Main Distribution Panel Help

[Military RVer]

My main distribution panel on my Monaco Diplomat looks like a drunk person built it. I have three or four connectors I have no idea where they go or if they go to anything. Also I have just a messy box. Any information would be great. I looked on my schematics but just like the rest of this RV, nothing is marked with number codes or stickers. 

[Gary_Curtis]

I can feel your pain! I had an issue with some burnt wires on my 2007 Beaver Patriot.  I was lucky enough to find the schematics and from there, with hours of study, I figured out how my brake lights worked.

Look closely in your second image.  You will find that each white wire is marked. Two that I can read are Ignition and Exhaust Brake.  Those markings are also on the schematics.  Each modular connector has a number in the schematics with the pinout and labels...unfortunately the modular connectors are not marked with a number.

Most of the circuits are a simple relays so you can follow the signals from the battery through a fuse to some some trigger signals such as a brake light signal and then you will find a path from the battery to ground through the main circuit. 

Take plenty of pictures to remember what went where and you can always add more labels for the next time.

There are lots of arm chair electricians following this site to help diagnose the problems you are having. Just ask some specific questions with clear photos and you will get an answer.

Don't give up! Remember there are only 2 ends to a wire.

[Gary_Curtis]

In photo 2 it looks like the red connector is for an option that you might not have. It may drive a micro-switch to break the flow of 12 volts. Like when you open your door the step light would come on, or a switch to control a lamp in the electric compartment... could be a lot of things.

in photo 3, the white 4 pin modular connector is very common in RV components. Usually the connector connects to a pc board the contains a 4 pin bosch style relay.  The white wires will have a signal printed on them to give you the idea of the what circuit it is driving.

in photo 4, the black connector is where you would plug in a Bosch style relay. You would have to look at the back and see what signal wires are there to determine what the relay is for.  Could be something like daytime driving lights that are not needed in US but are there for Canada.

in photo 5, that looks like a connector for your electronic brake controller. Is your motorhome wired to tow a trailer?

[Guest Ray Davis]

I have several loose ends in my compartment too.  Everything seems to work so I try not to think about them when I look in there.

[Gary_Curtis]

In photo 1, the yellow connectors are not standard...someone has tapped into a signal to drive some accessory.  Where does that white wire go that loops through the box and out the the top and the same for the black wire out the bottom? The grey jacketed wires are not standard automotive wire either. Someone has modded the electronics along the way.

 

Edited February 8, 2021 by Gary_Curtis

[Military RVer]

1 hour ago, Gary_Curtis said:

I can feel your pain! I had an issue with some burnt wires on my 2007 Beaver Patriot.  I was lucky enough to find the schematics and from there, with hours of study, I figured out how my brake lights worked.

Look closely in your second image.  You will find that each white wire is marked. Two that I can read are Ignition and Exhaust Brake.  Those markings are also on the schematics.  Each modular connector has a number in the schematics with the pinout and labels...unfortunately the modular connectors are not marked with a number.

Most of the circuits are a simple relays so you can follow the signals from the battery through a fuse to some some trigger signals such as a brake light signal and then you will find a path from the battery to ground through the main circuit. 

Take plenty of pictures to remember what went where and you can always add more labels for the next time.

There are lots of arm chair electricians following this site to help diagnose the problems you are having. Just ask some specific questions with clear photos and you will get an answer.

Don't give up! Remember there are only 2 ends to a wire.

Thank you, and I did see those, I was meaning the black connector with red wires. I hunted it down but it goes through a loom of other wires shortly after the connector and is lost. There is no printed information on the wires either.

1 hour ago, Gary_Curtis said:

In photo 2 it looks like the red connector is for an option that you might not have. It may drive a micro-switch to break the flow of 12 volts. Like when you open your door the step light would come on, or a switch to control a lamp in the electric compartment... could be a lot of things.

in photo 3, the white 4 pin modular connector is very common in RV components. Usually the connector connects to a pc board the contains a 4 pin bosch style relay.  The white wires will have a signal printed on them to give you the idea of the what circuit it is driving.

in photo 4, the black connector is where you would plug in a Bosch style relay. You would have to look at the back and see what signal wires are there to determine what the relay is for.  Could be something like daytime driving lights that are not needed in US but are there for Canada.

in photo 5, that looks like a connector for your electronic brake controller. Is your motorhome wired to tow a trailer?

photo 2, That's not what I was hoping for, I very much hate having extra connectors for no reason especially when the connector isn't on a schematic, labeled, or connected to something. 

photo 3 I have seen this connector a lot across this RV especially in the dash components. I was hoping it is was for a heat pump or something. I was really hoping someone with the same Monaco or similar had a picture or wiring diagram that included all these wires. 

photo 4, I do know it's for a relay, I just do not have it in my schematics.

photo 5, funny you say this and then ask about the modded wiring in a later post. I will answer all together. 

