trailer plug

[AWalkup]

I am looking to install a trailer light plug in the bed for my fifth wheel. Does anybody make a plug in that will fit at the bumper. Seems like somebody should make an adaptor that will fit at the plug in the bumper, with a pig tail that goes to the bed.

 

[JMetzger]

I have seen several people make their own pigtail. They buy a male & female plug with a short length of trailer cord & make their own. They all claim that they work ok.

 

[klenger]

Reese makes a "T" connector that fits the 10 pin connector on the back side of the 7-pin trailer connector on the bumper. I reworked my installation this weekend using the Reese adapter and took pics. I am in the process of updating my website with the pics and instructions, but may not get that done for a few days. I don't have the P/N for the Reese adapter, but they refer to it as a "T connector" and it has a male and female 10 pin connector to fit the factory harness and a 4 pin flat trailer connector. You need to splice the other 3 wires into the adapter harness, but you don't need to make any permanent modificaitons to the factory wiring. Hope this helps. Check back in a day or so to see if I've updated the website. The link is http://www.klenger.net/dodge/7-pin-connector-installation/index.html



Ignore the reference to a Reese adapter P/N 74184 as that is not the "T connector" I was referring to above.

 

[TowPro]

Awalkup, what year is your truck? There was another thread a week or so ago about blowing out the Power Control Module with trailer wiring.

 

[DKarvwnaris]

I got sick of dealing with the plastic and light duty plugs and sockets on my pickups. I went to commercial tractor trailer cords and sockets. When I rewired my dodge, I spliced the feeds for the trailer plug and ran an additional set of wires up into the side of the bed. I holesawed a receptacle just above the drivers side inner fender. I can't see how this would damage any control circuit or wiring system by having two plugs feeding off the same line, they are only hooked up one at a time and the flip down weathertight covers keep water etc. out.

The best part of this set up is, I can buy the double ended cords at any truck stop if I should ever damage the cord in teh middle of the night. (not likely with most of the cheapy horse trailer plugs and reese style plastic sockets that are sometimes only available at trailer shops during the business day)

Make sure all your connections are soldered, heat shrinked and tight if you're worried about circuit failures. Not a concern for me anymore since I went to this setup. My main reason was to consolidate all my rigs and trailer to work with my toterhome's style plug, but now, I will never go back to anything else again for connectors.

 

[TowPro]

I can't see how this would damage any control circuit or wiring system by having two plugs feeding off the same line, they are only hooked up one at a time and the flip down weathertight covers keep water etc. out.

Just be careful. Starting in 06 the Turn/brake light circuits are no longer fuse protected. The trailer load connects direct to the Power Distribution Center (solid state electronic drivers). Short them out and it seems you loose the PDC. I plan to put fuses inline if my truck ever gets here.

See This thread where someone had the problem on an 2006, and

This thread with the blown PDC on a 2004.

 

[AWalkup]

Any chance you can buy one of the plug ins from Dodge, even another 7 prong female, and wire into the truck. This way when you want to use the bed plug, you would have to plug the factory wire harness into the different plug under the bumper? This would prevent having to do any wire splicing.

 

[TowPro]

The 7 pin adaptor Klenger talks about works by unplugging the factory wire herness connector on back of the factory 7 pin connector, then put this adaptor "in line" between the factory harness and factory 7 pin. This way you have both the factory connector and the new one you install both available for use.



This adaptor has a 4 wire output (tail, both stop/turns and ground). The adaptor has about 6" of wire between the 2 connectors that plug into the factory connectors. In this 6" of wire is where you splice your Hot, Reverse and Trailer Brake wires so you don't have to cut up the factory harness.



I plan to cut the adaptor harness so I can put inline waterproof fuses into the 2 brake light wires. This protects the PCM from my trailers on both the factory connector as well as the one I put into the bed. At least once per year I plug into somebody's trailer and blow a fuse because something is wired wrong or shorted out.



