Trailer brake setup
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Freshman User
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From: Regina, Saskatchewan
Trailer brake setup
We have a 2000 E-350 7.3 Diesel, which my son is touring his band in right now. He tows a 6 x 8 foot trailer full of equipment. (Incidentally he gets 18mpg on an Imperial gallon). I have bought an old little British car I need to pick up, 1,400 miles away, and need a bigger trailer. The little British car weighs about 1,750 lbs, so I could use a single axel trailer that has no brakes. If I go for a two axel trailer they require brakes on all four wheels, so if I go that route, what's the best, or easiest, way to setup for a brake controller on the E350 van?
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Joined: Dec 2004
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From: Georgia
Buy a tekonsha (sp?) prodigy (best bang for the buck) with the ford pig tail and it will plug right into the existing wiring tucked into the left footwell left side cover. Since it's a diesel I expect it should have the seven pin trailer plug on the back already. If not, search for my posts and you will find a lot of discussion on how to check out your existing wiring and install your on plug.
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From: Regina, Saskatchewan
Brake controller
Thanks Al.
I guess I will have to crawl under the van when my son gets home from his band tour, so I can see what wiring is under there. The first owner had a 6 pin plug he used for a boat trailer. It was crappy, and only part of it worked. My son took the plug off and put on a four pin plug to match his trailer. Now I have to rewire to whatever the trailer seller says my new Royal Cargo trailer will have when I buy it. I suspect it will be a seven pin.
Ever seen a controller by "Hoppy"? A local shop sells them for $59. They have LED display and yellow to green power level inducator. Says it is compatible to 2, 4 or six brake systems.
I can check tomorrow to see if they have Teckonsha there , too. What advantages do these have.
I guess I will have to crawl under the van when my son gets home from his band tour, so I can see what wiring is under there. The first owner had a 6 pin plug he used for a boat trailer. It was crappy, and only part of it worked. My son took the plug off and put on a four pin plug to match his trailer. Now I have to rewire to whatever the trailer seller says my new Royal Cargo trailer will have when I buy it. I suspect it will be a seven pin.
Ever seen a controller by "Hoppy"? A local shop sells them for $59. They have LED display and yellow to green power level inducator. Says it is compatible to 2, 4 or six brake systems.
I can check tomorrow to see if they have Teckonsha there , too. What advantages do these have.
Lead Driver
Joined: Feb 2003
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From: Oak Harbor, OH
There should be a harness under the rear of the van, on the drivers side between the axle and spare tire. What you'll need to do is get the seven pin plug with the ford harness and a 4 wire adapter for your son to use.
You'd said that only part of the six pin plug worked. That is probably correct as you would only be using four wire in it, stop, left turn, right turn, parking lights, and then it would ground through the metal body, but it may have a ground pin as well. Check the fuses in the power distribution box under the hood. There are two 15 amp fuses that are for the trailer harness turn signals, a lot of times people short the circuit out testing the connections and then can't find the fuses.
You'd said that only part of the six pin plug worked. That is probably correct as you would only be using four wire in it, stop, left turn, right turn, parking lights, and then it would ground through the metal body, but it may have a ground pin as well. Check the fuses in the power distribution box under the hood. There are two 15 amp fuses that are for the trailer harness turn signals, a lot of times people short the circuit out testing the connections and then can't find the fuses.
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Joined: May 2004
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From: Maryville
It's near the drivers side wheel well, it's a round socket with a cap on it, I suppose there is a pigtail that plugs into it and carries it to the rear. I found all this out on my E-350, not sure where to get the extension for the rear, seems stupid for Ford to do this arrangement. I bought the pigtail for the front at Ford, was $14 plus tax, I believed the more expensive techoshan has the pigtail for connecting into the factory harness.
Walmart near me had a 7 pin on sale for $5, you plug your 4 pin in it, then hard wire the rest in from the other harness.
Walmart near me had a 7 pin on sale for $5, you plug your 4 pin in it, then hard wire the rest in from the other harness.
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From: MI
Originally Posted by Locoster
Tekonsha there , too. What advantages do these have.
Tekonsha Prodigy® http://www.tekonsha.com/prodig.html
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From: Georgia
Originally Posted by Locoster
Ever seen a controller by "Hoppy"? A local shop sells them for $59.
