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Factory 7 pin and travel trailer battery

3K views 34 replies 9 participants last post by  MartyG007 
#1 ·
I am purchasing a new travel trailer and notice the refrigerator is not gas electric like my previous one. Does a 1st gen Titan with factory 7 pin charge it while being towed? If not can it be update to do so? I have an 12 SV 4x4 with tow mode. Thank you!
 
#2 ·
It should charge as the breakaway safety switch and trailer brakes rely on battery power to operate. Usually the fridge is a 3 way. Gas, battery and electric.
 
#3 ·
Appreciate the input. The unit we are looking at is does not have the Electric/gas. I think all add an additional battery just as a backup just in case the other is out. We usually camp within 4 hours of our home in Tennessee but we do go to the Gulf of Mexico. That’s about an 8 hour drive.
 
#7 · (Edited)
That is a good floor plan if you need a bunkhouse. We opted for the rear living room plan and love it.

Floor plan Drawing Plan Line Artwork


Dry Weight
5,918 lbs.
Payload Capacity
1,723 lbs.
GVWR
7,700 lbs.
Hitch Weight
780 lbs.
 
#8 ·
Man that’s awesome! We have three kiddos so definitely need the bunks. I am going to upgrade to an E2 wdh instead of the pro lift I have. I tell you I never feel there’s not enough power towing it...just don’t like it when semis drive by. That suction increases the pucker factor! I added bilstein 5100s and it helped.
 
#10 ·
LT tires at max pressure helped mine a lot. I also added air bags for a little more stability. I want to upgrade my WDH. Fighting those dang chains sucks sometimes.
 
#12 ·
I am kicking around getting the Blue Ox hitch. It still has chains but a nice system to adjust it. It's a little pricey as well. This covid crap gets out of here, we have some long distance trips planned.
 
#16 ·
We live close to Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley. There are quite a few fantastic places to camp close by. Most of the places we looked at or stayed at were too close to other sites. I don't like to be packed in somewhere. Myrtle Beach is a good example. You have to plan carefully if you want to put the awning out. Pickles in a jar is not a good time. LBL has some great campgrounds.
 
#19 ·
Totally understand! I got a river site at the riverfront plantation. However I hate being packed in at a campground. 99% we do state parks or corps of engineers. We go to Gulf State Park in Alabama a couple times a year to get my Gulf is Mexico fix.
 
#20 ·
We want to go to Gulf SP, but most of the sites look to be right out in the sun. We have just driven through so I don't know the good sites with some shade.
 
#25 ·
This is our regular campsite. This place has kinda spoiled us. USCOE Canal campground.

View attachment 545693
Awesome setup! Here are some
Also I like your setup! Our current camper is 15 years old and about done. Here are some decently shaded sites at Gulf State Park:

8, 6, 5, 18, 22, 24, 199, 201, 205, 218, 241, 257, 259- these are on the lake side and can get a little windy.

182, 184, 334, 349, 344, 402. 182 I want to say is the best for shade.
If you decide to go call the reservation dept. at Gulf State Park and ask if the site is still pretty shady.
 
#23 ·
Not sure they're open right now, but if you like tree camping near the beach, check out St. George Island State Park near Apalachicola, FL.
 
#26 ·
A little late to this thread, but a couple observations from a guy who's been towing and out camping for some 45+ years... first, 4mula, wow, nice spot! Everything near me is... "rustic".

Second, sounds like you're talking about one of the new 12V compressor fridges. They have a great advantage in they don't have to be perfectly level to work. I understand that they're very power-efficient. Folks are reporting that they use roughly less than a third of the power that the furnace blower uses.

A couple other notes for you: If you're adding a battery for more storage capacity, make sure that it's the same age as what's in there already. A month or two doesn't matter, six months does. The batteries will 'fight' each other and neither will last very long. Been there... "Oh, I can save a few bucks..." Yeah, we all know how THAT turns out.

When you're looking for a sway-cancelling hitch, there are a number of brands out there, most are pretty good. For instance, I had a Reese twin-cam for about a dozen years and really liked it. Got an EAZ-Lift Trekker and like it, especially the way I just hook up and go. No fiddling with chain lengths, I can tune the amount of sway control to my local conditions. But there are all kinds out there; find what suits your nature and budget. Just don't go cheap. Your family is worth the extra bucks.

On the 7-pin: Don't expect the tow vehicle to really do much of a job of charging your trailer batteries while you're driving. You can only get ...maybe... about half a dozen amps through the 7-pin, and trying to charge two discharged 250-amp-hour batteries... The onboard converter can dump 15+ amps/hour into those batteries and get them up in a few hours. Lots of people (me included) have solar-based charging, might be worth looking into for you.

Hope that helps.
 
#27 ·
A little late to this thread, but a couple observations from a guy who's been towing and out camping for some 45+ years... first, 4mula, wow, nice spot! Everything near me is... "rustic".

Second, sounds like you're talking about one of the new 12V compressor fridges. They have a great advantage in they don't have to be perfectly level to work. I understand that they're very power-efficient. Folks are reporting that they use roughly less than a third of the power that the furnace blower uses.

