Wiring a 2004 Honda CR-V to Tow 1976 Scamp Camper

Question

Question:

I have a 2004 Honda Cr-v that is already wired with a flat 4 pin.I have a 1976 scamp trailer that I would like to wire.It has 2 marker lights on each sideone amber and one red and a set of taillights with backup lights.I also have an old refrigerater that can run on 12 volt and would like to wire that also.I also have a 12 volt deep cycle marine battery that I would like to keep charged while on the roadcan I do that?.I also would like to attach a 12 volt plug inside the trailer.What harness would be the best for my trailer? Thanks for your help

asked by: Sean

0

Expert Reply:

Lets start with the CR-V. After confirming that the weight of the trailer plus anything loaded on it is within the towing capacity of the vehicle, you will need to convert the existing 4-pole to a 7-way by using an adapter, part # 37185. According to my research, the 2004 CR-V is rated for towing 1500 lbs.

The adapter will plug directly into your existing 4-pole, which will provide lighting functions to the trailer. The adapter will have 4 wires remaining. The white wire grounds to the trailer frame, the purple wire would connect to the reverse lights of the tow vehicle to power the reverse lights on the trailer. The black wire would run to the engine compartment and connect to the positive battery terminal, via a 40 amp circuit breaker, part # 9510. This circuit would provide 12 volt power to maintain (not recharge from a discharged state) the battery on your trailer. Does the Scamp have trailer brakes? If not, the blue wire on the adapter could be bundled up out of the way. If it does have brakes, a brake controller would need to be installed to actuate them. If you will be using a brake controller, I would recommend our Brake Controller Install Kit, part # ETBC7. The kit includes the adapter mentioned above, plus all wire, hardwire and circuit breakers needed to install a brake controller.

You would then install a 7-way connector on the trailer itself, if it does not already have one, using # H20046 for an 8 foot lead, or # H20042 for a 3 foot lead. See the wire color code chart shown on the product description page.

The accessory circuit can be used to maintain the battery on your trailer, but it will not charge a dead battery. A CTEK battery charger, like part # CTEK56353 can be used when AC power is available.

You can indeed wire the refrigerator and the 12-volt outlet to the trailer battery. I would recommend you make sure to unplug the trailer whenever the tow vehicle is not running, to avoid discharging the battery on your CR-V.

I have linked you to some FAQ articles that you might find helpful.