1 hour ago, Gary_Curtis said:

In photo 1, the yellow connectors are not standard...someone has tapped into a signal to drive some accessory.  Where does that white wire go that loops through the box and out the the top and the same for the black wire out the bottom? The grey jacketed wires are not standard automotive wire either. Someone has modded the electronics along the way.

 

Continuation from my statement of photo 5, The RV from what I know isn't wired for a brake controller, they have a combiner on the back to simplify the rv brake connections down to the 4 pin connection that most trailer use. Then someone prior to me used the grey jacketed wires in photo 1 to add the ability for a 7 pin connector on the back end of the rv, with the ability to use a brake controller. The grey wiring is going away, I am rewiring it to go to a actual fused, pinned point on the board and to a normal ground. this will allow for cleaner look... unless someone knows more about that connector and can tell me that it's for a brake controller. Lastly hopefully they can tell me where those wires lead to.

[Gary_Curtis]

If you take your volt meter and check pin 5 and its 12 volts all the time

turn on your ignition and pin 4 is 12 volts when the key is on

and pin 1 is ground then that plug likely leads to a trailer brake controller that is not installed on your unit.

 

 

 

 

[Military RVer]

5 hours ago, Gary_Curtis said:

If you take your volt meter and check pin 5 and its 12 volts all the time

turn on your ignition and pin 4 is 12 volts when the key is on

and pin 1 is ground then that plug likely leads to a trailer brake controller that is not installed on your unit.

 

 

 

 

where is this at?

[Gary_Curtis]

This is the black connector in your picture 5

[Military RVer]

Just now, Gary_Curtis said:

This is the black connector in your picture 5

thats weird as its a straight line across not  two rows

[Gary_Curtis]

The schematic is for 2007 Monaco. Connectors could be different on yours. 

[Steven P]

I have no idea if this will help you but I have a similar wire to the gray jacketed one in my coach that the PO installed. It appeared to connect to a Remco lube pump for his Toad.  Other than that, I can say that open ended wire plugs have always bothered me, but unfortunately most cars come wired prepped for all the options w wiring harnesses that are not used.  I guess it is cheaper to have everything wired ready for the add on even if they weren't added on. Such as heated seats. 

[Military RVer]

58 minutes ago, Steven P said:

I have no idea if this will help you but I have a similar wire to the gray jacketed one in my coach that the PO installed. It appeared to connect to a Remco lube pump for his Toad.  Other than that, I can say that open ended wire plugs have always bothered me, but unfortunately most cars come wired prepped for all the options w wiring harnesses that are not used.  I guess it is cheaper to have everything wired ready for the add on even if they weren't added on. Such as heated seats. 

yea, I just wish they labeled them so I could put the addon in instead,

[Scotty Hutto]

While addressing similar issues a couple of years back, I discovered that Monaco used the same basic wiring harness across much of the coach line (I.e., all diesel pushers). So on my 2006 Dip, I have the same base wiring harness as all the coaches “above” me in the product line and they include connectors for things that were never even an option on my coach. (There was also a LOT OF extra wire, because the harness had to fit a 45’ coach as well as my 40’ coach.)

I know this doesn’t help solve the issue, but it may explain some of the extra connectors. 

[Larry Laursen]

I agree with Scotty that the wiring on most of the coaches made in Indiana from about 99 to 2008 used the same basic harnesses.  The exceptions are the 97~2003 Windsor, Imperial, and Navigator. The coaches made in Oregon used a much different system and are not comparable to the Indiana coaches.  The Dynasty, Executive and Signature were made in Oregon as was the Navigator after about 2000. The basic printed circuit board as common across the Indiana coaches and different connections were used depending on the model and options.  I couldn't find a 99 wiring schematic however there is a set of wiring diagrams (schematics) for the 2000 Diplomat in the Download section of this forum.  It is located here 2000 Diplomat Wiring Diagrams - Wiring Diagrams - Bill D’s Monacoers   This is about as close as you will come.  It's a scan of the book that was provided owners at the time and was on 11 x 17 pages so the scans are 1/2 page each.  There wasn't anything provided for trailer braking on the 99 Dip.  I had a 2000 End and it didn't either.