Jonesey

My Ram 3500 Quadcab 4x4 LWB SRW I orderd twelve weeks ago came in today. The problem is that I ordered the tow package but the dealer left it off when he placed the order. I have only contacted my salesperson via email due to the fact that she is off Monday and Tuesday. She thinks the only difference is the hitch itself and they can install a Mopar unit and will let me know tomorrow. I do see on the Dodge website that the truck is wired with a four pin connector without the tow package and a seven pin connector with the tow package. In the mean time, does anyone no if the basic wiring is the same and is it just a simple connector change?

converteddzlr

The tow package overall wiring I'm not too sure about, but they do toss in a pig-tail connector for when you want to put in a brake controller. Mine was in the glove compartment and plugs into the wiring harness beneath the steering column. Also, the 7 pin connector is located neatly in the step of the rear bumper while the 4 pin connector is under the bumper with the rest of the wiring harness. Hope they come thru for ya.

TON4FUN

My tow package on my sticker states the following:<br><br>Trailer Tow Group 2CG<br>Hitch- Class IV Receiver<br>Wiring Harness - 7 pin<br><br>All you have is the four pin connector under the bumper. The only bummer is not having access to the brake controller harness under the dash. I assume all trucks that are wired with the 7 pin harness come with the pigtail for the brake controller under the dash. If your truck was not equipped with the tow package I assume you'll have to install a 7 pin connector and run your brake control wires the old fashion way. If your gonna install a trailer brake controller I would prob. gripe if the pigtail harness outlet is not under the dash.<br><br>I want to know why the Tow Group is not standard on every heavy duty truck?<br><br>

Casey Balvert

I believe Dodge has a wiring kit available to upgrade you to the 7 pin plug. It includes wiring, fuses, relays etc. I believe some of the wiring including the brake conroller plug is in all trucks. I would insist that the dealer make good on it.<br><br>Casey

Jonesey

TON4FUN,
I couldn't agree more that the tow group should be included on all of the heavy duty trucks. What in the world does DC think we are going to use these trucks for? I did order it but the dealer just screwed up and didn't put it on the order. I will not even take the truck if they can't install all of the same parts as what is included in the tow package. I should know shortly. I am waiting on the call from my salesperson.

pappyman

The tow package is more then just a hitch its all the wiring for trailer lights and power along with proper fuses...since I dont know if the wiring harness is the same between the non tow package and the tow package I would be asking questions about how they would do it

crabman

More options mean more profits for dealers and DC. It also allows them to have a lower &quot;starting from&quot; price in advertising. If your like me you like options because they let me get exactly the truck I want. In that regard the more options the better so people can find tune to their taste. The wiring is plug in and that and the hitch are all your missing from the tow package. Enjoy the new rig.

duck

Not getting a custom order entered correctly shows a total lack of respect on your sales person's part. Things like that irritate the heck out of me.<br><br>I just can't imagine that D/C would save any money by installing 4 conductor wiring and lower amp flashers/fuses. In a production line, you want everything to be as universal as possible. The more &quot;what-if's&quot; you throw in the equation, the more opportunities for mistakes and the lower the profit margins. The earlier in the line, the more important this becomes. Since the wiring is probably one of the first things to go in, and the hitch one of the last...<br><br>That being said, I'd bet that you have 7 conductor wiring, &quot;heavy duty&quot; flashers, and adequate fuses already installed. Just the hitch (make sure it's the Class IV) and the 7 pin plug are probably the only things missing.<br><br>Just thought of something else- on these new ones the 7 pin plug is mounted to the left of the license plate frame ABOVE the bumper. If you like that feature (and I haven't yet decided if I do) make sure they don't just bolt the plug housing below the bumper (easy way out) like everyone else does.<br><br>QUICK QUESTION: How many people out there like the plug location where it is? Being above the bumper requires a longer tail on the trailer wiring, and kind of gets in the way when walking tween the truck and trailer. The only benefit I can see is that I don't have to bend down so far when plugging it in (no big deal at my age )

