Toad light connection problem

[avan]

Former 5ver hauler - first time MH with toad RVer. Bought a new, to me, 2010 MH. Per previous owner, it never towed anything. Bought a new, to me, Saturn already set up for towing and per previous owner, has been towed many times. The MH has a 7 pin/blade socket and the toad a round 4 pin socket. Bought a 7 to 4 adapter cable and tried to test it today.

So I have right turn blinker that works as it is supposed to on MH and toad. However, left turn blinker works on MH but not on toad. Turn on MH lights and MH rear taillights light up fine but the rear taillights on the toad do not. As I am not mechanical but before I hook up and take the MH and toad to a hitch shop I thought I'd ask if there is anything you all would recommend that I try first - remembering of course my mechanical/electrical challenges. Suggestions or should I just take it to a shop?

[enblethen]

Thanks for the update!
Happy towing!

[avan]

Thanks all. Plug on toad needed to be rewired. $30.00 - all's working.

[Johno02]

Find a good tech (NOT CW). MH to toad connections are not fully standard, but depend on the wiring for the MH and the brand and model of the toad. Isolate the circuits to plug on MH, then work on toad from there.

[kalynzoo]

I've spent hours in the past trying to make the trailer lights work right, and truthfully I've never been successful myself. That is unless I found the broken wire, the loose ground, or the right adaptor. If it were me, I'd go to U-Haul hitch shop (or whoever is in your neighborhood) and have it done right.
Happy Trails.

[enblethen]

Best bet would be locate a good technician in your area. Take both the rig and the car to him and get it corrected.
Some Fords do have two fuse panels. One normally under the dash and the other under the hood. if you have chassis owner's manual it may tell where they are located. It is possible that you have a couple blown fuses.
If your rig is in storage you maybe able to find a mobile serviceman to meet up with you at the storage facility.

[avan]

Emblethen - Going from memory since MH is in storage lot, I don't remember amber turn signals. I think the MH tail lights are LED and there is what I consider the typical looking tail lens plus about midway high, on each side, a 6-8" vertical (narrow) lens and the MH turn signal activates both the lower and upper lens. I don't know what the brakes turn on since I'm single and can't push the brake pedal and see the light 30' behind me. As to your link - well those diagrams sure passed me by. Thanks for the time estimate though.

WyoTraveler. Sorry but my pre retirement career included nothing technical in these areas and with good reason. I think what you are referring to has a probe on the end??? and I'd probably insert that in the wrong place 🙂 .

Othertonka - I think a hitch shop is in my immediate future. The car also came with a Roadmaster braking system. I think I've figured out how that operates and I've found the brake away connection but, as above, I'm alone and I'm thinking the hitch shop (which is an authorized Roadmaster, Blue Ox and others installer) can also verify for me at the same time that the supplemental braking system is wired right to the MH and that my understanding of how it is hooked up is accurate. A hitch shop's hour would probably be cheap insurance for me that stuff is operating as it should.

[othertonka]

Take both the MH and the saturn to a good hitch shop and have done right or you might try a set of magnetic tail lights, but that also takes a little electrical knowledge

[WyoTraveler]

Best solution. If you are going to be RVing buy a multimeter and a test light. Available at Harbor freight. Use the test light and check the wiring at the hitch on the MH. Probably just wired wrong. My new MH was wired wrong. You will save a lot of money just learning some basic electrical knowledge. It really isn't that complicated and well worth the effort. JMHO

[enblethen]

Look at rear of your MH. Turn on a turn signal, see if it is flashing an amber lensed light. Verify the same red lens is used for brakes and turn signals.
If it is the rig was most likely wired for separate turn signals to the toad.
Look at this link.
Slide down on this link to where it shows "heavy duty truck 7way trailer color code". It is the last diagram on the left side.
E-trailer wiring infor
It should only take a good technician about an hour to install the converter.

[dan-nickie]

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[avan]

Rav - Ford E450 - 2010 Winnebago 30C Aspect
Kalynzoo - would that account for one turn signal working but not the other? BTW, turn signals on the toad both work fine when not connected to the MH and activated by the toad's turn signal lever.
enblethen - Not sure what you are saying but re-wiring beyond my plugging in a cable between the two units would be beyond my (lack of) expertise.

[enblethen]

Check the taillights and turn signals on the MH. Some MHs are setup with amber turn signals separate from the brake lights. The seven pin connector is setup the same way.
It would need to be re-wired to standard seven pin configuration along with the installation of a three to two adapter.

[rav]

what chassis / motor home do you have?
on ours there are fuses that power the toads lights.

[kalynzoo]

I'm no expert but when I purchased my 7 pin adapter from Amazon it noted that there are two different patterns, one with a center electric brake and one with some other pattern. Just a thought, perhaps you have the wrong adapter.