This isn't about how it works on the road because so far I've only taken the van to a caravan park across half of Adelaide and the ESC wasn't in working condition. Rather, this is about how I got from deciding to have it fitted and to today and my now confusion about it.
The decision part was easy, I was given permission to fit out the wife's new toy as I saw fit so I did what any male would do, go for it. Getting info as to the requirements and how it was fitted wasn't so easy. I hope that others have had better success.
Firstly, for our new Ford Ranger I had initially decided on getting the Redarc remote head brake controller due to less mounting issues. This was to be fitted as one item in a few that were to be organised by the Ford Dealer. Shortly before delivery I changed my mind when I learnt more about the supposed benefits of the proportional style controllers. The Dealer either didn't pass on that update, or the accessories fitter didn't notice the change on the order, and the Redarc was fitted anyway. When I mentioned to the Dealer Salesman about it having been fitted he agreed to waive the cost. Next I found out that ALKO didn't list the Redarc as being suitable. In the process of then buying a number of items online to fit driving lights and the dual battery system I also bought a Prodigy P3 with the intention of changing over to it. Then in talking to ALKO themselves I was told that the Redarc was probably suitable and since then they have updated their web site to show that. I brought the P3 with us to Adelaide to pick up the Work n Play just in case any circumstances warranted its fitting. In that discussion with ALKO I was advised that ALKO require that the power feed for the ESC be a direct feed from the main battery and protected by a 30A fuse, not from the secondary of a dual battery system and not from the van battery. This is also in the ESC documentation. Thinking that as up to 30A may be needed, and with no advice from the Jayco Dealer about their requirements for the 12 pin connector I ran a large(ish) feed via an auto resetting circuit breaker from the main battery to a rear Anderson Plug as well as another from the secondary battery for general van usage.
Part of the process of picking up the van was that the Dealer booked me in to have the vehicle assessed by a towbar fitting Company and to change any necessary wiring and/or to change to the P3 if deemed necessary. The person who checked it out was happy with the Redarc operation and my Anderson Plug and said that I should just stick with the Redarc as his opinion was that he preferred it to the P3. By this time I had been advised by the Jayco Dealer that they needed the ESC power to be on pin 2 of the 12 pin connector. I really couldn't see how that small pin could cope with ALKO's requirement for a feed that was protected by a 30A fuse. The assessor of the system agreed with me and my preference for the Anderson Plug. At this stage I still hadn't seen the van itself and how it was actually wired.
The day of pickup arrived. All went well until connecting it to the car. No power to van ESC. Curiously one of their staff thought that it was wired to the van battery system. They washed their hands of it and it was left up to me to sort it out either myself or through their usual towbar fitter's. We towed the van away to this Caravan Park across town.
Today I went trough various standard trailer wiring documets and ALKO's manuals left with the van to sort it out. ALKO show 2 options for wiring, either via an Anderson Plug type system of through the 12 pin connector. The refer you to the van maker as to what pins etc that they wished to use. Either way they show it as being via white or red wires (2 of each) to the relevant van connector. Our van has the wiring to the 12 pin connector and my understanding is that Jayco do it that way to all vans. Other than a red wire to the van 12 pin connector for the stop lights there is no other red wires. There are 2 white wires, one large and one small, to both a large and small pin which are apparently for "earth return" usage but I don't know where they actually run to on the van itself. Pin 2 (a small pin) does have a wire on it but it's a black one. So where are ALKO's supposed 2 red wires???? I have no idea. As a test I connected power from one of my Anderson Plugs to pin 5 on the van and the green LED on the ESC box on the draw bar started flashing. I have now removed the black wire from pin 2 on the van connector and taken it out to an Anderson Plug. From ALKO's document it seems that the blinking green LED will change to a steady light when their sensor detects van movement but I haven't yet tested that out. So my set up will now be a 12 pin connector and 2 Anderson Plugs to be connected/disconnected each time. If what I have done makes it work then I'll update the Anderson Plugs to be different colours so that they can not be crossed over as different coloured plugs do not connect together. I am still worried about the wire size that Jayco have used on the van for the ESC and that colours do not seem to follow the ALKO diagram.
So now you have it. Are you as confused as me? I might ring ALKO and talk to them further as I believe that the wire colours should follow the ALKO diagram and that if it does go through the 12 pin connector then surely it should be at least through the larger pins, and probably through 2 of them with suitable van side wire sizes. Or more likely should I just take a vallium and get over it.
