I am in the fleet maintenance office at work. We have about 15 2011 F-250 trucks. We use about 5 of them to pull our ATV trailers. Well when we hook our trailers to the trucks none of the trailer lights work. They keep blowing the fuse, tripping the circuit breaker, or burning out the relay. We can hook these trailers to our 08 Fords and any one of our Chevy trucks. The local dealer can't figure it out. So he asked Ford. Their response was none of our trailers are compatible to the trucks. So since we bought over a 1000 new trucks in our state alone we are supposed to buy new trailers to go with the trucks? They also said that because our trucks are outfitted with police equipment that the current draw is too great. Funny everything added is on its own fused and relayed circuit separate from the trailer wiring. None of the new Fords that we have work with the trailers. Ford says it is not their problem. We have one trailer already getting rewired and outfitted with new LED lights. Want to see how that one will work. Right now the dealer has agreed to rewire and put in a heaver relay and give us a 12 month/12000 mile warranty. Does anybody else buy this bull excrement?? Anybody have any ideas??

 

Sounds like the wiring has changed on the trucks. Specifically the arrangement in the socket under the bumper. Have you tried a trailer emulator to test the trucks yourself ? They are around $25.00, and simulate a trailer being plugged in. LED test lights on it will tell the story as lights/signals/brakes are each activated.

Offhand, it sounds like the ground wire on the truck may be switched with another wire. If it was only on one truck, probably either a bad socket or a bare wire touching somewhere.

OEM 7 blade female connectors used to have a problem with keeping water out of the back side of the socket. The location of the ground wire terminal sat it right in water, and would blow the fuse for either lights or brakes.

I switched mine, and haven't had a problem since. If nothing else, check wire by wire for proper orientation from the truck to the trailer.

Whatever police equipment you refer to evidently is drawing off the towing circuit ? May have to change that if everything else checks out.

Dave

 

My friend had similar problem on his GMC Safari. Took several visits to the dealer to get new harness.
How many lights those ATV trailers originally have? LED should fix whatever the problem you have, since they take only traces of power.

 

The only police equipment on would be the radio and in the morning when they check the lights the radio isn't even on. So none of the police equipment is drawing any power. Every 2011 F250/350 we have does the same thing. Our 2011 Raptors don't have any problems. Our trailers are standard 16 foot twin axle Big Tex trailers.

 

The wiring arrangement in the plug hasn't changed in -- like forever. I just can't figure whats causing this. I have an '11 - F350 that I use to tow a 15' ATV trailer (just two incand. tail lights), a 26' boat trailer (2 incand. tails plus 7 incand. markers) and a 36' 5th wheel (2 incand. tails plus 9 incand markers) and have zero problems with any of them. Would there happen to be an aftermarket inverter installed on these vehicles? They can pull significant amperage under load and might cause the problem you describe if hooked into the trailer circuits feed line. I think all the trailer circuits are supplied by a common feed (upstream of the relays). Just a thought. -- P.S. What circuit are you using to power the brain wave disruptor ? You know, that device that makes people say stupid things in front of the dash-cam. I wear a tinfoil hat so it doesn't work on me!

 

I also agree.. Maybe on the newer trucks, if ford knows it or not.. The wire pin location in the 7 pin plug has been changed. Test every pin separate. turn on things and see what makes that pin hot. mark it down and move to the next pin.

 

I agree that 7 pins trailer plugs are on the market maybe not from forever, but more than 50 years.
If the dealer can not figure it out, that says something about the dealer. Factory screw up, or not, it is not rocket science.
On my sedan I have burned bulbs warning, where changing the draw by 2 watts triggers warning light on the dash. For my trailer I bought the converter with independent power wire. Works like a charm with no warnings. It is not a rocket science.

 

Have you taken a new truck and tested it before adding your aftermarket police electronics? Curious if you know for fact that the trucks never worked properly or if you're just assuming it to be fact.

It shouldn't be difficult to convince the dealer whether or not the problem belongs to them if you have the right data laid out on the table.

 

If its hit 15 of the new Superduties but none of the Chevys or '08 Fords, it HAS to be something that was done post-purchase.

 

sounds to me like the ground..

if the trailers were 6 pin, then I could suggest there are 2 acceptable wiring configs with power and brake being switched in location.. I had that problem with my 150 as compared to my suburban. had to buy an adapter to swap the wires.

Sam

 

Check the 7-pin connector pinout yourself and be done with it. Don't leave it up to "it hasn't changed in forever".