Edit: I did call the Dodge parts guy, I think they sell one but you can tell until you really see it

 

[klenger]

I've changed my website to include the Reese T Connector and some pics. The part number for the Reese "T-Connector" is 15381 (Camping World SKU 26693). See http://www.klenger.net/dodge/7-pin-connector-installation/index.html



#ad

 

[DKarvwnaris]

Just be careful. Starting in 06 the Turn/brake light circuits are no longer fuse protected. The trailer load connects direct to the Power Distribution Center (solid state electronic drivers). Short them out and it seems you loose the PDC. I plan to put fuses inline if my truck ever gets here.

See This thread where someone had the problem on an 2006, and

This thread with the blown PDC on a 2004.

There are several type of commercial trailer receptacles that have built in circuit breakers behind each connection. If you're concerned about the factory harness being damaged, this type of unit may be a good solution. The box is about 6"h X 6"W X 2"Deep. It uses standard 12 volt circuit breakers like you find in any auto parts store so they are easily replaced with proper sized amperage breakers. This is something I have not seen in any of the light duty r truck trailerp plugs, they usually have one fuse for the entire unit if you're lucky. With the commercial socket hub like this, you can have an invidual wire short out and you'll still have at least partial lighting on the trailer to be seen at night.

I personally, would install relays to protect the existing system when splicing into the factory harness if you needed to do this, that way, you are only pulling light amps off it it. The flasher units will last longer as well. Just run a fused piece of 6 gauge wire or possibly battery cable to wherever you have the relay sets located at.

Just because the factories have gone cheap, doesn't mean you have to get suckered into a high dollar aftermarket trailer lighting system. Then again, some owners probably don't have the electrical and installation skills to this type of thing, which I find to be basic wiring and weekend wrench type task.

Hope this helps someone, it has made a huge difference for me in wasted time chasing lighting problems etc.

 

[DKarvwnaris]

I've changed my website to include the Reese T Connector and some pics. The part number for the Reese "T-Connector" is 15381 (Camping World SKU 26693). See http://www.klenger.net/dodge/7-pin-connector-installation/index.html



#ad

I had one of these on my wife's little Ranger pickup to pull a utility trailer. less than 4 months later, something inside the harness went bad and the amber turn signals were stuck on every time you turned on the marker or headlights. It may have just been a defective one, but I have no plans to try another one. Don't know what the problem was still, I unplugged the thing from the harness and reconnected the factory connectors back together with no problems since. It was not physically damaged in any way I could see. The trailer lights worked fine behind out suburban and Ram with no issues before or after the Ranger's lights went nutty.

Any explanation? I am figuring it was just a defective harness adapter or possibly a poorly connected plug head inside the sealed ends where I couldn't see it?

 

[klenger]

Sounds like the ground wire opened up.

 

[DKarvwnaris]

Sounds like the ground wire opened up.

That's what I thought it was intermittent. I figured it had to be shorting the gound out somehow. I decided if it failed that soon after buying it, it wasn't worth trying again. I couldn't the store to return it since it was after 90 days, which seemed somewhat pathetic on their part. All they would have to have done is return it for credit, but they stuck by their 90 day policy . I thought about buying the exact same one and return it the same day/week with the old one, but didn't want to bother, it was easier to just write them off and rewire it myself with solder and shrink tubing. I said thanks and good day, I haven't shopped there since.

 

[AWalkup]

Has anyone thought of routing a wire from the bed plug, to the back of the bumper, with a male connector that would plug into the original factory female socket? This way when you want to use your bed plug, you would simply plug the trailer in at the bed, and plug in the "extension cord" at the bumper. When not in use it could be stored under the bumper. Just a thought so not to have to cut any original wires.

 

[TowPro]

With this reese adaptor, you don't cut any of the factory wires, you tap into the wires in the reese adaptor.

 

[kblranch]

Does this Reese adapter have all 7 wires?

 

[klenger]

No, the Reese adapter only has 4 of the 7 wires for the in-bed plug, but you can splice in the other 3 wires in the Reese adapter instead of splicing the factroy harness. Another plus is that you can do the splicing on your work bench instead of under the truck. See http://www.klenger.net/dodge/7-pin-connector-installation/index.html for all the details and pictures.

 

[DBond]

Great job on the write up Klinger



I have heard that Curt Manufacturing also has a T-connector ( #55381 ) that works the same way. fits 00/05 Dodge. $15 at summitracing