Phil
The decision part was easy, I was given permission to fit out the wife's new toy as I saw fit so I did what any male would do, go for it. Getting info as to the requirements and how it was fitted wasn't so easy. I hope that others have had better success.
Firstly, for our new Ford Ranger I had initially decided on getting the Redarc remote head brake controller due to less mounting issues. This was to be fitted as one item in a few that were to be organised by the Ford Dealer. Shortly before delivery I changed my mind when I learnt more about the supposed benefits of the proportional style controllers. The Dealer either didn't pass on that update, or the accessories fitter didn't notice the change on the order, and the Redarc was fitted anyway. When I mentioned to the Dealer Salesman about it having been fitted he agreed to waive the cost. Next I found out that ALKO didn't list the Redarc as being suitable. In the process of then buying a number of items online to fit driving lights and the dual battery system I also bought a Prodigy P3 with the intention of changing over to it. Then in talking to ALKO themselves I was told that the Redarc was probably suitable and since then they have updated their web site to show that. I brought the P3 with us to Adelaide to pick up the Work n Play just in case any circumstances warranted its fitting. In that discussion with ALKO I was advised that ALKO require that the power feed for the ESC be a direct feed from the main battery and protected by a 30A fuse, not from the secondary of a dual battery system and not from the van battery. This is also in the ESC documentation. Thinking that as up to 30A may be needed, and with no advice from the Jayco Dealer about their requirements for the 12 pin connector I ran a large(ish) feed via an auto resetting circuit breaker from the main battery to a rear Anderson Plug as well as another from the secondary battery for general van usage.
Part of the process of picking up the van was that the Dealer booked me in to have the vehicle assessed by a towbar fitting Company and to change any necessary wiring and/or to change to the P3 if deemed necessary. The person who checked it out was happy with the Redarc operation and my Anderson Plug and said that I should just stick with the Redarc as his opinion was that he preferred it to the P3. By this time I had been advised by the Jayco Dealer that they needed the ESC power to be on pin 2 of the 12 pin connector. I really couldn't see how that small pin could cope with ALKO's requirement for a feed that was protected by a 30A fuse. The assessor of the system agreed with me and my preference for the Anderson Plug. At this stage I still hadn't seen the van itself and how it was actually wired.
The day of pickup arrived. All went well until connecting it to the car. No power to van ESC. Curiously one of their staff thought that it was wired to the van battery system. They washed their hands of it and it was left up to me to sort it out either myself or through their usual towbar fitter's. We towed the van away to this Caravan Park across town.
Today I went trough various standard trailer wiring documets and ALKO's manuals left with the van to sort it out. ALKO show 2 options for wiring, either via an Anderson Plug type system of through the 12 pin connector. The refer you to the van maker as to what pins etc that they wished to use. Either way they show it as being via white or red wires (2 of each) to the relevant van connector. Our van has the wiring to the 12 pin connector and my understanding is that Jayco do it that way to all vans. Other than a red wire to the van 12 pin connector for the stop lights there is no other red wires. There are 2 white wires, one large and one small, to both a large and small pin which are apparently for "earth return" usage but I don't know where they actually run to on the van itself. Pin 2 (a small pin) does have a wire on it but it's a black one. So where are ALKO's supposed 2 red wires???? I have no idea. As a test I connected power from one of my Anderson Plugs to pin 5 on the van and the green LED on the ESC box on the draw bar started flashing. I have now removed the black wire from pin 2 on the van connector and taken it out to an Anderson Plug. From ALKO's document it seems that the blinking green LED will change to a steady light when their sensor detects van movement but I haven't yet tested that out. So my set up will now be a 12 pin connector and 2 Anderson Plugs to be connected/disconnected each time. If what I have done makes it work then I'll update the Anderson Plugs to be different colours so that they can not be crossed over as different coloured plugs do not connect together. I am still worried about the wire size that Jayco have used on the van for the ESC and that colours do not seem to follow the ALKO diagram.
So now you have it. Are you as confused as me? I might ring ALKO and talk to them further as I believe that the wire colours should follow the ALKO diagram and that if it does go through the 12 pin connector then surely it should be at least through the larger pins, and probably through 2 of them with suitable van side wire sizes. Or more likely should I just take a vallium and get over it.
Phil
