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gorilla tape

How to Replace a 7-Way Flat Pin Socket Connector on Your Tow Vehicle

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How to Replace a 7-Way Flat Pin Socket Connector on Your Tow Vehicle

On our last trip, the plastic flap covering our tow vehicle’s 7-way hitch socket connector broke.  This doesn’t seem like a big deal, but without the flap, the trailer cable won’t stay in the socket since it relies on the flap’s flange to keep it in place while driving.  While we were descending a steep hill on our final leg home, our 2020 Volvo XC40’s brakes began to pump.  We had never heard this noise before, and then at about the same time an orange warning light lit up indicating a failure with the trailer cable connection.  We pulled over and found that our Scamp 13’s cable had pulled out.  This would explain the noise of the Volvo’s brakes working hard, since our Scamp’s brakes were disconnected.  The trailer cable is essential for the operation of the trailer’s brake and safety light system,  powering the trailer’s turn signal lights, brake lights, hazard lights, running lights, and also activating the trailer’s brakes. When the connector broke, all of these critical features no longer worked.  Fortunately, we had some zip ties which we used for a temporary fix to get us home.

I called Volvo when we returned home and was told that the connector is molded into the entire Volvo wiring harness and they don’t sell just a replacement flap.  They said the only way to fix it with Volvo parts is to replace the entire wiring harness, and the harness cost would be $167 plus labor!  This seemed to be a very high cost for just a broken plastic flap replacement.  Our 2020 Volvo XC40 has been a reliable workhorse for us, and I wanted to find a simple inexpensive solution to fix the broken flap.  Since we sometimes do off road boondocking, we wouldn’t want to have to replace the entire wiring harness any time the little plastic flap breaks.  Fortunately, I was able to find another solution at a fraction of the cost.  This inexpensive 7-way socket and mini harness currently sells for around $17 on Amazon.  I was easily able to replace the broken Volvo 7-way socket connector with this new connector by joining this new mini harness to the existing Volvo wiring harness.

This new 7-way flat pin socket connector should work with most tow vehicles as long as the wiring colors/pin locations are the same as the existing vehicle’s wiring harness colors/pin locations.  To make sure everything works well, the first thing to do is test the continuity of each of the new connector’s 7 wires (with a continuity tester) to verify that the wiring and pin locations are identical by color to the tow vehicle wiring.  If each of the wire colors is continuous with the same pin locations on the new connectors as the tow vehicle’s 7-way socket connector, everything should work great.   I noticed on our Volvo, the center pin wire on the Volvo wiring harness is purple, but the center pin wire on the new connector harness is red.  So, I just had to connect the purple wire to the red wire so the Volvo continues to send the correct signal to the center pin of the new 7-way socket connector.  All the other wire colors/pin locations on our Volvo’s old connector did correspond to the new connectors’ wire colors/pin locations.

Once confirming wire colors and pin locations are matched, I verified that our Scamp cable plugs securely into the new 7-way socket connector.  I then clipped the wires from the existing Volvo 7-way socket connector, unbolted it and removed it from its mount.   Once removed, I also verified its wire colors and pin locations with a continuity tester.  I then attached the new 7-way socket and mini harness to the Volvo’s existing wiring harness, making sure to pull the new mini harness through the mounting hole before making the connections.  I stripped each wire and then used the provided preinstalled butt connectors to join each of the wires (by color, except for the purple/red combination).  For the white wire, I used a WAGO connector to connect the two white wires since the white wire on the original harness is already grounded (I just clipped the circular grounding connector from the white wire on the new mini harness and joined it to the white wire on the Volvo wiring harness).  After the wires were all connected, I mounted the new connector with the existing bolts and tucked the wiring harness up behind the bumper (and used Gorilla tape to help keep it in place).

To test the system, I connected the Scamp’s trailer cable to the tow vehicle and ran the Volvo’s automated trailer lights check.  I observed all lights working properly.  The key to doing this installation successfully is to make sure to correctly match each of the wires to the proper flat pin locations.

