tow vehicle wiring

[Kelleyaynn]

This will only expose how much of a newbie I am , but I am wondering if it is possible to wire any tow vehicle (after market), with a 7-prong set-up for towing. We may end up using a 4 cylinder car to tow ours, and they aren't typically set-up to tow anything at all, let alone a trailer with brakes, lights, etc.

[ajricher]

Re: 7 wire:

You can, but I wonder why you'd be going to the effort - is it to match another vehicle that may be towing the same trailer?

If you're thinking about building a tear that might be towed by a large vehicle which is already wired for 7-wire you could certainly wire the tear for 7-wire - but things like the auxiliary back-up wire, electric brake wire and the battery charge would go unused.

On my Land-Rovers I have both wired for 6-wire connectors - this way I can have separate brake and turn signals and not have to use diode adapters for combining stop and turn - a much cleaner system in my opinion. I just ignore the auxiliary connection which would provide +12 for charging a breakaway battery, though I might use it later on to p0rovide battery charging for my TTT while on the road.

If there is no need for the electric brake, battery charging or reverse why not simply wire the small car and trailer for 4-wire and adapt the 7-wire vehicle with a plug-in adapter to service the 4-wire trailer?

ALan

[Kelleyaynn]

The four cylinder would be the only tow vehicle. And we are not building a tear, but saving for a Camp Inn. I would feel safer with brakes and lights, so that's why I'm looking for a 7-prong electrical hook-up.

[ajricher]

Re: 4-cylinder towing the Camp Inn:

OK, a few questions here - someone more experienced than me is more than welcome to drop in on this as well.

Is your tow vehicle going to be compatible with the trailer you're going to tow? Reason I ask is that if you get into the over-1K-pound area where trailers normally have brakes, then a small 4-cylinder vehicle may well be unsafe and/or underpowered at a minimum.

Lights are most certainly not a problem - as I said before my trailers ( a tent trailer and a TTT I am rebuilding) are both going to be wired 6-wire.

Electrically, there is no reason that a vehicle (in general - you don't state what your tow vehicle is) cannot be equipped with a 7-wire setup and an electric brake controller - I just wonder a the wisdom of the choices underlying the question (weight of tow vs. towed vehicle).

This of course is completely out of the scope of the question you did ask - I was just trying to put the whole thing into context.

[len19070]

Yes, you can wire any vehicle with a 7 prong plug.

http://tnttt.com/viewto ... highlight=

Happy Trails

Len

[wlooper89]

A hitch installer can probably set you up with a 7 Pin plug on the tow vehicle. I am very glad to have that. It leaves open the possibility to add a trailer battery charge wire now or later. It does not matter if some of the pins are not used. The 7 Pin plug is standard on Jeep tow vehicles and maybe on some others. The plug has a locking feature so it does not fall out easily and leaves open the possibility to add trailer battery charging, trailer brakes or even a backup light.

My present setup is for the normal four wires for trailer running lights. Additionally I have a charge wire for charging the trailer battery while towing. The negative wire for trailer battery charging can use the same wire as trailer running light negative. So just five of the pins are in use now, but I may later add trailer brakes.

Bill

[Steve_Cox]

You da man!!

[MCI1969]

The easiest way would be to get a "T-Connector" type connector for you car. This would provide the 4-pin flat set up. There is a 7-way round that is sold that is compatible for it. It contains the "Prewired" 7-way, but four of the wires are a 4-pin flat which will direct connect to the 4-pin T-One set up. Of the left over wires, the critical one is the white ground wire which must be attached to the car frame for a good ground. The other three wires (colors vary by manufacture) are used for 12+, Trailer brakes and Auxillary (usually backup lights). these can be used depending on need. This would make your car both 4 way and 7 way hook up compatible. May sound complex but it is a literally plug and play. Brandnames include; Valley, Curt, and a few others. Hope this helps.

[teardrop_focus]

Kelleyaynn

The four cylinder would be the only tow vehicle. And we are not building a tear, but saving for a Camp Inn. I would feel safer with brakes and lights, so that's why I'm looking for a 7-prong electrical hook-up.

What will the tow vehicle be, exactly? What is the tow capacity listed in it's owners manual? I'm relieved to hear that you're thinking trailer brakes!



If the tear winds up being 100 lbs over, I wouldn't sweat it, but you WILL need trailer brakes to aid the tv's brakes... even though most states trailer codes don't require trailer brakes until 1500 lbs...

Srsly, I'm a motorhead; I can help you get your car up to snuff for towing, or recommend you choose a different one.

Humor me.

[Dale M.]

If a 7 pin connector is what you want, and the features it provides (or not) go with it, anything else will not make you happy..... I get tired of saying to myself, I wish I had done it differently or gone with my other idea "but no I had to listen to others that talked me out of what I really wanted"....

By the way your reasoning is good for 7 pin connector.... And the 7 pin "RV" connector (flat blade) is pretty much standard on most vehicles designed for towing from factory today... And yes there is a "standard" wiring diagram so it would be interchangeable with any other 7 pin vehicle/trailer..

Dale