electric/brake connector too loose
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Topic: electric/brake connector too loose
Posted By: cgarb
Subject: electric/brake connector too loose
Date Posted: 10 Apr 2011 at 1:39pm
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We picked up our new Hood River 177 Friday. On the way home the electrical connection shook loose, meaning we had no lights or brakes. The dealer said it is the connector they always use, a Husky, and if it is pushed in all the way it won't come loose. We have made sure the plug is all the way in, but even jiggling the heavy cord a bit, like on a bumpy road, the top flap that is supposed to hold the plug in place, wiggles up and the plug slips enough to lose the connection. The prongs on the plug and receptacle seem too short to hold with any amount of bumping. Has anyone else had this problem? Thanks! |
Replies:
Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 10 Apr 2011 at 2:13pm
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The Bargeman connector should have a pin on the inside of the flap that fits into a pocket on the plug, holding it in place. If that is not seating correctly I could see it working loose. If it appears to be due to a weak spring on the Bargeman's flap or some other defect I would have them replace it. Or, you could try using a small bungee cord to hold the flap against the plug.
------------- Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual 
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Posted By: cgarb
Date Posted: 10 Apr 2011 at 2:54pm
| Our electrical set up has a "Husky" receptacle on the van and a Bargman plug on the trailer. Neither side has a pin or hole, just a short tab on each that are supposed to keep the plug from sliding out. The cord and plug are quite heavy, so any bumping, like our California highways, causes the tabs to slip apart and the plug slides part way out. Seems ridiculous to have to tape a brand new electrical connection together every time we use it! |
Posted By: LunaPod
Date Posted: 10 Apr 2011 at 6:31pm
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Looks to me like the dealer needs to revisit this issue. ------------- Mike & Barb, R Pod 173 - TV 2011Silverado |
Posted By: Goose
Date Posted: 13 Apr 2011 at 11:52am
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cgarb, try pushing the plug into the receptacle and wiggle it a little as you push. It could be that the prongs in the receptacle are tight being that it is new and not allowing the pins on the plug to seat all the way in. As you push the plug in look at the locking tab on the receptacle flap and make sure that it sits all the way down. Don't be afraid to push the plug in hard. If you believe that the plug is going all the way in and is seated, you can use a plastic straw to get a depth measurement of the receptacle then lay it on the plug and make a mark to see if it seats all the way.
Hope that this helps you. Goose ------------- Mother Goose's Caboose..2011 RP171..07 Grand Cherokee 
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Posted By: cgarb
Date Posted: 13 Apr 2011 at 7:03pm
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Thank you for the suggestions! We did make sure that the tabs overlapped each other all the way, so they should have been locked in place. At least that is the way the plug worked on the horse trailers we had many years ago. On this one, both tabs are fairly short and the spring on the flap on the TV is loose enough that any wiggling of the plug allows the tabs to slip and come apart, resulting in the connector loosening up. We'll try it again, keeping your suggestions in mind. We'll be taking it back to the dealer in a few days to get a wheel put on the tongue jack, so we'll see what they say. I'm going to go out and cook dinner in the pod tonight to try out the microwave/convection oven and pretend that I am camping! |
Posted By: TIDALWAVE
Date Posted: 18 Apr 2011 at 6:29pm
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I have found that the OEM 7-pin Bargman socket on the rear of my new Chevy Pickup has a slightly larger diameter than on my other vehicles. So when I plug in my Pod's plug, the plug does not fit tightly but can wobble somewhat even when the locking flaps are correctly matched. So the lighting circuits don't always light up. I ended up carefully 'expanding' the individual metal tabs inside the plugs to make at least a tighter contact even if the two plugs don't fit very tightly. The Pod's socket plug fits perfectly on my other tow vehicle, so it is not the Pod plug's fault. Is your TV a newer GM product? I am wondering if GM's chinese parts manufacturer has used a metric-SAE conversion measurement which is an approximation of the SAE diameter of the Pod Plug. I have found a lot of imported SAE wrenches are actually a metric approximation of the stamped size. ------------- TIDALWAVE |
Posted By: cgarb
Date Posted: 18 Apr 2011 at 11:18pm
Our TV is a 1998 Toyota Sienna. It came with a "tow package" which was just the larger radiator and a transmission cooler, I think. The electrical and brakes were installed by the RV dealership before we picked up the Rpod, so you would think things would all match. We are taking it back in 2 days to have them check it out. I'll be interested to hear what they say. I'm sure they don't want to have us out and about with a big wad of chewing gum holding it together. Not good advertising for them!  I appreciate your input and will let you all know what happens. We are having fun getting things set up and hope to take our first trip in a couple of weeks. |