Trailer Brake wiring

[VA Chris]

Guys/Gals, have any of you had experience wiring your vehicle for Trailer brakes i.e brake controller hook-up and running the wires? My truck has a seven pin round connector but it is only wired for turn signals and brake lights on my boat. The vehicle did not come with a tow package so it does not have any type of quick connect wiring under the dash. Just wondering how difficult this would be to do myself. I just purchased a used pop-up with brakes and Camping World wants $400 for the whole shabang which just seems crazy. It cant be that hard, right?

 

[Texas Transplant]

Deleted. I mis-understood the problem.



Tex

 

[Richard Marriner]

I had somebody install mine when I bought my pop-up. It was about that price with installation AND the controller. With my limited knowledge you need to connect the controller to a power source and attach it to your break light switch on the brake pedal. After that throw a good sized wire (enough to handle the current for the breaks) to the controller and out through the firewall and somehow get it back to your connector in the back. You can find wiring diagrams for the 7 pin connector online, try googling "7 pin trailer wiring". Also the manual of the break controller should have some suggestions for splice connectors and guage wire to use as well as instructions for installation.



If you're not comfortable doing it yourself, you can probably get a better price at a local RV dealer/repair center.



Good luck.

Richard

 

[Bruce Freeman]

Just because it does not have the tow package does not mean it is not pre wired. Check the back of the connector and see how many wires run in to the plug. Does your boat trailer have brakes? Did you have to add a wire so you could back up? The controller will have directions and you will need a test light to find the signal wire off of the brake light switch but it's not rocket surgery.



BF

 

[VA Chris]

Not Brain Science either, eh?



jokes aside, my boat does not have brakes and I tow it just fine. I towed the camper home from where I purchased it just fine without brakes and could probably tow forever that way but I figure if the camper has brakes there is a reason so why not hook them up.



Only 4 wires hooked to the vehicle side of the 7 pin connector so I will have to run wires and splice into brake wire. I'm sure I can do it but I am weighing the value of time and cost of agravation of doing it myself and dropping it off at a place of business and not having to worry about it. Thanks for the input and I am more than willing to hear more from others.

 

[Richard Marriner]

Check the laws in your state regarding trailer brakes. Here in good ole' people's republic of Kalifornia, iirc, if the trailer is equipped with them you have to use them. Also if your GVWR for the trailer is over 1500lbs it must be equipped with some type of breaking system.



You can probably get away with towing without brakes. The guy I bought my pop-up from was towing it with an F-150 and never used the brakes and said he never had problems, but that opens you up to a big law suit if something happens... :unsure: Plus I have an Escape for a tow vehicle... It needs all the help it can get towing (and stopping)... :lol:



Richard

 

[Rich Kulakowski]

Lots of info is on the link listed here. They have wiring and controllers from various manufacturers as well as videos on installing. Newer vehicles may have the wiring to the plugin block under the dash and most of them have the wiring installed and just tucked up underneath somewhere. I am going to be putting a controller on a 2001 Blazer this weekend, wife wants to pull a "small" horse trailer with it. At least most of the area here is flat, the controller was recommended to help it stop. We shall see, may be in the market for a larger vehicle sooner than expected.

A weight distribution hitch was also suggested as were "Ride Rite" suspension additions but they said to try it first.

Good luck.

Rich.
http://www.etrailer.com

 

[brantley moats]

LET ME SEE IF I GOT THIS RIGHT, CAMPING WORLD WANTS 400 AMERICAN DOLLARS TO HOOKUP ONE WIRE THAT CONTROLS YOUR BRAKES ON A CAMPER TRAILER.DUDE, I'VE HEARD OF INFLATION BUT THIS BOGGLES MY MIND.

THERE MUST BE MORE TO THIS THAN WHAT I AM READING!

 

[VA Chris]

Well, its more like $350 and that includes the cost of the controller and its more than 1 wire. Still not a lot too it from what I can see other than time.

 

[Mini]

You have a seven round @ the truck and a 5 flat on the trailer?