I used an ECHO Bluetooth brake controller that plugs in between my truck and trailer and is tied to my cell phone. It is NOT proportional so you program how much trailer brake you want and it delivers that much every time you touch the brakes. I think it works for me because I have a full sized truck with high performance brakes that can more than handle the weight of my Aliner Classic.?

I don’t have my truck 12v system connected to the trailer 12v. I don’t want the risk of the trailer draining my truck battery. Plus it would have been a lot of work. I have solar panels on one of the dormer roofs that charge the trailer battery while on the road.
I installed a rear view/back-up camera (Bluetooth to a separate monitor) that is powered off the trailer battery. It is lighted at night for better night vision but we rarely try to set up camp in the dark.
This works for me, but every setup is different.
Happy camping,
JoeS

Contact a reputable hitch selling and installing company. We went with Stealth Hitches, based in Georgia, but operating throughout the country. We also wanted a 7-pin connector, since the 4-pin is old school dropping much of the towing improvements developed over several decades.?

You will also need to be certain that the installers are educated on the electrical nuances of many newer vehicles, including mild hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and EVs. Several no longer use alternators, which significantly reduces the voltage going from the tow vehicle to the towed vehicle. The slow move away from archaic 12 volt accessory battery systems to 24V, or even 48V, will solve these problems, but the transition is slow. We added a flexible 175W solar panel, sealed and permanently installed to the roof of our Chalet A-Frame, which guarantees sufficient power to our refrigerator during all travel, even cloudy or rainy days (though the power is sufficiently reduced then), but not at night.

I did 4 of my vehicle. There are many things to do and it can take many hours to do a good job.

First, you need a brake controller. I use Primus IQ, but there are many other brands. The instruction of those products will give you a better explanation that I can write here. You have to install that controller with some restrictions (it has to be aligned with the travel direction and there are different angle limitations) Then you have to connect the blue wire to the 7-pin, the black wire to a 20 A breaker and then connect that breaker to the 12V battery. You have to connect the red wire to the brake pedal HOT signal. That is the hardest part: to find where you can tap. Then you have to route all those wire in a safe spot, which involves removing the trims all along the path. If you never did that (remove trims to access wires) it is going to be a steep learning curve!

Then you also need to install +12V going to the 7-pin to recharge your battery while traveling. Not always required if you can always plug 120V AC at the destination, but I wouldn't go without it. You need a relay, another 20A breaker and access to a point in the vehicle that is only powered when the engine is running. Otherwise, the trailer battery will drain the tow vehicle battery.? That is another funny thing to find.

I am fancy, so I added a reverse light relay on the last (center) pin.? My aliner has the reverse white light connected to that pin. So when I am backuping in a camping site, my wife has light to guide me.? This can save your marriage!

jf

You also need to install a brake controller.? You want a "proportional" one, so it brakes smoothly.? A popular brand is Prodigy.? The dealer or U Haul will also install that too.

The dealers and other places like U haul install 7 pin wiring harness all the time.? You let them know the make and model, they get the proper wiring harness and install it.

The adapter you bought to convert 4 to 7 doesn't have brakes.? Return it since you can't make use of it.

But you need to verify your towing capacity.? The fact that the car came with a 4 pin and not a 7 pin may be because you don't have a tow package, which reduces your tow max from 3500 to 1500.? If you don't know, call Ford, give them your vehicle VIN, and they can tell you what your tow capacity is.??

Joe,

The best time to check the battery voltage is early in morning, before the sun comes up, when neither the furnace fan nor any other significant appliance is running.? Then the battery will be at rest and the reading will reflect the current state of charge.

Once the sun comes up, the solar panel will raise the voltage gradually until it gets to 14.4 volts, and then eventually the solar controller shuts charging off.? A voltage of 13.2 indicates the solar controller has raised the voltage.? It may have just started charging, or may be finished and is supplying just the float charge.? Even if you disconnect the solar panel, the voltage will remain high for a while due to a residual "surface charge" left on the battery, and voltage won't reflect true state of charge until the battery sits and/or is used for a bit.

--
Don DeRyke
Sunrise, Florida

2009 Classic, 2020 Ford Escape, 2.0 liter EcoBoost, AWD.?
Previous TV 2015 Ford Escape 1.6 ltr EcoBoost engine.

We just got a new tow vehicle, a 2020 Ford Escape, Titanium. It has a four-point electrical connection but I need the seven point for our A-liner Classic. I ordered a 4 point to 7 point adapter but as I look at ?the wiring diagram, this does not seem to be the right item. It doesn’t mention brakes, back up lights etc. just left, right and tail lights. Can someone shed light on what I really need to make this change? I will be taking it to the dealer to install. ? ? ?Carolyn

On Wed, Jan 31, 2024 at 03:56 PM, Jean-Francois Larin wrote:

Hi,

I've learned recently that an absorption fridge should not be run when it is freezing.? It is something like: one of the fluid after separation can freeze and block the circulation and burn the fridge.? It is kind of counterintuitive since the cooling comes from heat...

Here is the short fast explanation I could find??.? I can't find my original source.

Best Regards,
jf

Interesting comment.? Looking around I found this:

"I queried JC Refrigeration about cold weather operation and as usual they responded almost immediately:

Our system will not have a problem with cold temperatures down to 0 degrees if it is running on gas. The LP burner will create enough heat to keep the system from freezing."

