thanks so much for all your replies . The solution seems to be use number two pin the black reverse for a 12 volt input as caravan is not fitted with reverse lights . Sure this is what had been done by the previous owner but he was very old so could not remember . Will take your advice and put a suitable fuse in the line .There were extra switches in the caravan and my wife thought they could have been the problem but as I had no continuous positive feed at my plug I was certain this was the problem .So pleased I joined the forum.
Regards Nigel

AnswerID: 513643

Reply By: Nigel C3 - Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 at 15:03

Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 at 15:03

Thanks Bonz , that is a good idea to check if they are working and realised you only meant it as temporarycheck as we would be silly doing it all night and may have flat battery in the morning
Nigel

AnswerID: 513644

Reply By: Nigel C3 - Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 at 19:00

Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 at 19:00

Followed all your instructions and my 12 volt lights work perfectly.
Nigel

AnswerID: 513666

Reply By: "crack-a-tinnie" - Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 at 19:16

Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 at 19:16

I had this same problem recently, the black "reverse" wire on the vehicle 7 pin plug connected to the pink auxiliaries wire in the plug on the van, so as Bonz stated, the interior lights in the van worked while the vehicle was in reverse.
As Ross M stated, there could be another wire under the rear of your vehicle. Check the wiring loom of the trailer plug of the vehicle. There should be a few wires not connected to anything, the pink wire in the loom is the auxiliaries wire. Disconnect the black wire & connect the pink wire. You should then have power to your van.
Well it worked for me :-) Hope this helps..

AnswerID: 513667

Follow Up By: Nigel C3 - Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 at 19:38

Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 at 19:38

Have got them working with a power wire from the battery with 15amp fuse wired into the black reverse wire but will take your advice and look for a pink wire in the loom as that would be neater
Nigel

FollowupID: 792410

Follow Up By: "crack-a-tinnie" - Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 at 18:20

Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 at 18:20

G'day Nigel C3,
just wandering how's your wiring job going & did you find the "pink auxiliaries wire"?

FollowupID: 792564

Follow Up By: Nigel C3 - Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 at 21:41

Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 at 21:41

Hi Crack a Tinnie .Had a good look and couldnt find any pink wire but have lights going well with the feed wire replacing the black reverse lights wire .My wife now starts talking about inverters but will put that aside for a while and use my jump start 1200amp that has a power take off for the 12v TV and can charge it up as we drive during the day through cigarette lighter in the car . Will keep an eye out for pink wire but think the car was originally wired just for a trailer .

FollowupID: 792580