tow dolly wiring for 1999 adventurer

[Sailorkane]

Guys, I just bought a tow dolly for my 1999 Adventurer with Ford F53 chassis.  The motorhome has a 6 conductor round socket for the trailer.  The tow dolly is a Master Tow with electric brakes and has a 7 conductor plug (though the center terminal of the plug is not there).  I have a brake controller.  Anyone know how to wire this puppy up? 
BTW I currently have a Remco switch at the dash that was formerly used to power a transmission pump in the toad.  This is not important, except that I suspect there are 2-3 extra wires that run from the dash to the back bumper of the motorhome, which I might be able to repurpose for the brake control line.... 


Edit by staff - changed message icon to topic solved

 

[driftless shifter]

You may already have everything to run the brakes except 12V+ to charge the breakaway battery. Get out your test lite and determine what each of the 6 pins  on the RV react to.

Bill

 

[Sailorkane]

Kewl.  One of the repurposed old Remco wires could easily be +12V....

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

They make adapters for 6-pin to 7-pin, but the 6-pin wiring isn't standard so it may not work without some mods. Frankly, I would remove the 6-pin and replace it with a standard 7-pin. Use a VOM or trailer plug test light to verify what wires you now have.

This article on etrailer.com may help. It's for a more recent View, but I suspect the Winnebago wiring layout hasn't changed.

https://www.etrailer.com/question-52215.html

Adapter: http://www.etrailer.com/Wiring/Hopkins/47435.html

 

[Sailorkane]

A couple notes and a rant.  First, I got a 6-conductor to 7-conductor adapter and it works fine for turn, brake and tail lights.  However, the Winnebago wiring diagram for the 1999 Adventurer says that the electric brake wire is NOT run from the Ford F53 chassis to the 6-conductor trailer socket at the bumper.  I'm trying to install the electric brake controller.  So, all the effort to find the F53 connector under the dash was nearly useless.  However, another older post mentioned that Ford did run a dark blue wire through the chassis, up to about 5' short of the back bumper, so if I can find that wire I can perhaps achieve the electric brake control.  If not, I'll splice another wire to the output of the brake controller and run it to the trailer conductor.
BTW, Has anyone noticed that the winnebago trailer connector diagram is mirror-image from what you would expect?  And what I found on the vehicle?  That is, it seems to be the wiring for the connector, not the rear socket.  Left turn should be lower right.  Right turn should be lower left.  Ground should be upper right.

And lastly, the rant.  I wish all the installers and mechanics who install things in motorhomes would leave the stock wiring alone!!  They can easily ADD wiring without messing with the stock wiring.  Some mechanic that the PO used, installed a Remco control to power a transmission pump in a toad.  In doing that, he cut into the 6-conductor trailer socket and changed wires.  Thereby making it even tougher to get it working properly.  Apparently he used the center conductor (should be +12V) and made it ground for the Remco.  And took the electric brake connector and made it power for the remco pump.  Thanks to that long lost mechanic!!!

 

[John Canfield]

Oh brother - stuff worthy of a rant 

 

[John Hilley]

On my 1999 Brave on F53 chassis, the Ford brake wire is in the ford bundle of wiring about 5' from the bumper. I used a brake controller pigtail to plug in the controller.

 

[Sailorkane]

Last post.  The end of the Ford wires were indeed in a bundle about 5' from back bumper, and about 8 purple Winne bago wires were spliced to some of them.  FORD LABELED ALL THE WIRES!!!  Hurray!!! I grabbed the Trailer ground and the brake control output, extended them with blue and black wires, respectively, to the 6 conductor winnebago trailer connector.  I had previously bought a 6 to 7 conductor adapter.  It was all good.  I don't have +12V at the trailer connector, but I do have the rest of the wires and they all work, including the brakes. 

 

[John Canfield]

A suitable conclusion!