Adding reciever hitch and trailer brake controller?
 

My father in law just purchased a 2012 F150 XLT 5.0. It did not come with the factory towing package, but since we have a small dual axle trailer here, he would like to add a hitch and brake controller to the truck. We need to add a 7-pin plug and a brake controller inside the cab, so I was wondering what is the best way to add this to a truck that never had a towing package?

Is there a harness at the back that we can hook up to a 7-pin plug?

On a few of my older F150s they had a plug under the dash that you could plug an aftermarket brake controller into. Would his truck still have this plug even though it never had the towing package?

I don't know about the 2012's but my 08 came with the trailer package but no brake control. I bought a brake control and it just plugged in under the dash. Another truck I had didn't have a trailer packaged but had a plug under the rear bumper to plug a 7 pin plug in.

Key

There's a little bit of conflicting information about this, but here's the best info i have been able to find:

the plug under the dash should still be there, but the fuses and relays in the power distrobution box probably aren't.

The wires for the 7-way plug should at least be run all the way to the back axle, but may extend all the way back (not sure). you should , at the very least, have the 4-way connector on the rear bumper, most (if not all) do.

My expedition has the factory 4-way plug, and the electric brake wire run all the way to the back, but the rest of the wires that make up the 7-way plug terminate at the rear axle, i would expect yours to be similar.

if you are very lucky, you will find a big round connector under the rear bumper that looks something like this:
http://www.etrailer.com/Custom-Fit-V...id=20121172005
if that's the case, you should be able to buy the plug above, mount it, and install the proper fuses and relays in the fuse box and you are golden .... but i wouldn't hold high hopes in that being the case.

sorry for not being able to be more specific than that. maybe someone who has done it will chime in.

I purchased a Ford Controller and a harness that goes from the rear axle area to the hitch. This harness has the 7 pin receiver. If you want a hitch, that will accept the 7 pin receiver, you must buy the Ford hitch. or make your own mount for the 7 pin receiver.
I also found that the Blue wire that usually goes from a harness plug ( beginning on the left inner fender)to the 7 pin was not in the harness.
We had to run a new wire. Fuse and relay comes with the Controller.
I am sorry, but I have misplaced the part numbers. I have a 2012 XL.

Do a search, because someone posted the whole process for installing the Ford controller.