Project Supplies and Tools:

  1. Anto 7 Way Trailer Plug: https://amzn.to/3xXw11z
  2. WAGO 221 Connectors: https://amzn.to/3Nn2Hr8
  3. Wire stripper:   https://amzn.to/3M6CyME
  4. Continuity Test: https://amzn.to/39T82J7
  5. Gorilla Tape:  https://amzn.to/3Nh6y9a

Disclaimer:  You will get the same great Amazon price by clicking on the links here compared to buying directly on Amazon, but by buying here you will also be supporting the continuation of this website as we get a small commission from each sale.  These are products and procedures we use for our own Scamp that we selected and developed from our own research and experiences.  However, we do not endorse any specific product and cannot guarantee that the products we use are exemplary and the procedures we use are complete, accurate, detail the correct recommended procedures, or apply to your model small travel trailer.  It’s always best to double check with your manufacturer or operation manuals to ensure you are doing everything correctly. 

How to Stop Your MaxxFan From Beeping & Shutting Down When Using Solar Power

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How to Stop Your MaxxFan From Beeping & Shutting Down When Using Solar Power

Our 2020 Scamp 13’ was delivered from the Scamp factory with a Maxxair MaxxFan, an incredible fan which can either blow or suck air into the trailer (depending on the setting).  Since we don’t have air conditioning in our camper and use it off grid quite a bit, we really depend on this fan to keep us cool during warm weather (as well as blowing out smoke when cooking and also clearing humidity from the trailer when showering and sleeping to prevent detector alarms).

We soon discovered that our MaxxFan doesn’t like voltage variations beyond 12 volts.  When boondocking (without shore power), we usually use our solar panel briefcase to provide power to our Scamp 13’.  Voltage in our trailer can vary quite a bit when on solar power and is usually higher than 12V, sometimes reaching just over 15 volts (based on our internal voltmeter).  It’s common for our MaxxFan to complain (beep and stop) when we are running solar.  It especially doesn’t like it when our Scamp 13’ is running on solar and simultaneously running another appliance (like a water pump to provide water pressure to our sink when boondocking).  It generally will beep and stop in this situation.  We’ve learned that we can often keep it running as long as we don’t exceed the 30% speed setting.  On one occasion, our fan stopped altogether and wouldn’t restart.  To get it to run again, we had to pull the fuse (fuse labeled “rear of trailer”) to reset the fan.  Ughh!

It was warm on our recent trip to Big Bear Lake and we really wanted to use our fan at a high speed setting, but it wouldn’t cooperate.  Our MaxxFan just kept turning off when turned up higher than 30%.  With our solar panels soaking up the bright mountain sunlight at Big Bear, the voltage coming into the trailer reached 15.6 volts.  At this point, we needed a better solution.  Upon doing considerable research, we found that, indeed, voltage intolerance is a known problem for MaxxFans.  When the voltage is too low or too high the fan will often beep and stop.  It seems this fan has “Goldilocks Syndrome” as the voltage has to be “just right”.  A call to MaxxAir, maker of the MaxxFan, confirmed that there have been considerable issues with voltage affecting fan operation which have prompted the company to update the motherboard to accept voltages up to 15 volts.  The MaxxFan tech I spoke to said the motherboard used to have a voltage range between 10.8 volts – 13.8 volts (our model), but once more people started using solar panels and lithium batteries (leading to higher voltages within their rvs) the company came out with a new motherboard (sometime after 2020) to accept a wider voltage range (10.3 volts – 15 volts).  The tech told me that even with the new motherboard, the fan will still have problems with voltages outside the new voltage range.  Although some people have gone as far as replacing their motherboards in the hope that the more recent circuit boards will fix this issue, others have taken matters into their own hands by implementing other solutions.  The simple and inexpensive solution we implemented was to install a voltage regulator between the trailer power leads and the fan (the MaxxFan tech agreed with us that this is a good solution).  The voltage regulator we chose accepts 9V – 36V input (a much higher range than the new MaxxFan mother board accepts) and puts out a consistent 12 volts, and is rated waterproof, dust-proof, moisture-proof and shock-proof (and currently sells new on Amazon for less than $15!).  It’s also really small and fits nicely in the MaxxFan housing.  So overall, the nice thing about this solution is that it’s inexpensive and addresses both very low and high voltages.