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Lead Driver
Joined: May 2004
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From: Maryville
The trailer shop near me pushes Prodigy, says you get what you pay for, and those cheapo's have no real warranty, he said the fine print says warranty is viod once wired up, he's seen a number of them that were bad right out of the box, just a little FYI. The Prodigy is a direct plug in I'm told, you don't need to buy the Ford connector and have spliced on, which is $20 after taxes.
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From: Regina, Saskatchewan
Ok so far. I bought the $59 Hoppy controller because they were asking $129 for a Tekonsha, and found a plug and wires at Uhaul ($9.70 tax in). The place that sells Hoppy guarantees everything they sell.
Wired it and hooked it up and it appears to work. I crawled under the van (2000 E350 7.30) and it appears there is a connector up under the mud near where the four wire plug wires come toward the back.
First, is "partial" wiring for a 7 pin plug standard equipment on an E350? Am I right to be assuming there should be a pigtail available that plugs in to finish up the job to connect a 7 pin plug? Any ideas where to buy a pigtail or just a plug that connects to the harness, other than from Ford? Or am I better to just wire it up myself?
I notice that the green wire for the taillight on the trailer was cut and a replacement wire run was over from the right taillight, that could indicate old wiring problems.
Ed
Wired it and hooked it up and it appears to work. I crawled under the van (2000 E350 7.30) and it appears there is a connector up under the mud near where the four wire plug wires come toward the back.
First, is "partial" wiring for a 7 pin plug standard equipment on an E350? Am I right to be assuming there should be a pigtail available that plugs in to finish up the job to connect a 7 pin plug? Any ideas where to buy a pigtail or just a plug that connects to the harness, other than from Ford? Or am I better to just wire it up myself?
I notice that the green wire for the taillight on the trailer was cut and a replacement wire run was over from the right taillight, that could indicate old wiring problems.
Ed
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Joined: May 2004
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From: Maryville
I found it on www.hiddenhitch.com I han't tell you how, looks like it replaced your entire 4 pin socket harness, but there is one that branches that may allow both.
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From: Maryville
Lead Driver
Joined: Feb 2003
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From: Oak Harbor, OH
Locoster, that is what I was talking about earlier. There are fuses in the power distribution box under the hood for the trailer harness. Check all the fuses there. Wal Mart used to sell the adapters for the factory harnes.. If you get the 7 pin connector they make and adapter that plugs into the 7pin to connect it to a 4 pin. We use one all the time with our boat.
Last edited by pfogle; Aug 30, 2006 at 02:50 PM.
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From: Regina, Saskatchewan
Maples01 you found a good site, but they do not have a dealer nearby. So far searching I have covered over 300 miles without finding a dealer. Lots of dealers further south.
I see that there are two relays and two fuses shown, probably heavier because of the higher current draw running brakes.
I see that there are two relays and two fuses shown, probably heavier because of the higher current draw running brakes.
Lead Driver
Joined: May 2004
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From: Maryville
That's the only place I've seen it, I asked my Ford dealer about it, I got the dumbest look from them like I was speaking in a foreign language, tried to sell me another front connector for under the dash. I currently have a blown trailer fuse up front for my trailer wiring, popup I borrowed, think the ground wire on it had a bad connection. As usual, you never get issues till you turn on the running lights, if you use a turn signal, it over loads, now running light wire on the van harness is dead.
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From: Regina, Saskatchewan
Pfogle:
The adaptor from 4 to 6 or 7 doesn't give you brakes. In fact, according to the guy I talked to at Ford, the brake controller plug under the dash doesn't go anywhere. He adds that you have to wire it up yourself for brakes. I hope he is wrong. It does not make any sense to put a brake controller plug on a van with no wiring to run brakes, and then to have brakes you have to wire it up outside the plug and the existing wire that goes nowhere..
The adaptor from 4 to 6 or 7 doesn't give you brakes. In fact, according to the guy I talked to at Ford, the brake controller plug under the dash doesn't go anywhere. He adds that you have to wire it up yourself for brakes. I hope he is wrong. It does not make any sense to put a brake controller plug on a van with no wiring to run brakes, and then to have brakes you have to wire it up outside the plug and the existing wire that goes nowhere..