Charging battery while connected to tow vehicle |
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fwunder
Senior Member Joined: 04 Oct 2013 Location: New Jersey Online Status: Offline Posts: 1676 |
Topic: Charging battery while connected to tow vehicle Posted: 20 Sep 2020 at 7:22pm |
Old thread...but... Some vehicles like my 4Runner only charge when lights are on. Weird, huh? |
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2014 RPod 178 => MyMods and Buying Habits
2008 4Runner Limited 4.0-liter V6 Yes, those are wild ponies dining on grass while dumping tanks! |
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offgrid
Senior Member Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290 |
Posted: 20 Sep 2020 at 7:47pm |
Yep, incorrect assumption. If you don't have a brake controller you need one. You can buy one and install it yourself if you feel comfortable, or have an RV or trailer place do it. They will install a 7 way connector on the Lexus at the same time, and you'll be good to go for both charging and brakes. If you decide to do it yourself I recommend the Tekonsha Prodigy P2. Does everything you need it to without a lot of frills.
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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
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StephenH
podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 29 Nov 2015 Location: Wake Forest, NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 6288 |
Posted: 20 Sep 2020 at 7:49pm |
You can't bank on Lexus thinking you would be towing a trailer that required a 7-pin connector to operate electric brakes. I had a 2016 Ford Escape SE with factory installed tow package. It came with a 2" receiver, but only a 4 pin connector like your Lexus has. In order to add the brake controller, I had to purchase a wiring kit from eTrailer to add the missing 7-pin connector myself along with the required wiring for the brake and 12v power. Looking on the Lexus site, the towing prep package includes things like heavy-duty radiator and cooling fan plus oil and transmission coolers. It says nothing about heavy-duty alternator or wiring for trailer brake system. Etrailer says that without the 7-way, you need this kit to install a brake controller: Without a brake controller, you run the risk of an accident. Please install one. If the trailer comes with electric brakes, and the RPods do, you are required to have them operational, especially since the weight of a loaded RPod is most likely to exceed 3,000 lbs. Don't tow without a working controller please. There are wireless ones now that make installing a controller easier, but that does not eliminate the need for a 7-way connector.
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StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS |
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BMac12345
Newbie Joined: 30 Aug 2020 Location: WA Online Status: Offline Posts: 9 |
Posted: 20 Sep 2020 at 8:07pm |
Thanks for the info, all! I’m going to discuss this with U-Haul tomorrow. Think they would know about this stuff and how to handle it all? I wouldn’t trust myself to do it.
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StephenH
podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 29 Nov 2015 Location: Wake Forest, NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 6288 |
Posted: 20 Sep 2020 at 8:37pm |
I wold hope so. If you have not already purchased a brake controller, make sure you get a proportional controller and not a time delay controller. The proportional one will apply the trailer brakes in proportion as needed to match the rate the tow vehicle is slowing. Time delay just starts out and builds the braking force without consideration of how much braking force the tow vehicle is using. Time Delay controllers are as one might expect, cheaper. Proportional ones are more expensive, but you do get what you pay for. Don't let them talk you into a time delay one. Ones to consider: Tekonsha Prodigy P3; Tekonsha Prodigy P2/ Hopkins InSIGHT Flex-Mount (the one I have), Redarc Tow-Pro Elite (can be mounted with only a small control button visible); or Curt Spectrum (similar to Redarc with only small control knob visible). There are others, but take a look at these on etrailer.com and read up on them before you let the U-Haul dealer talk you into something that you would find inadequate later on.
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StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS |
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offgrid
Senior Member Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290 |
Posted: 21 Sep 2020 at 5:39am |
I would be inclined to go somewhere else if you've been to uhaul already and they didn't get you set up right. Uhaul places are hit or miss in their expertise and focus on that part of their business. Many are just rental locations with some trucks and trailers on a lot.
Regardless of who you have put it in, you as the driver need to understand what a brake controller does and how to set it up properly and confirm it and your trailer brakes are working as they should. Its not hard, just part of what you need to know to tow safely. So, after you get your rig back from whoever, get out the manual, go to a big empty parking lot and do the set up and test procedure yourself before your next trip.
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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
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BMac12345
Newbie Joined: 30 Aug 2020 Location: WA Online Status: Offline Posts: 9 |
Posted: 28 Sep 2020 at 11:12am |
The parts have been obtained and taken to Lexus. Lexus "is not allowed to install" something that will assist with braking because that would encourage/allow Lexus owners of this vehicle to tow something greater than 3500 pounds, which is the maximum towing capacity of this vehicle. Lexus specifically said this equipment is not required to tow a vehicle 3500 pounds or less, so they wouldn't install it. Interesting.
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offgrid
Senior Member Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290 |
Posted: 28 Sep 2020 at 1:02pm |
For the record, I agree with Lexus, the trailer you have is too heavy for a 3500 lb rated tow vehicle.
That being said, you should be able to have any trailer shop install a brake controller for you if you want to proceed, its not difficult.
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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
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mcarter
podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 07 Apr 2016 Location: Greenbrier, TN Online Status: Offline Posts: 3419 |
Posted: 28 Sep 2020 at 4:07pm |
+1 to Offgrid, vehicle is not right.
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Mike Carter
2015 178 " I had the right to remain silent, I just didn't have the ability." |
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StephenH
podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 29 Nov 2015 Location: Wake Forest, NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 6288 |
Posted: 28 Sep 2020 at 7:04pm |
Lexus is giving you wrong information. If the vehicle is rated to 3500, the law requires brakes to be working if they are on the trailer. In NC, a house trailer (I read that to include camping trailers) of 1,000 lbs or more is legally required to have brakes controlled by the driver of the tow vehicle. Other states say that any trailer over 3,000 lbs must have brakes. That includes Washington. If Lexus gives the vehicle a 3500 lb tow rating, and if the law states trailers over 3000 lbs requires brakes, then Lexus needs to install a brake controller. Now, I do agree that the Lexus is marginal for the task though. You would be better served with a vehicle of higher tow capacity.
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StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS |
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