The installation of the voltage regulator inside the MaxxFan is fairly simple and just about anyone should be able to do it in less than an hour with the right supplies and tools.  A significant point to note is that it is very important to figure out the polarities of all the wires before connecting them because some trailers (and even the MaxxFan itself) have some strange things going on with polarity.  Specifically, for example, our Scamp trailer has a positive black wire and negative white wire providing power to the fan.  Additionally, MaxxFan also wires their fan this way with the black wire being positive.  This wiring convention is contrary to what most people learn, being that black is usually negative and red is positive.

A voltmeter is a good simple way to determine polarity (set your voltmeter on DC V and use the black probe on the black wire and the red probe on the other colored wire – if the voltage shows a positive number, then the black wire is negative polarity, if it shows a negative number, then black is positive polarity).  On our installation, we determined that our Scamp 13’ black wire is actually positive and the white wire is negative. These are the wires that provide power to the fan and attach to the input side of the voltage regulator.   On our voltage regulator, the input and output polarities are clearly labeled (with black being negative and red/yellow positive).  The MaxxFan wiring polarity matches our Scamp trailer with black being positive and white negative.

Project Supplies and Tools:

  1. MaxxFan
  2. 12V DC Voltage Regulator
  3. Voltmeter
  4. Wago wire connectors
  5. Scotch Fastener Tape
  6. Gorilla Tape
  7. Braided copper wire (AWG 14)
  8. Robertson Square #2 Screwdriver or
    1. Electric screw driver which accepts ¼” bits
    2. Robertson Square #2 bits 
  9. Wire cutters
  10. Wire stripper

Here are the Project Steps I took to install the 12V voltage regulator in the MaxxFan (also, reference video).

Project Steps:

  1. SAFETY: I made sure my Scamp 13’ was parked on a flat level surface (my garage), the tongue jack was stable, and I used heavy duty wheel chocks to prevent the trailer from rolling.  I also wore safety glasses to help prevent anything from getting into my eyes while working.  I made sure there was no power to the fan while working on it (by pulling fuse).
  2. Cut power to fan by removing fuse powering fan (fan won’t turn on after fuse is removed)
  3. Take off the fan screen by rotating the holders
  4. Remove the bezel/trim using the Robertson Square #2 Driver.
  5. Remove fan with Phillips head screwdriver (including screw on black manual fan knob).
  6. Unclip zip tie on the fan holding wires together
  7. Remove a bit more plastic sheath on each of the wires coming out each side of the voltage regulator to allow for more exposed copper to plug into the Wago connectors.
  8. Apply scotch Velcro tape (two sides) to the backside of the voltage regulator.
  9. Tape the voltage regulator into one corner of the inner casing of the fan.
  10. Cut trailer power wires attached to fan and test their polarity.
  11. Attach Wago connectors to the end of the trailer power wires as well as the voltage regulator wires and fan power wires.
  12. Create wire extensions and once polarities are identified, connect the trailer power wires to the voltage regulator and the voltage regulator wires to the fan (all using Wago connectors).
  13. Plug in fuse and test fan to ensure it works.
  14. Carefully insert wiring back into fan (using zip ties and Gorilla tape to secure loose wires)
  15. Screw fan back into place using a Phillips head screwdriver.
  16. Reattach bezel/trim using Robertson Square #2 Driver (and notch out bezel if necessary)
  17. Clean fan screen.
  18. Reinstall fan screen.

 

Disclaimer:  You will get the same great Amazon price by clicking on the links here compared to buying directly on Amazon, but by buying here you will also be supporting the continuation of this website as we get a small commission from each sale.  These are products and procedures we use for our own Scamp that we selected and developed from our own research and experiences.  However, we do not endorse any specific product and cannot guarantee that the products we use are exemplary and the procedures we use are complete, accurate, detail the correct recommended procedures, or apply to your model small travel trailer.  It’s always best to double check with your manufacturer or operation manuals to ensure you are doing everything correctly. 

