5th Wheel Hitch Plug Location

[dnitzel]

I was wondering what people have been doing with their 5th wheel plug. Are most people plugging into the plug in by the license plate, or locating a plug in the box? I've been draping my cord over the tailgate and plugging in by the license plate. I personally do not care to splice into the wiring harness, but if I do, I will most likely solder the connections and cover them with RTV. Any suggestions?

 

[Whitmore]

Dan, here is what I did, I moved my original plug inside the bed behind the wheel well for the 5er, I had to pull the spare tire down and reroute the wires but it wasnt bad at all, then I bought a tailight splice from wollyworld, you simply unplug your tailight plug and put this deal in the middle and then plug back into it then I got a new female recepticle and wired that into the bumper where the original was. works great. Now I have both .



cheers, Kevin

 

[RJOL]

Dan, here's another way... I got about 12' of trailer wire cord (the same as you have on your trailer) and ran it down between the box sheet metal and the outer skin, going up and over the wheel well. I drilled a hole in the bed, just in front of the wheel well, and mounted a male receptacle there. After running the wires down to the factory plug, I installed a female plug on that end. I secured the lines with wire ties.



When I'm towing my fifth wheel I have the new plug plugged into the factory plug. I usually just leave it connected that way all the time. When I tow a different trailer or boat, I just unplug the new plug from the factory plug and connect the new trailer up to the factory plug. Have fun...

 

[RoryTek]

I have mine mounted on the inside of the bed on the backside of the brake light housing, almost totaly weatherproof.

 

[JThiessen]

Do you have the Tow Package?

If you have the tow package, there SHOULD be an additional connector wrapped up in the wire bundle, just behind your reciever connector. I just got a 6 foot wire bundle that tied straight into this, and mounted the female plug just ahead of the wheel well - no splicing required. A couple wire ties, and installation done.

 

[Dkevdog]

I've got mine mounted in the bed as well, although it's not standard. Mine is wired to give the trailer independent left ,right turn and stop. My bumper harness is still conventional. I spliced into the stock wire harness where needed, soldered and double heat chrink on all connections, then wrapped them tight with exterior grade fusing tape.



Kev

 

[TowPro]

I have mine mounted behind the DS wheelwell in the bed, down low. This required drilling a large hole in the bed liner and bed steel. Its bolted to the bed liner. I picked this location because I carry bikes in the bed. I did not want to load the bikes in front of the hitch and then have to deal with moving them to plug in the RV.



I then splice into the factory wires going to the factory hitch plug.



I thought of the Wallyworld pigtail methoid, but they don't have 12V charge, brake controler output feed and reverse lights.

 

[Royal]

DAN++ I run my power cord under my louvered end gate . Just lift the right side of the gate up and slide cord under it. When the gate is closed it holds the cord . Coil the excess cord on the bed.

 

[merryman]

I have never understood the problem; I have been towing fivers with the plug in the bumper by the license plate since 1984, several trucks,--Fords and Dodges-- several trailers with never a hint of any type of problem. What is it one is trying to achieve by putting it in the bed??

I don't get tail gate wear,

My plug has never come lose??

What is the problem that I am missing???



Vaughn

 

[Steve M]

I hang mine over the tailgate and plug in by the tag also. Much easier in my opinion.

 

[dnitzel]

Re: Do you have the Tow Package?

Originally posted by JThiessen

If you have the tow package, there SHOULD be an additional connector wrapped up in the wire bundle, just behind your reciever connector. I just got a 6 foot wire bundle that tied straight into this, and mounted the female plug just ahead of the wheel well - no splicing required. A couple wire ties, and installation done.

Oh yes, I ordered the tow package. It's a terrific buy! I saw a connector in the harness that is a four conductor connection. Is that the one you are talking about? Concerning the tail gate problem, I think my cord may not be long enough. I think it needs to be suspended from the trailer behind the tail gate. eh? merryman?

 

[RustyJC]

I added a 2nd 7-pin connector on the lower left (driver's) sidewall of the bed and spliced (soldered) it into the factory wiring going to the stock 7-pin connector at the receiver. I've done this on both duallies that I've used to tow 5th wheels and never had a problem with the added connector or wiring.



Rusty

 

[MrFixit]

My cord failed

Merryman,

I hung the cord over the gate for several trips until I finally had a problem. My cord was really longer than it needed to be ( and I should have maybe shortened or secured it better) and it eventually came all the way over the gate and onto the freeway. I did not notice a thing until my trailer brakes suddenly locked for a second and I thought there was something wrong with cummins. A driver by pointed at the rear of my truck and said something was hanging. I pulled over and sure enough my cord was all chewed up w/ 4 out of the 7 wires totally sheared. Duct tape fixed me until I got home but the next day, the socket was moved into the bed. The cord also would mark up the paint on my tailgate when I hung it over. Depending on peoples configurations, it might work, just not for me.

 

[Steve M]

Mine's the perfect length.

 

[merryman]

Mrfixit;

Murphy's rule; anything that can go wrong will,

but I have been towing fivers regularly since '84. That includes one trip touring Alaska, and numerous trips Oregon to Az, or So. California, etc.

I have looked at the plug in and can not see how it can be more risky than the TT folks pluging in there??

Everyone makes and lives with his/choice.

One of these days I might hit a snag with my system :>)



Vaughn

 

[GWHaley]

I plug mine into the bumper plug as well. The cord seemed too long and kept coming out of the bed, so I got a soft and fairly long (10 in) spring and attached that to the trailer a little ways behind the hitch. The spring takes up the slack, but has enough flexibility for any turning!