Disc brake conversion

[Dave W]

Originally Posted by MARK A

I fished my brake wire right through the existing loom from the pin box to the front compartment. Just lucked out maybe but it's worth a try!


Mark

Yep, same as my wiring. Keystone had virtually hidden the wiring to the point I really had no easy access. I added an extension box to the existing one as well since ours was virtually full of wire and wire nuts and couldn't get the cover back on

[WhatExit?]

Reviving this thread...

I have a 2021 3120RL with Electric Drum brakes - how do I know what components I need to upgrade my 5th wheel to disc brakes?

Thanks for your help

[MARK A]

I made 1 call to "Stop your trailer.com" and they sent EVERYTHING I needed. All I provided was a picture of the axle tags and a desire to upgrade the outer bearings. I can't say enough good things.


Mark

[dieselguy]

I'm not a fan of the "one size fits all" disk brake conversions especially as to the plumbing part ... some people do which is fine as it does not effect quality. If you go the individual component route, You'll need an actuator (Titan, Hydrastar, Dexter) to supply hydraulic pressure to the calipers, a caliper kit (Kodiak, Dexter, Redline) in itself that replaces the electric magnet, backing plate, and shoe assys ... and a metal tubing or flex hose kit along with a handful of line fittings. I prefer metal tubing. You'll need to know what axles you have under your rig which is usually found on a paper tag on the axles itself or stamped into the axle tube. If you do a custom install yourself, you will need basic wiring skills, basic mechanical skills, and perhaps the ability to correctly double flare hydraulic line. Or just use the universal tubing kits and wad the extra 5 or ten feet of tubing in a loop under your frame. There are one or two other items you'll deal with, but you get the gist here.

[Racersedge31]

Originally Posted by Dave W

Yep, same as my wiring. Keystone had virtually hidden the wiring to the point I really had no easy access. I added an extension box to the existing one as well since ours was virtually full of wire and wire nuts and couldn't get the cover back on

Hey Dave
I need help with wiring my Deemaxx G1600 EOH Actuator into my 2019 3121rl montana. I have mounted the Deemaxx hubs and calipers and mounted the G1600 Actuator. I haven't ran the brakelines yet. I'm having trouble figuring out the wiring on the G1600 4 wire Actuator. If anyone has pics of their wiring I would be so grateful. Thanks

[Foldbak]

I haven't installed one but looking at the schematic it looks straight forward. To break it down,

• Blue is the truck brake controller. This would be the wire that goes to all 4 electric brakes.
• Black is 12 volts positive. You can go directly to the battery positive.
• White in 12 volts negative. You can go directly to the battery negative.
• Yellow goes to the break away switch. Find the light blue/yellow, cut it and connect the yellow to it.

[Racersedge31]

Thanks.....I'm not running a breakaway battery, just the coach battery. I've seen this diagram online showing the breakaway battery. If anyone has pics of the wires coming in from the pin box and which wires leading to the electric brakes (which are replaced now with DEEMAXX DISCS/ROTORS I would be great full. The mechanics part I'm able to do, it's getting the actuator wired correctly that has me at a standstill right now. Thanks for your reply..��������������

[Racersedge31]

I need help in wiring my deemaxx g1600 EOH actuator into my 2019 Montana 3121rl. The g1600 has 4 wires, and I'm only using my coach battery verses a separate breakaway battery. I've seen several disc brake installs using only the coach battery. I would like to see pics of the 2 blue wires that are used to connect the actuator. This is where I'm having trouble. I need this to be wired correctly. I'm good with changing the hubs/rotors and mounting the actuator. My problem is the wiring...mechanics yes, wiring NO....PLEASE HELP SOMEONE....THANK YOU FOR LISTENING

[Dave W]

Take a look at the Hydrastar instucions, They appear to be what you are looking for as to a wiring diagram. This is what I used for wiring and an actuator. Use this for a search term as it is NOT a link: Hydrastar Electric Hydraulic Brake Actuator instructions



Good luck with the plumbing - it can be a bear especially if you are using hard lines. I tried with 'rubber' then redid them with hard lines after I felt that I was losing braking ability with rubber lines expanding

[MandK]

I’m not really sure what you are looking for, but maybe this will help. The picture below is the pin box J-box showing the brake wiring BEFORE I hooked up the G1600. One of the blue wires is from the pigtail coming from the truck (brake controller), the black wire is the cold side of the breakaway switch. The other blue is the electric brakes to the trailer. When I hooked up the G1600, the blue from the truck goes to the blue from the actuator, the cold side of the breakaway-black- goes to the yellow from the actuator, and the blue going to the electric brakes of the trailer goes nowhere, it’s no longer needed. I just put a closed end connector over it.
Don’t confuse this black with the Black from the truck which is the 12v, and will be tied into a red from the trailer. You will tie that black and red to the black from the G1600

[MandK]

This may help too. The two pictures below show the hot side of the breakaway and also the G1600 wired up, and the old electric brake blue capped off.
In the first picture, the light blue wire on the right side of the 30 amp breaker in the battery compartment is the hot wire to the pin box for the breakaway switch. The second picture I drew an arrow to where that joins the wire to the breakaway switch. That’s the hot side of the breakaway switch from the coach battery. The G1600 pigtail comes into the j box from the right and the only wire not visible is the black, but it is tied into the red and black in the middle of the picture like I mentioned in my post above.

