This may be a bit of a newbie tech question, and may be more suitable for the towing forum, but I thought there would be enough knowledge here to ask...

I'm thinking about picking up a gooseneck dump trailer this weekend, and my truck has a gooseneck hitch, but doesn't have a wiring connection inside the bed. I was told the trailer the previous owner used had a long enough cord to attach to the bumper connection.

When I'm installing a connection for trailer brakes/lights inside the bed, do I just tap into the same wires that run to the bumper connection?

Also, as someone who has never towed a gooseneck trailer, are the trailer brake/light cords usually long enough to reach down to the bumper? (I could remove the tailgate)

 

You can do it that way if you like. Or you can stop by a towing/camping place and pickup a plug and play system. On most newer fords with tow package will have a seven way harness. There is a kit you can buy (about 70 bucks) that will plug in to factory harness on back side of truck wiring(located right behind hitch and has one tab you must remove in order to get a part)and tee into to harness. One get plugged into factor seven way the other will have plenty enough wire to run inside of bed. Drill your holes and presto. Wiring in bed. The best way to do it without splicing wires.Or you can do it the hard way. But will be better than having a wire beating the back of your truck going down the highway.

 

Just stopped by my local camper/truck accessories shop. They installed the plug in the bed for a grand total of $30. Can't beat that...

 

I just slip the pigtail down between the bed and tailgate usually...

No matter where you have your connection, make sure you run the pigtail all the way to the hitch and then back to the plug.

 

I put a plug in the bed of mine. Like one of these actually Draw-Tite Fifth Wheel and Gooseneck Wiring Harness with 7-Pole - GM, Ford, Nissan with Factory Tow 20110 : Trailer hitch bike rack and trailer hitches - etrailer.com. I like that it's neater, no cord hanging over the tailgate. I drilled a hole just big enough for pigtail to fit flush in the "pillar" formed at the driver's side rear of the bed, I ran the wiring up through a hole inside the socket for the tail light. I'll take a picture if I can find some charged batteries for my camera.

Edit. Actually, mine was slightly different than that harness. The wiring at the end of the harness (not where it tees into the stock wiring but the end where it connects to the new intalled plug) wasn't already connected to the plug. It was bare ends, so it allowed me to snake up and through a small hole, through the tail light socket, and out the hole i drilled in the bed. Here, I connected to the male end of the plug, which then plugs into the backside of the female socket that you connect your trailer plug to. Make sense? The picture makes it look like the plugs are already connected, or formed into the socket. Mine looked like this one

 

This may sound crazy, but I was told that the new trucks ordered with camper package had a harness under the bed that just needs pulled up and wired to a plug. Does anyone know if this is the case ?

 

There is a plug underneath that connects to the 7 way 'outlet' under the bumper on trucks with the tow package. The adapter shown by Sideshow plugs into it to allow an an additional outlet installed in the bed. Both outlets now work without the hassle of splice wiring.