A Bright Idea for Mounting Flashlights!

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A Bright Idea for Mounting Flashlights!

After a year of travelling in our Scamp 13’, the benefit of having a good flashlight within easy reach has been reinforced on more than one occasion.  When the Sun sets, it can get pretty dark out in the wild pretty quickly.  And, it’s not uncommon for us to be outside after dark to:  retrieve trip food and water from our SUV, watch the stars, and sometimes join friends for dinner around a group campfire.  At some of the places we have visited, it has been difficult to see even a foot ahead of ourselves (such as Anza Borrego State Park).  Without a flashlight in these extremely low light conditions, it can be hard to find one’s way back to the camper!  And, there are times when having a quick light is necessary to find a critical item or make an adjustment outside the trailer (such as switching between propane tanks).

For a while, we kept a traditional flashlight attached by 3M Scotch Fasteners (e.g. like Velcro) next to our dinette on the side of the sink.  It worked OK, but because the flashlight’s round head would not lay flat against the wall, we frequently bumped it causing the flashlight to fall onto the dinette bench or floor.  Then, we had a magnetic idea!  What if we could find a flashlight that would lay flat and, in turn, be less prone to knocking off the wall?  Well, we found such a light, and not only is it flat, but it also has a magnetic backing (as well as hanger)!

This rubber coated AlltroLite is small (3.7”x2.4”x1.3”) but packed with enough LEDs to be really bright!  There are two modes:  one turns on the 3 LEDs which face forward and acts like a traditional flashlight and the other mode activates 24 LEDs which turns it into more of a work light.  Not only is there a magnet on the back of the flashlight, but it also has a hook which rotates 360 degrees for hanging.  The flashlight is sold in a 3 pack and comes with the required 3 AAA batteries for each light.  We’ve found the lights to be very bright and nice and compact.  The LED bulbs are rated at 100,000 hours, so they are likely to last many camping trips!

The magnet added a new twist and we quickly figured that magnetism would be a good way to mount the flashlight to the Scamp’s wall.  We liked the idea of using the magnet instead of fastening tape because we wanted the flashlight to be as close to the wall as possible due to the desired corner mounting location being an easy target for brushing up against.  Also, the flashlight would be easier to pull off and re-attach to the mount with a magnet vs. fastening tape.  The only wrinkle in our plan was that the Scamp is a fiberglass trailer and its walls are mostly fiberglass, so a magnet won’t stick to its walls.

For the flashlight’s magnet to stick against the Scamp’s fiberglass wall, we chose to use a thin stainless steel strip taped to the fiberglass wall.  We chose a small piece of sheet metal stock which is very thin (around .02 inches thick) so the mount would keep the flashlight close to the wall.  Using a pair of metal snips, I cut a small strip (only about the width of the magnet and length about the width of the flashlight).  This ensures that the magnet has sufficient area to which to attach.  I also made sure to trim away all sharp metal corners for safety.  I then unrolled some clear double sided Gorilla tape (rated to support up to 15lbs!) and stuck the tape to one side of the metal strip (trimming away any excess tape extending over the strip with scissors).  After this was done, I peeled away the very thin Gorilla tape adhesive cover, attached the metal strip to the flashlight’s magnet (non-adhesive side) and then pressed the entire assembly (flashlight and steel strip) onto the wall (adhesive side facing the fiberglass) at the location where we wanted the flashlight.  Viola!  The flashlight now was secure on its mount hanging on the wall!   We are really happy with this magnetic solution and mounted one flashlight at the door entry and one inside, near bed.  Now, we have easy access to a light whether we are outside the Scamp or inside by the dinette!  This approach has been very illuminating and hopefully you too will come to “see the light” soon!