P Kennedy

We went through this on the truck we have now, truck ordered is not the one delivered. The dealer has just delivered to you a &quot;stock truck&quot; which you should be able to get a better deal as this is not what you ordered. It is then up to you if you will accept this vehicle with lot discounts and short the required or added options they missed on the truck ordered. I ended up getting my truck for $250 or factory invoice which they had to prove, my MSRP was $47890 CDN and delivered for $42400 CDN. This is a salesmen improvement tool next time they will make sure the details of your interests are accounted for. I know the waiting period is painful but you custom order to get what you want not what the dealer thinks you will need like &quot;stock&quot; trucks. Good luck PK

alleyyooper

My wife wanted a Durango in 2000. I decided that was fine with me but would get the factory trailer hitch on it. Dealer said that to get the hitch I had to have the heavy duty cooler and raditor also. You just couldn't get the hitch. He wasn't very bright because I said ok Just get the Durango and install the hitch there. He said it would void the warranty. Idiot then tried to sell us one off his lot, I pointed out it didn't have a hitch. Oh we can put one one for you he said. I said well what about the warranty? Oh you don't need to worry about that we will take care of you. We bought from a differnt dealer and did get the complete tow package. Moral of the story is DO NOT BELIVE A LIEING SALESPERSON.<br>I personally would not take delivery of that truck.<br> ;D Al

TON4FUN

In regards to the wiring being there, I would highly doubt it. I have a bit of background with this area. Back in the day most cars (Domestic mostly) were stuffed with same harnesses regardless of what options you had. Ford and Chevy found a cost reduction in harnesses (basically due to the cost of copper wiring that sat unused) and started stuffing option specific harnesses in there cars. Nothing changed in the price of the car but they were saving a considerable amount of money on wire. You figure 20-30 ft of wire per car times thousands of cars adds up. <br><br>When I help fill orders for police cruisers for police departments Ford charges to have extra wiring added to the cars to make public saftey equipment easier to install. They charge more for that wiring than it would to install it on your own. Very annoying. <br><br>The moral of the story is I would not rely on every harness in the same model to be alike. The Japenese companies still do this but then again there harnesses are prob. manufactored in Japan. My 2 cents.

Jonesey

I e-mailed DC customer service and got a quick response. They say all that is needed is the hitch, the 7 pin connector, the wiring kit to install the 7 pin connector and the brake controller pigtail that connects underneath the steering column. They stated all of the Rams are wired identically. This includes all fuses, relays and etc. I did print the e-mail so I do have this in writing. This is exactly the same as my dealer told me, so hopefully that is all there is to it. I guess i'll find out for sure when I go to pick it up Friday.

TON4FUN

I may stand corrected. Lets hope in this case I'm wrong. :-X

crabman

One more time. All the wiring is there. You need only the hitch, 7 pin connector, little dash pigtail and the portion of the wiring that goes to the main harness back in the stern. It and the four plug into the same spot, the four just doesnt use all the wires. Everything else in the tow package you already have due to your good choice in engines. Lastly it is true that the tow option no longer includes heavy duty flashers so your not losing anything there.

Jonesey

Picked the truck up yesterday. The dealer made it right. Everything is exactly the same as if it had the factory installed tow package. There was a one day delay though. When I got to the dealer and did the walk around I noticed a small dent and very noticeable scratch in the rear Sport bumper. If I had to guess I would say the technician that put the hitch on cracked the bumper with the hitch and hoped I would not care. Wrong! My salesperson (female) was great. She completely understood my disappointment and had them swap a bumper from another graphite metalic truck. I even got to choose the best looking painted one from their inventory. In fact, I think it was a little better than the one that came on my truck, less orange peel look. I did have to spend the night in Columbus at my brother's and go back the next day to pick it up. They did give me a new Grand Cherokee to drive overnight so all is now well. These new Rams rock. It drives, rides and runs much better than my 01.5 HO did. You really don't notice the power difference that much around town but when you get it out on the interstate it shines. The fuel mileage is outstanding, especially for a brand new truck. I averaged 19.4 MPG on the 166 mile trip back home doing between 60-85 MPH varying the speed and not consistently running at a steady speed. That's the only way I ever break them in by just varying the speed. My 01.5 got 16.5 on the trip out which is about the best it ever gets while running on the dreaded winter blend. I guess I'll have to change my signature as soon as I get a chance ;D 8)