Forum Discussion

Freep's avatar
Freep
Explorer
Jan 18, 2020

Lance Umbilical Mod

Lance truck campers come with a proprietary umbilical that has 8 gauge power cables built in. They recommend rewiring your truck so that you have 8 gauge to the alternator. I have found that this is a good recommendation due to power consumption of the fridge and charging of the batteries via your alternator.

I have recommended using their cable for a while but I have had serious issues with their plug slipping. It's terrifying to be driving down the highway in the middle of the night and have an 18 wheeler blast their horn at you because you have no tail lights. I had this happen enough times that I decided to go a slightly different route. I researched plugs and cables and found no alternative that had 14 gauge lights with 8 gauge power and I definitely didn't want to go back to the standard 7 way plug.

So I split the umbilical into two cables and two plugs.

After a lot of research I settled on these two waterproof plugs with solid latches. The Lance plugs rely on a flimsy latch built into the cover. Never again.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0797MG7Q3
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07XZMB3PK





Since I was rewiring from battery to TC I decided to go with 6 Gauge just to make sure I had plenty of electron flow.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MD1ZGKO

Then I needed decent cable for the lights.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0791JL4VT

I was going to combine both cables in heat shrink cable tubing but later decided against it. But I did use some heat shrink tubing to stiffen the cable near the plugs on the truck side, along with some silicone.




One thing I was worried about with these plugs is the tiny mounting holes and small bolts. It was going to be a pain to install directly into the bed so I made some mounting plates from white house electrical plates.



Here is the cable prior to hitting the heat gun on the sleeve.




Mounted in the bed





Full gallery here.
Truck Campers
  • burningman's avatar
    burningman
    Explorer II
    Jan 29, 2020
    Freep wrote:
    burningman wrote:
    There’s a better thing to do.
    Remove the RV style 7-flat-pin connectors and install big-truck style 7-round-pin plugs and connectors.


    I looked at those but they have a similar flaw to the lance plug. The latch is a function of the cover and the plug can pop out when driving over rough terrain. What I initially wanted was a plug that would screw into the receptacle but I didn't find a pair that were as heavy duty as the plugs I found. I really like the plugs I got.


    I must disagree. They never come unplugged from semi trucks, and if you’ve never been in a dump truck with Hendrickson suspension (which has no springs, just big solid rubber blocks) on a logging road, you don’t even know what a harsh ride is. They pound with a violence no pickup truck can.
    And those connectors don’t come apart.
  • Eric_Lisa's avatar
    Eric_Lisa
    Explorer II
    Jan 24, 2020
    Freep wrote:
    ...I have recommended using their cable for a while but I have had serious issues with their plug slipping. It's terrifying to be driving down the highway in the middle of the night and have an 18 wheeler blast their horn at you because you have no tail lights.....


    Nice upgrade. A solid fix.

    That said... I have never had my factory Lance cable come unplugged. I don't think there is a systemic issue to address.

    -Eric
  • Freep's avatar
    Freep
    Explorer
    Jan 24, 2020
    burningman wrote:
    There’s a better thing to do.
    Remove the RV style 7-flat-pin connectors and install big-truck style 7-round-pin plugs and connectors.


    I looked at those but they have a similar flaw to the lance plug. The latch is a function of the cover and the plug can pop out when driving over rough terrain. What I initially wanted was a plug that would screw into the receptacle but I didn't find a pair that were as heavy duty as the plugs I found. I really like the plugs I got.
  • burningman's avatar
    burningman
    Explorer II
    Jan 21, 2020
    There’s a better thing to do.
    Remove the RV style 7-flat-pin connectors and install big-truck style 7-round-pin plugs and connectors. They’re much more robust, reliable, and they accept heavier gauge wire. The good heavy duty ones will take 10-gauge.
    8-gauge on the ground.
    (Ground is bigger because there are a lot of 12v circuits, running lights, turn and stop, charging, etc that all supply +12V and all return through the same ground.
  • bighatnohorse's avatar
    bighatnohorse
    Explorer II
    Jan 21, 2020
    Freep:
    Thank you for your excellent post with photos.
    Unfortunately, others have turned it into a barf mess that should be cleaned up.
    You might want to re-post it on the Lance Owners Forum where the post will be appreciated.
    Thank you for your effort.

About Travel Trailer Group

44,025 PostsLatest Activity: Feb 18, 2025