Disclaimer:  You will get the same great Amazon price by clicking on the links here compared to buying directly on Amazon, but by buying here you will also be supporting the continuation of this website as we get a small commission from each sale.  These are products and procedures we use for our own Scamp that we selected and developed from our own research and experiences.  However, we do not endorse any specific product and cannot guarantee that the products we use are exemplary and the procedures we use are complete, accurate, detail the correct recommended procedures, or apply to your model small travel trailer.  It’s always best to double check with your manufacturer or operation manuals to ensure you are doing everything correctly. 

How to Consistently and Easily Hook Up your Hitch Ball

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How to Consistently and Easily Hook Up your Hitch Ball

One of the trickiest procedures for new small travel trailer owners is backing up and lining up the hitch ball so the hitch coupler will drop securely on top of it.  Getting the ball (on your tow vehicle) properly aligned with your trailer coupler takes some practice, but gets easier with experience.  One trick I like is taping a ribbon (about 6 inches long) on the travel trailer’s tow coupler so the ribbon hangs straight down (I attached the ribbon with Gorilla Tape so it stays for a while!).  I use my SUV’s rear camera (set to Tow Bar line) and slowly and carefully back up, keeping my SUV aimed at the ribbon.  If your tow vehicle doesn’t have a rear camera, I recommend purchasing one aftermarket.  It’s important that the tow vehicle is aligned so it’s on the same line to the trailer to ensure the hitch ball will fit properly when the hitch coupler is lowered (e.g. no angles between tow vehicle and trailer).  Also, make sure the coupler is raised high enough so the hitch ball doesn’t hit it when you back up under it.  Once I get fairly close to the hitch coupler, I very slowly inch my way back until the ball on the SUV hitch brushes up against the ribbon and then a smidge beyond.  At this point, the tow coupler is right over the ball.  Make sure to take your time and don’t be concerned if it initially takes a number of times to get it right.

If your ball is directly below the hitch coupler and your tow vehicle is aligned with the trailer (e.g. no angles between vehicle and trailer), you can now drop (hand crank or electric power jack) the coupler onto the ball and it should sit so that none or barely any of the bottom of the ball will be visible if looking at it from the side.  If the coupler doesn’t go all the way down and it seems the lower portion of the ball is visible, it’s likely that the alignment wasn’t quite right.  In this case, it will also not be possible to secure the hitch latch into the locked position.  If this happens, raise the trailer coupler, pull away, line up your tow vehicle, and try again.  Never try to force the coupler to lock.  It does take some force to latch the coupler down, but not an excessive amount.  I had one experience, when we were boondocking on a farm in Bakersfield, where everything appeared nicely lined up but the hitch latch wouldn’t close.  The ground was dirt and very uneven and I suspected the coupler just wasn’t seating properly on the ball, so I pulled away and lined up again and everything worked smoothly.  I was glad I didn’t try to force the coupling.

After locking, I recommend pulling up on the travel trailer coupler a couple times to watch the tow vehicle rear end go up and down to make sure the ball is really securely locked into place in the coupler (again, none or barely any of the bottom of the ball will be visible if looking at it from the side).  In addition, I recommend using a coupler lock, not only as a theft security device, but also to help prevent the coupler latch from popping open while driving.  After securing the coupler latch, it’s imperative to attach your safety chains and plug in your trailer to the tow vehicle so your trailer’s lights and emergency brakes are communicating with the tow vehicle (and check that the trailer lights are working before leaving).

Securing the trailer coupler onto the hitch ball is one of the most important things you can do to ensure a safe towing experience with your small travel trailer.  With practice and following these tips, securing your trailer to your tow vehicle should become a successful, easy, and stress-free experience.

Disclaimer:  You will get the same great Amazon price by clicking on the links here compared to buying directly on Amazon, but by buying here you will also be supporting the continuation of this website as we get a small commission from each sale.  These are products and procedures we use for our own Scamp that we selected and developed from our own research and experiences.  However, we do not endorse any specific product and cannot guarantee that the products we use are exemplary and the procedures we use are complete, accurate, detail the correct recommended procedures, or apply to your model small travel trailer.  It’s always best to double check with your manufacturer or operation manuals to ensure you are doing everything correctly.