Trailer Brakes

[Danh]

I ordered a camping trailer with electric brakes and cannot pick it up until April.
After wiring in the brake controller per hopkins instructions I have power on the aux pole all the time which activates the brakes on the trailer.
When I brake the power drops on the aux pole.
My question is, is this correct?
Dan

[Pure Pork]

You need to post your bike model, the brake power feed should only activate when you apply the brakes, so you need to alter the connection point on your application.

[Danh]

I have a 2010 voyager, the installation instructions said to hook into the cold side of the brake switch, which I thought would be the same as the brake light.
Dan
PS. Thanks for the reply, I am trying to make sure I get it right before I go to Chicago to pick up the trailer

[Pure Pork]

When I was hooking into wiring on pickups at my business, before they made harness plug-ins, GM in 1988 changed to a different set-up in their wiring and both sides of the switch were hot, so I had to splice in where the harness was going out to the taillights instead of at the brake switch. Maybe you can locate a point in the wiring that is going back to the taillight possibly under the seat? I am not familiar with the new 1700, but I have hitch and wiring on my 97 classic and I made all my connections there.

[Turbo4x4]

I ordered a camping trailer with electric brakes and cannot pick it up until April.
After wiring in the brake controller per hopkins instructions I have power on the aux pole all the time which activates the brakes on the trailer.
When I brake the power drops on the aux pole.
My question is, is this correct?
Dan

Dan,
It sounds like you have actually hooked your brake controller to the hot side of the brake switch. If you had the cold side, there would be no voltage to your brake controller until you actually applied the brake. BTW, did your instructions mention anything about adding a power relay to handle the current required by the electric brakes?

[Danh]

There was nothing about adding a power relay, the controller is a used one without instructions and all I have is the wiring instructions from Hopkins. Maybe I should spend a little cash and buy a new one. Thanks for the reply
Dan

[Me Again]

There was nothing about adding a power relay, the controller is a used one without instructions and all I have is the wiring instructions from Hopkins.

Adding a relay is never the wrong thing to do,but not adding one may come back to haunt you someday.
I agree you probably reversed the wiring someplace ,because you should not have power to the brake until you apply the brake.Thats were the relay comes in handy.

[Danh]

ok I am a woodworker not an electrician, do you have a schematic of how to hook the relay in ?
I am going to get back at the wiring next week.
Dan
PS no riding this year as we just had 18" of snow, what fun

[ekap1200]

Hello danh
under voyager 12 tech tips with the heading Post
subject: Re: Adding electrical gadgets Posted: Tue Nov 23, 2010 8:15 pm
there is a sketch of the most common relay used in the automotive feild with how it is used and the pinout of its connections. Does this help any ? Gene Kap

[Rhinestone Kawboy]

There's also a couple articles in the AVA Tech Center (not the forums, but linked from the main AVA homepage) under Voyager XII/Typical relay wiring and another one.

[Danh]

A big thanks to everyone who responded, I will be adding a relay next week.
Dan