Install Redarc Towpro Navara D40

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leo d40

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Hey all

Picked up a Towpro to install for our upcoming camper trailer expedition. Now I've never installed a brake controller but I'm confident with doing 12V work.

Reading the forum it is mentioned splicing into a wire on the brake pedal?

196527f9b9be95843f9dc00e9f86cb27.jpg


Running the wire to the tow bar plug, from my research I connect to pin 2 inside the plug? It's a standard Nissan 7 pin plug.

I appreciate the help :)
 
Electric brakes are on pin 5, pin 2 is used for reversing signal. 12 pin plug also uses the same configuration (because you can plug a 7-pin plug into the 7-pin sie of a 12-pin plug). If you're towing more than 2T, you'll need to change to a 12-pin plug anyway because your breakaway brake monitor and charging power needs to be fed through the additional pins.

As John says, make sure the cable's heavy enough. Standard installation is with 6mm cable (so-called "60A") but some electricians will use 4mm cable because it says 20A on the reel and the brakes will draw 4x3.5=14A peak. Unfortunately due to the distance, it's not so much voltage drop that's the issue (see below), but the cable heating up (because it's long and thin) and it will (has before) cause a fire. 6mm is only just satisfactory, 8mm is far superior.

The issue actually IS voltage drop but not because of the brakes requiring a certain voltage. When the voltage drops, the current rises and it's the excess current that causes the heat. Heavy cable fixes both issues.
 
Electric brakes are on pin 5, pin 2 is used for reversing signal.


Thanks for clearing that up. Just looked under the ute and they left the blue wire about 50cm long out of the plug taped up ready to use.

Would you also happen to confirm which colour wire it is at the brake pedal switch? I'll of course double check with a test light :) or would you just run twin core to the rear and pick up the brake light signal?
 
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Mine's wired in to the red wire. Still, slight differences in models (yours is 4 years newer than mine) might mean a wiring change there so a test light is prudent anyway.
 
Just a quick question on this topic...
I'm doing the same thing installing a P3.
I've run 6mm wire from controller to pin 5 of the trailer socket but 6mm is a little too heavy to connect directly to the pin. At the moment I've temporarily spliced my 6mm to the not-so-generous blue tail that Nissan saw fit to install at the trailer socket.
Is that tail too lightweight and subject to overheating?
I was thinking of having a very short run of 5mm to step down the 6mm for connection to the socket pin.
Am I thinking about this too much or is the OEM tail sufficient?

Cheers
DG
 
I get this problem with Anderson plugs too, I just strip a little off the very tip as it goes into the socket. The small amount lost will not be an issue. What I mean is to remove some strands on the last bit.
 
Agree with Happy John. Strip a little from the end so that it fits.

3T trailer probably has 2 axles, so 4 brakes. 7" brake magnets draw about 2.5A each, or 10A for the group. 10" brake magnets draw about 3A each = 12A for the group and 12" brake magnets draw about 3.3A each or 13.2A for the group. For the short distance, even 15A isn't a huge deal. It's only really a problem when you try spanning distances over a couple of metres.
 
^ Absolutely need a fuse on the battery end, thermal breakers are even better. Use a 40A breaker, if the cable shorts out it'll draw more than 40A and trip it, but hauling 15A through it for a long period won't cause it to heat up enough to trigger it (like would be the case with a 20A breaker).
 
I'm fusing with a 30A thermal breaker at the battery end. Not enough? I thought that might be overkill considering the actual weak link in the whole thing is a pin rated to 15A in the trailer socket.

I hadn't considered fusing the other end too. I didn't see that covered in any of the many forums I trawled, nor in the P3 instructions. Any seconders for that proposition? My understanding is that fuses should be on the battery end, but happy to be enlightened or corrected.

Regards,
DG
 
It is more common to fuse at both ends in a duel battery situation as a short anywhere on the cable can backfeed from the other battery. In your case it is double protection, it will give you two fused distribution points. You should always use a fuse/fuses rated for a lower current than the cable, meaning the fuse will blow first protecting the other componants.
 
Pointless fusing it at both ends. If the power is only flowing 1 way through the cable, you only need 1 fuse closest to the power source...
 
True there is no "real" need with one source of power, in a duel setup it's a must. I did wire my brakes with a thermal breaker at the battery, and a maxi fuse at the rear. Just personal choice, and a few extra minutes work.
 
You should always use a fuse/fuses rated for a lower current than the cable, meaning the fuse will blow first protecting the other componants.

Absolutely, and I am - 30A fuse, 6mm cable (50A) -, however it connects to the trailer socket (pin 5 - service brakes) which is only rated to 15A. Not much I can do about that. It's just a standard flat 7 pin trailer socket. Hence my comment regarding it being the weak link.
In the case of a short or overload is the trailer connector going to melt before the fuse trips?
I'm happy with the remainder of the setup, but it strikes me that the 15A pin is an unaddressed problem.
 
As above, 15a constant will be plenty for the brakes you are running. The only risk of the trailer plug melting is constant high load, but now high enough to trip the breaker or blow a fuse. It will generate excessive heat and melt it. A dead short will simply trip the breaker or blow the fuse and it's all over. No risk of melting anything there... if you're really worried, bugger the standard 7 pin plugs off and wire up a 12 pin to both trailer and car (or keep the 7 pin as is and wire a 12 pin as well on the car) and use 2 of the extra 5 pins for service brake and earth to the trailer... they are a larger diameter pin.
 

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