Trailer Wiring Hookup
09-02-2007, 01:41 PM
#1
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Hampton, VA currently
Posts: 106
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Trailer Wiring Hookup
Has anyone else had an issue with their trailer hookup wiring? My truck has the factory round trailer hookup plug, but when i hook up my trailer hardly any of the lights work the way their suposed to. I never had any problems with this trailer behind my Silverado and it has me a little frustraded.
09-02-2007, 05:17 PM
#2
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Mount Juliet, TN
Posts: 693
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I had to buy a whole new plug for mine. I went to AutoZone and bought a universal 7 & 4 wire plug made by Hoppy, soldered all of the connections, and covered them with heatshrink, and wire loom. Looks great and works even better.
09-02-2007, 05:45 PM
#3
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Hampton, VA currently
Posts: 106
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
09-02-2007, 06:53 PM
#4
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Mount Juliet, TN
Posts: 693
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I bought a plug for the truck, because mine was bad. Here is a link to the one I bought. It was for a Ford, but it was the only one they had. I cut the pigtail plug off, and soldered the wires into the original truck harness.
http://www.autozone.com/R,APP1225043...ductDetail.htm
http://www.autozone.com/R,APP1225043...ductDetail.htm
09-02-2007, 08:10 PM
#6
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Hampton, VA currently
Posts: 106
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I bought a plug for the truck, because mine was bad. Here is a link to the one I bought. It was for a Ford, but it was the only one they had. I cut the pigtail plug off, and soldered the wires into the original truck harness.
http://www.autozone.com/R,APP1225043...ductDetail.htm
http://www.autozone.com/R,APP1225043...ductDetail.htm
I'll see what i can figure out tomorow 
09-02-2007, 09:52 PM
#7
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Mount Juliet, TN
Posts: 693
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Trending Topics
09-03-2007, 10:34 AM
#8
Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: St Augustine, Florida
Posts: 755
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
When you get a new plug here is a link to how to wire it. These diagrams are pretty much used by everybody so it should fit all trailers.
http://www.marksrv.com/wiring.htm
http://www.marksrv.com/wiring.htm
09-03-2007, 11:51 AM
#9
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Hampton, VA currently
Posts: 106
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
When you get a new plug here is a link to how to wire it. These diagrams are pretty much used by everybody so it should fit all trailers.
http://www.marksrv.com/wiring.htm
http://www.marksrv.com/wiring.htm
09-04-2007, 02:14 AM
#10
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Edmonton, AB
Posts: 376
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I went crazy wiring mine up, I got tired of having to pull out the multi meter near trailers, even if it generally wasn't related to my truck, but with the number of trailer wiring problems I've seen, I wanted to be confident that my truck was not the problem.
I bought some 7-conductor heavy gauge well jacketed cable, and ran a generic plug to the bed and one to the receiver hitch. The plugs are wired to a colour-coded standard I keep in the glove box (the common standard), and are filled with silicon on the wire side to prevent moisture penetration. All wire-wire connections are soldered and gooed with silicon then heatshrunk to prevent moisture penetration and rusting. A special ground point was cleaned and installed at the back, and a heavy wire was run directly to the brake controller to ensure a problem free brake circuit (the most important circuit).
I did this a couple years ago, and the wiring still looks like new. I used the same concepts/techniques we use to prep equipment to get slathered with tar sands and bitumen in the oilfields while experiencing temperatures anywhere from -100F to +200 F. In any event, it took a couple hours to do, but I can not imagine having to fix it anytime soon, and do not need to worry about diagnosing a retarded trailer light/brake problem at a truck stop/side of the road when I'm in a hurry. I changed the wiring not long after having to replace my brake controller in a California truck stop when I needed to be back in Canada for a final exam within 36 hours. It turned out not to be a wiring problem, but it is nice to eliminate sources of problems. Unreliable equipment is not worth having.
I bought some 7-conductor heavy gauge well jacketed cable, and ran a generic plug to the bed and one to the receiver hitch. The plugs are wired to a colour-coded standard I keep in the glove box (the common standard), and are filled with silicon on the wire side to prevent moisture penetration. All wire-wire connections are soldered and gooed with silicon then heatshrunk to prevent moisture penetration and rusting. A special ground point was cleaned and installed at the back, and a heavy wire was run directly to the brake controller to ensure a problem free brake circuit (the most important circuit).
I did this a couple years ago, and the wiring still looks like new. I used the same concepts/techniques we use to prep equipment to get slathered with tar sands and bitumen in the oilfields while experiencing temperatures anywhere from -100F to +200 F. In any event, it took a couple hours to do, but I can not imagine having to fix it anytime soon, and do not need to worry about diagnosing a retarded trailer light/brake problem at a truck stop/side of the road when I'm in a hurry. I changed the wiring not long after having to replace my brake controller in a California truck stop when I needed to be back in Canada for a final exam within 36 hours. It turned out not to be a wiring problem, but it is nice to eliminate sources of problems. Unreliable equipment is not worth having.
09-04-2007, 10:44 PM
#11
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Warsaw, In
Posts: 128
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I just ordered a new OEM trailer plug that mounts on the hitch from here. P/N MP-56038366AB, only 16 bucks.
http://www.jimsautoparts.com/mopar_p...and_towing.htm
http://www.jimsautoparts.com/mopar_p...and_towing.htm
09-05-2007, 05:09 AM
#12
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Hampton, VA currently
Posts: 106
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I just ordered a new OEM trailer plug that mounts on the hitch from here. P/N MP-56038366AB, only 16 bucks.
http://www.jimsautoparts.com/mopar_p...and_towing.htm
http://www.jimsautoparts.com/mopar_p...and_towing.htm
09-05-2007, 05:44 AM
#13
Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: The South
Posts: 387
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
When most or all of the trailer lights don't function properly, it is usually a ground problem.
Have you checked the trailer? Some trailers don't have the ground wire hooked up in the connector. Instead, they "rely" on getting a ground through the trailer coupler, which doesn't always work properly. You might have a decent ground through the coupler when hooked to one vehicle, but not while hooked to another.
It would be the first thing I would check.
Have you checked the trailer? Some trailers don't have the ground wire hooked up in the connector. Instead, they "rely" on getting a ground through the trailer coupler, which doesn't always work properly. You might have a decent ground through the coupler when hooked to one vehicle, but not while hooked to another.
It would be the first thing I would check.
09-05-2007, 07:50 AM
#14
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Warsaw, In
Posts: 128
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