[Racersedge31]

Hello MANDK
Thanks for the pics you sent. So were the blue wire and black wire from breakaway together before you separated them initially? And you put that black wire connected with which wires? I can't tell from the arrow what color wires you put that black to. Did you run the actuator blue & yellow to the pin box from the actuator? And if so how did you run them? And the black & white wires, did you wire them directly to the coach battery? What is your model of Montana you did all if this on? If you have anymore pics I would greatly appreciate them.
Thank you very much
You can text me if you so like @ 540-908-1659
Gary

[MandK]

First pic is BEFORE the eoh installed, and described in my first post. After hooking up the eoh, dark blue wire in that picture was abandoned, light blue wire from the 7 pin connector goes to the blue wire of the eoh. The cold black wire from the breakaway goes to the yellow of the eoh.
You do nothing with your coach battery. I just showed you where the breakaway originates in the battery compartment and where it goes to in the j box for your information because you were concerned about what to do with the coach battery. You do nothing. You just hook up the cold black from the breakaway to the yellow to the eoh as shown in the last picture.
The four connections to the four wires of the eoh are the connections with the red tape. You just can’t see the 10 ga. Black from the eoh because it’s hiding behind other wires but it goes to the black and red in the center of the last picture.
Check your own trailer, you should be able to see where the individual conduit runs come from and go to in and out of the j box. A meter will confirm the wiring.

[Racersedge31]

Hey MANDK
I must be missing something in your pics. The wire that I see that is capped off is a dark blue not light blue. The wire that was with this dark blue wire is now connected to the yellow wire..right? So did you connect the black (pos) and white (gnd)to the coach battery. Can you text me pics of your Actuator? What brakes are you using? And did you run your blue & yellow wires from your actuator to the pin box connection? I'm sorry if I have a million questions....I'm mechanically inclined but my wiring skills are suspect. Please have patience with this old guy..LOL....any other pics you can text to me I will be greatful....
Thanks again for your time and patience
Gary
540-908-1659

[MandK]

Yes, the dark blue wire from picture 1 is abandoned.
Yes the cold side black breakaway wire shown in picture 1 is now connected to the eoh yellow- picture 3. I did not connect the white and hot black to the battery. I ran all four wires to the pin box.
Forget about picture 2, it may be adding to the confusion, it has nothing to do with the installation, it was just an fyi.

[Racersedge31]

Thank you
I will try wiring this like you have it. I appreciate your time and effort to help me. I have the exact same g1600 actuator but it's from DEEMAXX and so are the hubs/rotors/calipers.....feel free to text me anytime if you have more pics.....
Thanks
Gary
540-908-1659

[Racersedge31]

Hey MANDK
I mounted the g1600 deemaxx in the drivers side propane compartment. I removed the 30lb tank as we weren't using it anyway. My question is why can't I put the black & white wires on my coach battery since it's very close to the actuator? Instead of running wires to the pin box????
Thanks again for your help.....means a lot to me...
Gary
540-908-1659

[MandK]

I have seen some installations where they did run the wires to the battery and to a frame ground. I ran everything to the pin box as that was what was called out in the eoh manual.
You would need to properly fuse the hot wire if you did that. I am not sure if there would be any other things to consider.

[Racersedge31]

Hey MANDK
THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR INPUT TOWARDS MY WIRING DEBOCLE. Going to work on this tomorrow and keep my fingers crossed.

You have been the best help that I reached out for.
Thanks again
Gary
540-908-1659

[Racersedge31]

Good morning MANDK
I took my pin box cover and took a pic of my wiring compared to yours. Some time ago I had to replace the wire connection clamp that secures the trailer plug wire into place on the junction box. I cut most of the wires and taped them as I cut them loose. The only one I didn't cut is the blue wire connected to the breakaway wire. It still has the clear factory wire connection on it. I compared mine to yours and mine shows 3 blue wires. 2 are connected to a breakaway black wire, the other with the clear connection is connected to the other breakaway black wire. Do I cut the blue single wire with the black and cap it? What are the other 2 blue wires. You don't seem to have them?
I'm puzzled here....
Thanks again for your time and effort....feel free to text with me .....it seems like texting would be a lot easier....especially for me
Gary
540-908-1659