Wiring for round trailer connector
#1
Wiring for round trailer connector
Just attempted to tow with my 2011 navigator and discovered that I only have the 4 flat style connector not the 7 round for a trailer with brakes. At any rate I got it wired with the exception of the wire that would charge a battery on the trailer. Ford was nice enough to include a marked/labeled wire for the electronic brakes but I can't find a pre run wire for the 12 volt source to charge the battery on my trailer. Has anyone done this without running a wire from the battery all the way back to the trailer wiring. I was hoping Ford supplied one. Thanks in advance for the help.
#2
I have not, but I have run a wire all the way from the battery to the trailer wiring in order to power a set of auxiliary reverse lights. If you end up going that route, my suggestion is to load the wire into some nylon wire loom and run it across the area above the grille and along the driver side fender. Right below where the wiring harness enters the passenger compartment, the factory wiring runs underneath the vehicle all the way back to the tail lights and trailer wiring. Just run your loom along with it and zip tie it to the factory wire loom. It takes a little patience to snake it through in some areas, but it's doable. Lowering the spare tire will make the job much, much easier. You can pick up nylon wire loom from eBay for cheap; the stuff with the gray stripe is the nylon high temp stuff. The high temp stuff is not really needed where you'll be running the wire, but for the extra $2-3 you'll pay over the regular stuff it's worth the piece of mind.
#3
So I wired the 12volt circut for the trailer. I searched all over the back of the vehicle but couldnt find a 12 volt factory wire pre run. The electric brake wire was there but no 12 volt to charge the trailer battery. I looked in the owners manual and identifed the relay and fuse for trailer towing circut both of which were present but i couldnt see where it goes or what color the wire is. Next option was find 12 volts hot all the time. Parenthetically, the power lift gate is 7 volts. Dont know why they reduced voltage to the motor. I was really interested in these wires as they were really thick but no go. I then looked at cigarette lighter in rear and found it to be 12 volt hot all the time and fused at 20 amps but kind of smallish on the size/gauge as compared to trailer charging circut 30 amps. It will work as I would only use it to run lights inside the trailer without utilizing the separate trailer battery. I tapped into the cigarette lighter power wire that is purple with black stripe and soldered and shrink wrapped it. See photo. I then ran wire through passenger compartment covered in plastic tubing thru rubber plug and into a structural channel under car, see photo. Anyone see any potential issues? I dont have a battery on my trailer, i just wanted to be able to use lights inside camper without being plugged into power. It is fused so if I did overload the power it would blow the fuse.
Tapped into power at cigarette lighter
Plastic covering run thru grommet to exterior channel uber car
Under car at rear of spare tire exiting channel at hitch area
Tapped into power at cigarette lighter
Plastic covering run thru grommet to exterior channel uber car
Under car at rear of spare tire exiting channel at hitch area
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