Anyone flat tow their Maverick yet?

[Mills Maverick]

2000 mile round trip to Key West for the month of March. Easy tow and set up. Hauled 2 Lectric bikes, kayak and 6 hp Suzuki outboard along with numerous other things in the truck. RVi brake system, Blue Ox tow bar which I already had from our previous CRV toad.
I used the diode wiring harness that splices into the Maverick wiring. Easy job.

What is a diode wiring harness? We had a shop install the tow bar and wiring but our truck goes dead and the brake loses power with in 90 minutes of towing. It's been a real pain.

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[Donald]

What is a diode wiring harness? We had a shop install the tow bar and wiring but our truck goes dead and the brake loses power with in 90 minutes of towing. It's been a real pain.

You need to hardwire a 12 volt plug directly to the jumper post under the hood. The existing 12 volt plug in the console shuts off in 90 minutes. Diode wiring harness splices into the lighting harness in the rear lights to allow the motorhome lights to work the toad lights. Easy install.

 

[Palms]

Please note that my Ford dealer said that connecting anything to that positive post that is only for jump starting the battery could lead to problems. I had to have mine disconnected from there and connected to the under seat battery. I installed a switch on the dash to deactivate it while not towing to avoid any further "warranty denial" items claimed by the dealer with the Rvi charger.

 

[Mills Maverick]

Please note that my Ford dealer said that connecting anything to that positive post that is only for jump starting the battery could lead to problems. I had to have mine disconnected from there and connected to the under seat battery. I installed a switch on the dash to deactivate it while not towing to avoid any further "warranty denial" items claimed by the dealer with the Rvi charger.

Yes, we hardwired from there directly back to the battery under the seat.

Tried this today but 50 miles into the tow we already have a dead battery! This has been a nightmare!

 

[Mills Maverick]

We are on the road with a dead car and called closest for dealer and they told us they couldn't get us in to have the battery checked for 2 months. Called the other one in close city and they are out 2 months as well. So brand new vehicle and it doesn't work. No where to turn. Can't keep it charged when towing.

 

[BradnChristine]

We are on the road with a dead car and called closest for dealer and they told us they couldn't get us in to have the battery checked for 2 months. Called the other one in close city and they are out 2 months as well. So brand new vehicle and it doesn't work. No where to turn. Can't keep it charged when towing.

Wish I had an answer for you. Something is left "on" in the truck to deplete your battery in such a short time. There is something drawing current from that battery that should not be doing so.

You questioned what a diode was...it is a solid state device that allows current to go in one direction only. For example, if your charge wire does not have a diode installed, connecting the truck to the motorhome could allow the motorhome battery to take power from the truck. A diode stops that from happening.

The other use of diodes in a towed is to let both the RV AND the truck use a single light bulb. In other words, when the lights come on powered by the motorhome, there are two entry points on one side of the diode and one on the output (bulb) side. Current goes into the diode from either the motorhome or the truck, but those two entry points do not interact with each other and the current only goes to the bulb.

 

[Mills Maverick]

Wouldn't the new charge line that was installed with the tow bar have a diode on it?

 

[Palms]

Mills, how is your charge line connected to the Mav? Is it with a commercial device or did you wire from the six pin to the battery w/a diode? I agree that something is drawing down your 12v battery. I imagine the brake system is directly connected to the battery? It should be the only draw while you're towing plus your stop/turn signals. Please confirm to see what we can come up with. I am not discounting that you may have gotten a bum battery, just like I did.

 

[Mills Maverick]

It is a patriot 2 brake system that we used when pulling our Ford edge with this MH. it plugs into the cigarette lighter.
(I am the wife posting for hubby that is going crazy with this. I'm the techy problem solver one)

 

[Palms]

Plugged into the cigarette lighter, it will lose power after about an hour and a half and will no longer be working. You should consider plugging the Patriot into a constant or always on 12v supply. This can be tapped from the battery under the rear seat or, you can use an add a tap for the positive from an always on fuse in the fuse under the passenger "floorboard", connecting the negative to a chassis nut right at the same location. This still will not solve your dead battery situation.
How is the Maverick battery being charged while you're driving the motorhome please?

 

[BradnChristine]

Wouldn't the new charge line that was installed with the tow bar have a diode on it?

Only if you installed one. Cable connects to Maverick, charge wire comes from that connector THEN a diode, then to your Maverick's battery. This is what I use. The diode is inside the box, https://www.bestconverter.com/Toad-Charge_c_125.html

 

[Palms]

I use something similar called the Rvi Towed Battery Charger Plus. What do you have in the wire that goes between your 6 way plug at the front of the Mav to your positive terminal on the battery

 

[Mills Maverick]

Plugged into the cigarette lighter, it will lose power after about an hour and a half and will no longer be working. You should consider plugging the Patriot into a constant or always on 12v supply. This can be tapped from the battery under the rear seat or, you can use an add a tap for the positive from an always on fuse in the fuse under the passenger "floorboard", connecting the negative to a chassis nut right at the same location. This still will not solve your dead battery situation.
How is the Maverick battery being charged while you're driving the motorhome please?

We had a charge line installed when they installed the tow bar

 

[BradnChristine]

We had a charge line installed when they installed the tow bar

That sounds like a wire with zero breakers or diodes. Ask your installer what they did. MANY installers really have no clue about what is needed.

 

[Palms]

Let us know what your installer told you that they put in.

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