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IndyAnne · 05-21-2010, 03:51 PM

Found two great links for starting from scratch on installing a 7-pole trailer brake controller, or upgrading from 4-pole for both sides, the truck side and the trailer side, with recommended adapters.

I'll be pulling a 1968 Airstream Trade Wind. It's not very heavy, but that's another point -- I'll need to load it up and take it to the scales and weigh it on both sides at the wheels, and at the tongue.

I'll need to be sure I have the truck wires all going where they are supposed to. Airstreams were not wired for 7-pole originally, and I don't have a schematic from the tech who wired the Airstream to my previous vehicle. Airstream has a glitch, you can't get the battery to charge from the alternator without some tricky wiring besides the vehicle wiring, and I don't have that. And, if you forget to unplug from the shore power and connect the 7-pole to the truck, it blows the running lights and some other fuses. I keep extra fuses and bulbs for that very reason -- absent-minded.

Didn't ChevLoRay say somewhere that adding "air" to a product drives up the level of cost and complication? I think the issue at the time was products for shining metal. That's a favorite topic for Airstreams, getting the mirror shine possible on the vintage models (maybe 1970 and earlier). That's another thread on another forum. Everything about Airstream is a one-off, that's why they are so special. That's ok, I'm a Mac user, too.

Anyhoo -- I'm hoping since both trucks are GM, there will be the same connections, just need to be sure the Airstream was wired to GM specifications, and this K1500 was wired to GM specifications.. Somewhere, I have the factory wiring schematic for GM trucks, but the other truck was a 2002, not a 1988. It's ok, the 88 is paid for, unlike the 2002.

An illustrated text web page:
http://www.etrailer.com/faq-installa...m-scratch.aspx

This page has a video of installation in a 1993 Suburban, as far as I can tell, it looks just like the K1500 under the hood:
http://www.etrailer.com/tv-brake-con...-suburban.aspx

05-21-2010, 03:51 PM	#34
IndyAnne Registered User Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: indianapolis, IN Posts: 81	Trailer Brake Install Instructions Found two great links for starting from scratch on installing a 7-pole trailer brake controller, or upgrading from 4-pole for both sides, the truck side and the trailer side, with recommended adapters. I'll be pulling a 1968 Airstream Trade Wind. It's not very heavy, but that's another point -- I'll need to load it up and take it to the scales and weigh it on both sides at the wheels, and at the tongue. I'll need to be sure I have the truck wires all going where they are supposed to. Airstreams were not wired for 7-pole originally, and I don't have a schematic from the tech who wired the Airstream to my previous vehicle. Airstream has a glitch, you can't get the battery to charge from the alternator without some tricky wiring besides the vehicle wiring, and I don't have that. And, if you forget to unplug from the shore power and connect the 7-pole to the truck, it blows the running lights and some other fuses. I keep extra fuses and bulbs for that very reason -- absent-minded. Didn't ChevLoRay say somewhere that adding "air" to a product drives up the level of cost and complication? I think the issue at the time was products for shining metal. That's a favorite topic for Airstreams, getting the mirror shine possible on the vintage models (maybe 1970 and earlier). That's another thread on another forum. Everything about Airstream is a one-off, that's why they are so special. That's ok, I'm a Mac user, too. Anyhoo -- I'm hoping since both trucks are GM, there will be the same connections, just need to be sure the Airstream was wired to GM specifications, and this K1500 was wired to GM specifications.. Somewhere, I have the factory wiring schematic for GM trucks, but the other truck was a 2002, not a 1988. It's ok, the 88 is paid for, unlike the 2002. An illustrated text web page: http://www.etrailer.com/faq-installa...m-scratch.aspx This page has a video of installation in a 1993 Suburban, as far as I can tell, it looks just like the K1500 under the hood: http://www.etrailer.com/tv-brake-con...-suburban.aspx __________________ IndyAnne Indianapolis, Southside Project photos with comments: http://www.flickr.com/photos/indyanne1/ 1988 Chevy K1500 Silverado, 2-door extended cab, long bed, 350 5.7 gas, automatic transmission, built in Canada http://web.me.com/agm57/IndyAnnes_Bi...vy/Photos.html Tow vehicle for 1968 Airstream Trade Wind http://web.me.com/agm57/IndyAnnes_Ai...os/Photos.html Last edited by IndyAnne; 05-21-2010 at 04:19 PM.