I've camped down to 20 degrees outside and the fridge seemed to work OK both during and after that. But propane fridges do seem to gradually lose cooling power when they get old.? Freezing temps, getting stuck in traffic jams on a crowned road, or parking not completely level for lunch and not shutting off the fridge may all contribute to that.? And when our propane fridges don't cool well anymore, you have to replace them.? You can't buy a new cooling unit for the smaller fridges.? Dometic won't sell you one, and nobody else makes one.

A YouTube made in November (by a company buying up the unused Somerset parts Aliner no longer needs for making tent trailers) said that the Aliner company is only making Aliners based on specific orders from dealers.? This would relate to a very conservative and safety related manufacturing process.

Hi,

I've learned recently that an absorption fridge should not be run when it is freezing.? It is something like: one of the fluid after separation can freeze and block the circulation and burn the fridge.? It is kind of counterintuitive since the cooling comes from heat...

Here is the short fast explanation I could find??.? I can't find my original source.

Best Regards,
jf

I checked the battery voltage and it is at 13.2! It is easy to check at the Renogy solar controller panel which is on the trailer tongue. I topped off the battery water last week.
The skates are small dollies that have ‘v’ shaped pads that the tire sits on. The skates allow me to push the trailer sideways for access around it. I guess I’ll have 2 small flat spots rather than one large one. I plan to replace the tires after 5 years just to be safe. We replaced one last year when all the wheel studs sheared off on the freeway. Lost a wheel and tire, very scary, but no damage to the camper.?
I did winterize the camper as I didn’t get it into the garage till partway through the winter. I drained and isolated the heater, blew the lines out with air then run the antifreeze through the system. I have not heard of the algae problem with RV antifreeze. Maybe I should winterize with vodka! We normally don’t drink the water but I have brushed my teeth with it. The algae issue has me rethinking my winterization process.
Thanks,
JoeS

?

?

--
Don DeRyke
Sunrise, Florida

2009 Classic, 2020 Ford Escape, 2.0 liter EcoBoost, AWD.?
Previous TV 2015 Ford Escape 1.6 ltr EcoBoost engine.

I'm purchasing the Aliner Evolution 15 and I just noticed from the online videos that underneath the camper there is a small diameter plastic drain pipe near the front for the underfloor shower and another small plastic drain pipe for the sink near the back.? These are smaller than the standard 4" sewer hose.? How does one connect the two to a standard sewer connection when staying in an RV park.? Both gray water fittings appear to be about 2" or less in diameter.? We go camping for weeks at a time and having to dump a bucket or portable tank everyday is not practical.

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Hi Joe:

We keep our refrigerator running, it is the 3-way, not a compressor model. I've read crystals can form in propane fridges that are hard to remelt. We also keep a dehumidifier running next to the camper. Both tend to heat the camper shed, nice in the winter, not too bad in the summer. Our ceiling is tall enough we can keep the roof up. 2000 model.

Carl.

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Hi Don:

There is no drain hole by design, the efficiency of this unit depends on the condensation being sprayed on the hot coils. I did make one modification, I rewired the fan to run continuously so it won't cycle in the dehumidify mode. It would be really cool if they added a heat pump valve so the unit could heat the camper too.

Most of the hardware is from my shop's collection: drawer pulls from salvaged equipment, threaded rod and turnbuckles found in dumpsters, sheet metal from an auction. The toilet latch is for service trucks, and I bought it new, the most expensive piece in the job. Found it on the internet. The master latch for the drawers is from a rotary electrical switch. The channel latches on the hooks on the back of the drawers, and a pin lowers to lock the big dish drawer.

The wood is mostly solid oak and thin ply plywood, smooth surfaces, strong and without voids. There is also a slot under the front of the AC you can reach from the rear storage. We keep the marshmallow sticks there.

Carl.

There's nothing you're doing that's absolutely wrong or missing, but there are some debatable points..

In regards to leaving the trailer plugged in, some of us like to plug the trailer in every 3 weeks for a couple days, then unplug it and disconnect the battery completely.? The theory is the converter (or a battery tender) could degrade the battery if left connected long term, and there have been a few documented cases where something like a battery tender malfunctions and degrades the battery.

But you have a late model trailer, which should have a modern converter, which will drop the voltage to 13.2 volts (for lead acid), and a computer in a device should be able to maintain the battery better than a human that has to manually plug the thing in.? So, I mention this so you can be aware of the debate and decide for yourself.? I'd suggest you measure the voltage after a couple days plugged in, and if it's 13.2, you're good.? But if its 13.6, don't leave it plugged in long term.? Another thing to do starting off is to check the water level in the battery every week or so, and make sure it's not dropping too quickly.??

You mention that the tires are up on skates.? I don't know exactly what that is, but I'm doubting the curvature matches the tire exactly.? Another thing some of us do that's even better is to put the trailer on jacks to lift the tires off the ground.? That will certainly be best for the tires.? But is it necessary?? Maybe or maybe not.

Another thing to realize is that you do not run trailer tires until the tread is gone.? That leads to blowouts that can cause a lot of damage.? Replsce tires every 5 years even if the tread is fine.? Some of us replace them even sooner.

I take it you also drained the water heater, if any, and water tank?? The water can get algae in it if left stored for long periods.? But since you are storing in a heated garage I would not put antifreeze in the tanks.? My experience is the rv antifreeze makes algae growth more likely.?

Last winter we used our 2022 Classic as a guest room so this is the first year we have “put it away” for the season. ?It fits in the garage and I leave the roof latches unhooked and camper plugged in. The tires are on “skates” that are not flat so that should be better for the tires? The refrigerator and freezer are propped open. The garage stays between 40 and 60 even when we had single digit lows. This is all new to me. Should I doing something else?

JoeS