Mallard, Check Trailer Wiring

[Swirvcat]

I just purchased my camper on July 30th. After pulling out of the lot with the camper in tow, I immediately began getting an error message on my truck dash screen stating "Check Trailer Wiring" but then immediately says "Trailer Connected". It did this back and forth the whole time it took me to turn around and go right back to the dealership with it. They claimed it had to be a truck issue as they checked all the wiring before I picked it up that day. I drove the camper home and listened to that error for 1.5 hours. I have asked around and no one has an answer really. We tried making sure the ball and hitch cup had a good connection by removing any paint that might prevent a solid connect as I was told this is a negative connection. No help. Tried adding Terminal Grease to the ball. No help. Checked that the trailer plug wiring was correct according to the wiring diagram. Thought I found an issue as the Charge wire had some strays sticking out the bottom of the wire nut. Fixed that, but still doing it. Added a negative wire from the negative on the plug to the battery directly. Didn't fix it. I am at a complete loss.

I have hooked my truck up to another flat auto hauler trailer that had a 7 point plug and I never got an error message. I have noticed that it mainly does it when the hitch and ball may have separation such as: when I'm turning, going over bumps, etc. but not always. I can be driving smoothly down the interstate and it does it out of no where. When parked, I shook the plug attached to the truck vigorously and it didn't pop the error message. I then shook the hitch connected to the truck to the point of making the connection wiggle and the error message would pop.

I have a 2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 4x4 Z71. Camper is a 2017 Heartland Mallard lightweight. I have the weight distribution system in place as well as the sway control arm. The technician weaved my emergency cable for the camper brakes through my chain that connects to my truck.

Anyone have any ideas or ever had this happen to them??

 

[cookie]

First of all, although the statement is correct that the hitch is a neutral connection, there is a white wire in the plug that does the job of providing the neutral connection.
So if wiggling the ball connection causes the fault you need to check that the neutral pole of the plug has continuity to the truck battery.
You will also need to check the trailer side of the plug to check for continuity to the trailer battery.

Another thing to check is the wiring at the brakes.
Come back and let us know what you find.

Peace
Dave

 

[Bob&Patty]

I agree with Dave. Check the wires at the axles to make sure there are no chaffed wires.

 

[Bones]

I would like to note that you will need to ohm the brakes and make sure you don't have a short. You may have to cut the wire going to the brakes to make sure the wire in the axle is not shorted. I had this problem and it turned out to be shorted wires in the axle tubes. Yours could also be a bad magnet shorting out on the hub.

 

[crors7]

Had the same issue with mine, turned out to be a bad brake magnet, was not fun stopping a 15k trailer without brakes!

 

[JohnD]

...was not fun stopping a 15k trailer without brakes!

With our old 1978 Coachman Cadet TT the brakes only worked going up hill . . . never down hill!

And I had to go over Wolf Creek Pass twice with it . . .