Trailer Battery Charging on '18 Lariat
10-12-2018, 04:19 PM
#11
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Already answered in post #1. I know I need a new battery. I didn't know that until I needed to move my trailer at the end of the season.
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GossipIsBad (10-13-2018)
10-13-2018, 10:40 AM
#12
10-19-2018, 08:06 PM
#13
To support our old trailer with a 12V refrigerator heating element I added my own 10 ga charge line, relay and fuses from the truck battery and rewired the trailer to use the additional plug. I no longer use it as our new trailer only has a 2-way fridge and the truck 7-pin aux is adequate to keep everything running and battery topped off.
10-20-2018, 08:08 AM
#14
Senior Member
Anything that runs through the 12 volt system drains your battery. Few people suspect the carbon monoxide detector or clock on the radio/cd player.
10-21-2018, 04:29 AM
#15
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my old trailer had a switch on it. my newer doesn't. apparently Dometic cheaped out on a 50 cent rocker switch, to save money.
Last edited by bikendan; 10-21-2018 at 04:42 AM.
10-21-2018, 08:52 AM
#16
Is there a thread on modifying the power feed on the 7 pin? Crazy to have to hack into that or run a separate power feed. Also, will running a separate feed, or modifying the the stock one somehow trip up the trailer module?
10-21-2018, 04:31 PM
#17
The truck detects the trailer via the brake circuit so adding a separate aux line will have no effect on the smart trailer stuff.
What I did with mine was run a wire from the battery to a circuit breaker I mounted to the battery box. From there I ran a wire to a relay mounted on the firewall between the engine and fuse box. from the relay I ran across the firewall and followed an existing wiring harness under the drivers side seat and along the frame to the back. For the relay coil I ran a ground from the existing frame ground near the battery. The hot came from a piggyback fuse holder from a switched fuse. To get the wire out of the box I filed a channel in the fuse box cover. I don't remember which fuse I used. I just went into my owners manual to find a good candidate and verified it was switched with a voltmeter. I've disconnected some of it but I will see if I can restore it and get some pictures of the engine compartment. It might take several, maybe a few more than that, days as I am painting my house and have limited time to use the man lift before I have to return it. Why no ladders you ask? Some areas can't be reached safely with a ladder and the wisdom of my years says dragging paint cans and brushes across a 12 12 and 15 12 roofs isn't worth the risk of a 40 - 50 ft fall. Not to mention I just had the house re-shingled and the last thing I need is paint spilled on the new shingles which the wife would not be happy with at all.
10-21-2018, 05:16 PM
#18
I haven't seen a thread on modifying the aux line. I decided to run a separate line as not only is the factory wire too small but the backside connector is a lower current size as well. By splicing into the factory stuff I would still have had undersized components somewhat defeating the whole reason for adding a new line.
The truck detects the trailer via the brake circuit so adding a separate aux line will have no effect on the smart trailer stuff.
What I did with mine was run a wire from the battery to a circuit breaker I mounted to the battery box. From there I ran a wire to a relay mounted on the firewall between the engine and fuse box. from the relay I ran across the firewall and followed an existing wiring harness under the drivers side seat and along the frame to the back. For the relay coil I ran a ground from the existing frame ground near the battery. The hot came from a piggyback fuse holder from a switched fuse. To get the wire out of the box I filed a channel in the fuse box cover. I don't remember which fuse I used. I just went into my owners manual to find a good candidate and verified it was switched with a voltmeter. I've disconnected some of it but I will see if I can restore it and get some pictures of the engine compartment. It might take several, maybe a few more than that, days as I am painting my house and have limited time to use the man lift before I have to return it. Why no ladders you ask? Some areas can't be reached safely with a ladder and the wisdom of my years says dragging paint cans and brushes across a 12 12 and 15 12 roofs isn't worth the risk of a 40 - 50 ft fall. Not to mention I just had the house re-shingled and the last thing I need is paint spilled on the new shingles which the wife would not be happy with at all.
The truck detects the trailer via the brake circuit so adding a separate aux line will have no effect on the smart trailer stuff.
What I did with mine was run a wire from the battery to a circuit breaker I mounted to the battery box. From there I ran a wire to a relay mounted on the firewall between the engine and fuse box. from the relay I ran across the firewall and followed an existing wiring harness under the drivers side seat and along the frame to the back. For the relay coil I ran a ground from the existing frame ground near the battery. The hot came from a piggyback fuse holder from a switched fuse. To get the wire out of the box I filed a channel in the fuse box cover. I don't remember which fuse I used. I just went into my owners manual to find a good candidate and verified it was switched with a voltmeter. I've disconnected some of it but I will see if I can restore it and get some pictures of the engine compartment. It might take several, maybe a few more than that, days as I am painting my house and have limited time to use the man lift before I have to return it. Why no ladders you ask? Some areas can't be reached safely with a ladder and the wisdom of my years says dragging paint cans and brushes across a 12 12 and 15 12 roofs isn't worth the risk of a 40 - 50 ft fall. Not to mention I just had the house re-shingled and the last thing I need is paint spilled on the new shingles which the wife would not be happy with at all.
I am going to put a fifth wheel setup on my 150 (assuming they ever diagnose and fix it, 1300 miles on it, another story), and put a seperate 7 pin connector on the box. Then my plan is to run a power wire down to it the same way you did, and using the original power feed to energize the relay. That way I don’t have to cut into any ford harness. The remote 7 pin extension plugs into the original and replaces it. I want to put 400+ amp-hour lithium batteries in the coach, would be nice to charge them going down the road. I may have to devise a current lmiting setup, or program the coach charger to keep it below 20 amps with that input charge.
10-22-2018, 06:21 PM
#19
Well, Careful with the house. I fly ems for a living and I’ve had my share of folks falling off the roof.
I am going to put a fifth wheel setup on my 150 (assuming they ever diagnose and fix it, 1300 miles on it, another story), and put a seperate 7 pin connector on the box. Then my plan is to run a power wire down to it the same way you did, and using the original power feed to energize the relay. That way I don’t have to cut into any ford harness. The remote 7 pin extension plugs into the original and replaces it. I want to put 400+ amp-hour lithium batteries in the coach, would be nice to charge them going down the road. I may have to devise a current lmiting setup, or program the coach charger to keep it below 20 amps with that input charge.
That's sounds like it should work for the wiring. As long as the truck recognizes the trailer the aux line should see power. Driving a relay coil is within its capability.
10-22-2018, 08:38 PM
#20
This really stinks. So clarify for me please, If I go to a campground with no power and my camper battery gets low, the days of idling the truck to recharge the battery are over? If yes, does my 110 outlet carry enough volts to take a 110 volts charger and hook the leads directly to the camper battery? 2016 F150.