I've heard this from some van owners a year or two ago, having to wire them in on their own, so the guy could be right.

 

Follow this link for more information:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/3...trailer+wiring

 

Al_e._gator: Thanks for that link. I do not know if the relays are in place, or the fuses are uprated, but I have my Hoppy controller hooked up, and the four pin plug is still at the back. I think I will cut into the cable that ends at the rear axel and see if that is where are the other three wires are lurking. I liked the suggestion of finding a unit at the wreckers; might try that tomorrow. E350 vans are rare, but I might find a similar setup in a pickup. Hopefully i might turn up a proper plug rather than cutting into the van wiring.

 

If you have the tow package, the harness under the dash goes to the rear of the van. If you don't have the tow package then yes he's right. What I was saying about the adaptor is that you don't need to wire both a 7 and a 4 pin in together. They make an adapter for that. IF you're connector under the dash has a big blue wire in it then you should have a second harness under the back of the van with it and a few other wires in it.

 

I do not know about vans but this is true for 1996 and older "F series" Trucks.
They have a standard under dash wiring and the blue wire stops at the firewall plug and all the other wires are good for the under dash plug.

If you have the factory tow package then the wiring harness from the firewall to the back will have the blue wire. If you do not have the package then the blue wire plus other wires are not in the harness.

 

In some vans the blue wire stops at the firewall and in others it goes to the rear. I'm one of the unlucky whose blue wire stopped at the firewall. If the blue wire goes to the rear you do not need to cut into the harness to find it. Everyone with a newer van should have a connecter near the rear axle on the driver's side with a connector for the four-wire pigtail. Near there, within six inches of it, there will be a second connector with a white wire grounded to the frame on vans set up for seven pin connectors from the factory. If the second connector with the white ground is not there, your blue wire will stop at the firewall under the van.

 

Al_e._Gator Thanks. From a quick look under the rear of the van, It looks like I have a connector for a pigtail. So, I checked with a Ford dealer and was told they can get the pigtail in--for $195.00. Explaining the cost he said there are probably a couple of relays with it. I asked if I could just buy the connector plug and was told "no". So, with a price like that at Ford, it looks like I will hardwire the missing pigtail. I checked with a couple of wreckers and found nothing.

 

I hardwired mine for $10 in parts and an hour or two of my time. Beats the heck out of the dealer price.

 

I need to see where to look, wife found the link at the rear, where the 4 pin plugs in at the axle, didn't see another one there, just that one and a round socket beside it. I can't get under it unless it's up on a rack, I don't have a roller to get under, and have problems getting back in my wheelchair from the ground. My father in law has a car hauling trailer, idiots in the family can't be pursuadedto wire it back up correctly, for trailer brakes, they are under the impression it's safe and legal to tow without them. I want to use it a little, legally, but need my van rigged up.

 

Maples: This morning I put a piece of cardboard down and slid under the van. I followed the wires from the four pin plug back to where the four-pin wires have a junction with a plug that is capped off. That capped off plug is where the brake wire pigtail plugs in, (if you care to buy one at $195Cdn.) Then I checked about buying a socket only to fit the plug. Not available.

So I drove to a wreckers and walked around checking every For car, truck and van for a similar plug. I found a few, but most had fine gauge wires. I brought one home that has heavy wires that came off an older (198?) Ford van which had a different trailer wiring setup. I have not yet tried it in the socket on the van yet.

If it does not fit the plug on the van, I will have to cut the plug off and wire using connectors.

When I talked to the guy at the Ford dealership he told me to check my owners manual. Unfortunately I do not have one, nor did he. There is apparently a section on installing for trailer brakes.

Al E Gator wrote where to find the plug:

Everyone with a newer van should have a connecter near the rear axle on the driver's side with a connector for the four-wire pigtail. Near there, within six inches of it, there will be a second connector with a white wire grounded to the frame on vans set up for seven pin connectors from the factory. If the second connector with the white ground is not there, your blue wire will stop at the firewall under the van.

Ed

 

Maples: Just an update. I found a plug at the wreckers that fits the plug near the rear axel. It is a "D" shape four wire plug. I picked up 6 feet of seven wire cable (used) and a 7 wire plug. Now i have to figure out the wiring. The plug on the van has what looks like;" white, blue, black/green, orange" wires. The blue and white match up, and it should be fairly easy to figure out the other two, I hope.

Anyone got a Owner's Manual for a 2000 e350 van? The dealer said the information is in there.

Ed

 

I wish I had bought the one that matches mine on Ebay, was the entire packet, looked new. I gotta go somewhere and get someone to look for me, since I can't crawl under myself, sux being in a wheelchair. No vehicle in the yards around me with the needed part, aggravating I can tell you, may see if the shop near me can get me one.
Wife found the socket with the 4 way on it, and a round one beside it for something, it's not big, didn't see another socket that was empty.

 

Maples:

The round socket beside the D socket is probably the non-brake towing circuits for a 4 wire plug.

The plug I got at the wreckers was not in the same location as on my e350; -it was on a heavy cable running back along the left frame, then across the back. This plug was near the back bumper where the cable was running accross towards the center.

 

Mines ext, so it'll not be at the bumper since they use the same wiring harness on all vans. The round is god only knows what, my 4 pin is on a harness that plugs into a socket beside the round one, thing it's a square one, I figure should be beside the trailer brake one. Reason I believe I should have it is my van is loaded with everything available in that year, it's not a regular passenger wagon.

 

I just download it and I see not a thing about that in the Owner's Manual.

If you want to look here is the URL to download it:


www.fleet.ford.com/maintenance/owners_manuals/default.asp