Electrical Changing a 12 pin plug to a 7 pin and anderson plug on van

Tony Enchelmaier

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Dec 3, 2017
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Hi All, I have a 2011 Jayco Expanda 14.44OB and want to change my 12 pin plug on the van to a 7 pin plug with an anderson plug as I got a new tow rig with this set up already on it. Anyone have any ideas in what's involved? I thought it may have been a case of changing connectors but want to be sure. Is it something I can do or show I ask my caravan service guys? Thanks in advance for any input.
 

Vere

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Oct 5, 2014
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if you look at the plug it has 2 sides. a 7 pin side and a larger 5 pin side.
The 7 pin side is normal. can be just transferred to any 7 pin (round or flat)
The 5 pin side will be using 2 pins only. These are for fridge. I just extended these and put Anderson plug on the end.

All this is in the understanding it has normal Jayco wiring (if there is such a thing) and has not been changed.

attached is pics on my 12 pin before I changed it.

DSC_4450.JPG DSC_4448.JPG
 
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mikerezny

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Sep 11, 2016
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Hi,
firstly, :welcome::welcome::welcome:


exactly as @Vere describes. I would add one extra detail. Pin 2 on your tug MAY be wired to provide the reversing signal.
This pin has two uses, either as a reversing signal, or as Jayco use it, to provide 12V from your tug.

I would suggest you get a multimeter or a lamp to check how your tug is currently wired. If it is wired as a reversing signal AND you want to have 12V supplied from your tug to provide 12V to the van (to run your lights etc and/or trickle charge your battery while you are driving) then you will need to disconnect the wire presently on pin 2, fold it back and insulate it. Then run a wire from the +ve terminal of your battery via an inline fuse to pin 2. You would probably be advised to use wire about the same size as is on pin 2 of the Jayco plug.

On a Jayco, pin 2 goes to the AUX input of the Setec 12V power supply and battery charger.

Apologies if you already know this. But the two wires you have on pins 9 and 10 go directly to the 12V terminals on the fridge. They do not power anything else on the van NOR do they charge the battery in the van. BUT the fridge will draw at least 15A and will flatten a car battery in 2-3 hours. So, it is recommended you isolate the +VE wire using a Voltage Sensing relay OR a relay that only activates when the ignition is on (i.e. the engine is running and the alternator is supplying the power for the fridge.

Further, if you do want to run the fridge on 12V (many don't bother) AND you want the fridge to work efficiently, you need to use 6AWG (or 6B&S) cable. Otherwise the voltage drop in the cable will be too much and the voltage at the fridge terminals will be too low for the 12V element to supply enough heat for the fridge to work efficiently. Not attending to this is usually the cause of many people experiencing poor performance from their 3-way fridge on 12V.

These are a well-discussed topics and there are many threads discussing this on the forum.

cheers
Mike
 
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Drover

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Nov 7, 2013
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A bit of a Google or visit to the Narva site will give you a blow by blow description but you will find inside the plugs a colour and numeric code so you don't get lost........
 

mime_perth

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Nov 4, 2017
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Perth WA
Just to add to this - mine (2006) was wired so I needed the white -ve cable from the 5 pin side wired to the earth pin side of my 7 pin (I cant recal the pin number) to work. Seems they are using a common earth - dont know if this is normal or my van has had some wiring changes done but it was a little confusing when I changed it from 12 to 7 pin and I got no lights.
 
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