A couple other notes for you: If you're adding a battery for more storage capacity, make sure that it's the same age as what's in there already. A month or two doesn't matter, six months does. The batteries will 'fight' each other and neither will last very long. Been there... "Oh, I can save a few bucks..." Yeah, we all know how THAT turns out.

When you're looking for a sway-cancelling hitch, there are a number of brands out there, most are pretty good. For instance, I had a Reese twin-cam for about a dozen years and really liked it. Got an EAZ-Lift Trekker and like it, especially the way I just hook up and go. No fiddling with chain lengths, I can tune the amount of sway control to my local conditions. But there are all kinds out there; find what suits your nature and budget. Just don't go cheap. Your family is worth the extra bucks.

On the 7-pin: Don't expect the tow vehicle to really do much of a job of charging your trailer batteries while you're driving. You can only get ...maybe... about half a dozen amps through the 7-pin, and trying to charge two discharged 250-amp-hour batteries... The onboard converter can dump 15+ amps/hour into those batteries and get them up in a few hours. Lots of people (me included) have solar-based charging, might be worth looking into for you.

Hope that helps.
Thank you for the input! I’ll stick with one or just have an extra not wired up. I wasn’t for sure about the 12 volt fridge because I’ve had a gas/electric forever.
 
#28 ·
We had a 2016 Jayco 264BHW behind a 2008 Titan Crew. We were able to run the basics inside the camper using the 7way plug: Led lights, water pump, electric jack and inside/outside radio etc.
We did add a 12 volt deep cycle battery for using these things but the bigger power (amperage) systems like the tongue jack require the truck engine running in order to use them. However, I don't think you would get enough amperage through the 7-way plug without a battery. So you need a battery for the current load and the 7-way will help keep the battery charged to operate the onboard systems.

We did not try running the fridge from the battery, I don't think ours had that option.

Hope this helps!
 
#30 ·
We had a 2016 Jayco 264BHW behind a 2008 Titan Crew. We were able to run the basics inside the camper using the 7way plug: Led lights, water pump, electric jack and inside/outside radio etc.
We did add a 12 volt deep cycle battery for using these things but the bigger power (amperage) systems like the tongue jack require the truck engine running in order to use them. However, I don't think you would get enough amperage through the 7-way plug without a battery. So you need a battery for the current load and the 7-way will help keep the battery charged to operate the onboard systems.

We did not try running the fridge from the battery, I don't think ours had that option.

Hope this helps!
thanks man!! I truly appreciate it!
 
#29 ·
You must use a battery on the camper. The breakaway switch will activate the brakes in the event of the trailer seperating from the tow vehicle. It needs battery power to activate the brakes on the runaway camper.
 
#32 ·
Yes it does. it actually goes from the 7 pin in the rear, to a red fusible link under the hood. I know, because I have had to change it out once because I accientlally shorted the wire to ground and blew it. But the aux 12vdc goes from the battery of my Titan to the 7 pin, and keeps the house battery on the trailer charged.
 
#34 ·
The amount of amps that modern tow vehicles provide to the trailer is usually enough to maintain the trailer battery state of charge, but not enough to bring it to a 100% state of charge if you start with a low SOC.

Put a clamp meter on the lead to your trailer battery when the truck's 7-pin is connected. That's the best way to know how many amps are going into the trailer battery. Be sure to turn OFF the fridge for this test and it helps if the battery is not already fully charged.

To remedy this, you may have to run a separate wire from the truck battery to the truck bumper where it ends in a 50 amp (or better) Anderson Connector. On the trailer side, you'll want a DC-DC charger to ensure you get a proper charge and not overcharge the trailer battery. A good DC-DC charger isn't cheap and wiring all that up will take a couple hours at least.

A second battery may be necessary if you're boondocking. If you're always at a campground then probably not.

Alternatively, you could put in a solar system on the roof of the trailer and that would handle the fridge load. Once again, if you're always at campgrounds with hookups, adding solar would cost more than it's worth.
 
#35 ·
Lots of apples and oranges here! There are 3 way RV fridges, 12V, 120VAC, and Propane. These are the oldest. The 12V function was discontinued because it would drain a battery. Ours, for instance, is a 2-Way, 120VAC and Propane. Propane works great. However, lately some have become "scared" of propane, and go through all kinds of hoops to not run the propane, especially on the road. (which is what it is designed for!). These have all been absorption fridges, which heat ammonia to boiling. Now, because of the propane fears, a newer type of fridge is being offered that is all electric, i.e. 120VAC and 12VDC. There are also those who favor using a regular, home-style residential refrigerator on a big bank of batteries with an inverter! Supposedly the newer 12V ones use less current, but still recommend a second battery.
To give away my age, our first refrigerator when I was a kid was a Servel. Natural gas, absorption, in our kitchen. They've been in use for years!
Now to the question that started all of this:
Yes, your 12V+ on the 7-pin does connect your Titan 12V system to the trailer, when the engine is running. There is a relay that cuts it off in the truck, to keep camper usage from draining the battery. Be advised, however, that due to wire gauge and length, current is limited. Even at highway speeds, the ability of the truck to recharge the trailer battery (ies) is/are limited.
 
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