"Vehicle Emulator"?

[Mark]

I've seen 7-way trailer emulators to check the wiring of your tow vehicle, but is there a similar device (or technique) to check the lights on the camper without connecting it to a vehicle? Thanks.

[vikx]

They are pretty easy to make...

Buy a Car side receptacle and wire it according to the 7 way code with approx. 14" for each wire. (Be sure not to mix up the color code with 4way.) The colors are actually stamped in the plastic on the 7 way.

Add an alligator clamp for the white ground wire and attach it to the trailer frame. Be sure it has good, clean contact.

Green is tail and clearance lights. Brown is Right Turn. Red is Left Turn. White is Ground

Connect the trailer to your test socket, then touch the green wire to a 12 volt power source. (power source must also be grounded to the trailer frame.) Your tail lights and clearance lights should glow. Repeat with the two turn wires (Brown and Red)

It is best to wait on the brake wire until it is connected to the vehicle. (generally drags the power source down) The black Hot/Charge wire is easy to do later as well, because it is easily accessible.

IF you have a battery already installed on the trailer, you can use it as the power source. Connect the ground clamp and receptacle as above and carefully touch your operating wires to the Black wire. The lights should glow accordingly.

Hope this helps. PM me for more Info.

[vikx]

Here's a picture of the portable battery and the 7 way tester. The brown wire is to extend the ground if necessary:

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[vikx]

Here's the battery grounded with the 7 way connected. The wires are ready to be touched to the hot battery clamp.

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[vikx]

Each test wire is clipped to the hot clamp to test the lights:

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[offspringin]

Im just curious why not hook it up to the vehicle?

Vikx, in my case i had a screw through one of my hot leads. This was causing a fuse to blow in my truck every time it plugged in and the lights were turned on. My question is if you do this battery set up deal as pictured. And you have a short somewhere in the trailer. Can any damage be caused to the wires/circuits? What is the safety that's built in (like the fuse in the truck) Or is there nothing bad that can happen?

[vikx]

Reason not to hook to vehicle: blown fuses....

If you have a dead shorted wire, heat will build and yes, damage can be done to the trailer wiring... insulation could melt, etc.

Two safety methods, but you have to be aware: One: Fuse the hot line. Easy to do, just put a fused wire (or circuit breaker) between the Hot battery clip and the trailer wiring. Two: a bright spark when you touch the wire means Triple Check! A spark, especially bright, is a bad sign.

Thank you Offspringin! I didn't address this issue and it could save many a sleepless night.

[Mark]

Awesome guys. Thanks!