Thread: Setting up a D4 for a 2.5t Caravan

Originally Posted by TerryO

Hope that helps Scott and as Landy Andy said a good dual battery system is a good thing.

All of the information you have given me is a great help Terry, thank you. Mirrors are already obviously on the shopping list and I had been watching the thread in here with interest on the best type.

Originally Posted by LRD414

Scott,

I looked for the new wiring for the Tow Pro in the LHR storage space to help me sleep easier.

I aimed to identify two key points made in Sniegy's post, which I felt should be easy to see if done. That is the cut brown wire & connection of new variable voltage wire to that wire. Plus the splicing in of the red wire (brake light). I found the correct connections but the installer had done it behind the left tail light instead of in the storage space (wires run directly from storage space to behind tail light before going to trailer plug).

There is a couple of photos in the main thread that are really useful to identify if the correct things have happened. Plus Andrew's own more recent thread has good photos too.

Also, I am another Traxide DBS fan who did it himself without any previous experience.

Cheers,
Scott

PS .... same name, same car. You must be a top bloke.

Scott,

Yes I have been conversing a little with Sniegy to help me through it. I don't get home till 6:30 each night so fairly dark each time (will have a good look on the weekend). Pulled open the wiring in the L/H/R cargo area last night which revealed the spot where the brown wire becomes the brown/black wire has in fact NOT been cut and all appears the same as what it was when it came out of the factory.

I didn't look behind the tail light though; will do that tonight. I am losing sleep over it and any Newcastle D4 handy people will earn themselves many a beer if they can help me with this.

Originally Posted by BobD

I have a 12 pin flat plug on my Geist caravan. The white plug is equivalent to the row of large pins on the flat plug and the black plug is equivalent to the row of small pins. I made up an adaptor that goes to the white and black plugs on the D4 and ends in a 12 pin socket for the caravan plug.


The silly thing is that Geists came from Germany with the white and black European plugs which were cut off and replaced with a 12 pin flat plug for Australia.


For the D4 to recognise the trailer you only need a resistor in one of the indicator circuits, either a 21W globe or a dedicated resistor. No need for any other fancy stuff like the D3 needed.

Yeah as mentioned I'm fairly electrically challenged at the best of times. Wiring up a resistor (which I have no idea how to do) would not be my idea situation on the side of the road of a caravan which I just purchased.

Hence the $260 converter module is probably money well spent for me.

Scott, be aware that you should not use a load leveler on the D3/4 due to the sophisticated suspension on these vehicles, as recommended in the handbook.

You need to read the Tow pro paper work and set the controller before driving away--
Check all van ext lights (brake etc) work before driving away
Check all van tyres pressures, ( I think you should run these as hard as you can, I imagine sidewall flex[van sway] in these tall offroad tyres would be quite noticeable).
Search for a public weigh bridge and weigh all of it. $10 cheap.
Read up on how to bed-in drum brakes.
You need to measure how tall the van is,, write this on the rear of the sunvisor.

Originally Posted by Plane Fixer

Scott, be aware that you should not use a load leveler on the D3/4 due to the sophisticated suspension on these vehicles, as recommended in the handbook.

Hi Mr. Fixer,

Yep read that one numerous times.

Thank you though

Scott.

Update:

Contacted my local LR dealer today to ask who they recommend for EBC installs when a customer requests one.

I have now booked my vehicle in at that particular auto electrician to do an overview of the install job and fix anything they don't think is right.

This business is much more reputable holds a decent reputation so we shall see what comes of it.
Scott.

Originally Posted by ScottD4

Yeah as mentioned I'm fairly electrically challenged at the best of times. Wiring up a resistor (which I have no idea how to do) would not be my idea situation on the side of the road of a caravan which I just purchased.

Hence the $260 converter module is probably money well spent for me.

Scott,


You don't need the resistor to drive home. It only lets the car know that there is a trailer and doesn't change the way the lights work. On the D4 the LED trailer lights work fine, unlike a D3. The convertor box you are talking about is only necessary for a D3.


When I picked up my camper trailer from Ceduna after driving from Perth on a long weekend I had previously asked the owner to wire in the resistor for me so that I would have no problems. Just a matter of paying them to get an Auto Sparky to wire it in, otherwise do it when you get home. Either way, not an issue.


Bob

Originally Posted by BobD

Scott,


You don't need the resistor to drive home. It only lets the car know that there is a trailer and doesn't change the way the lights work. On the D4 the LED trailer lights work fine, unlike a D3. The convertor box you are talking about is only necessary for a D3.


When I picked up my camper trailer from Ceduna after driving from Perth on a long weekend I had previously asked the owner to wire in the resistor for me so that I would have no problems. Just a matter of paying them to get an Auto Sparky to wire it in, otherwise do it when you get home. Either way, not an issue.


Bob

Bob,

Just to clarify, I am more interested in the car knowing there is a trailer attached so that trailer sway control is in full operation.

I will be towing 2.5t+, first time I've ever towed that much and would really appreciate the piece of mind of having that working.

Especially as you indicated, caravans/trailers are never in your home town when you are looking for one, so I may be travelling some distance.

Scott.

hmm,, didnt I read somewhere that the sway thing will work regardless of "active" trailer???