7 pin hitch rec. in truck bed

chardel

Active Member
We are waiting for trailer to arrive at dealers and have been thinking about things we need. One item I was wondering about (along with many others) is whether or not to have an extra 7 pin connecter put in the truck bed? We have one on the bumper (dodge diesel - 2004) but wonder if it is better to have one in the truck or just use the one already there. I was concerned about have another one spliced into existing wiring as each time that is done, I would think there is more opportunity for problems with the wiring. What has been your experience.
 

DennisZ

Well-known member
Chardel
After may years of using my bumper recepticle for my gooseneck trailer, I added one into the bed, one of the best improvements I did. There are several companies that make plug-in adapters so that there are no splices exposed to the elements. I think the one for my Ford was about $25. I just found this link that has the adapter for your Dodge, a little pricier than the one I got, but still reasonable. http://www.hitchesonline.com/5wheel_wiring.htm
Dennis
 

dieselengineer

Charter Member
Here is another way. You will only need to add the three connection. The in bed connection is the way to go!

[SIZE=+3]No Splice In-Bed 7-Pin Trailer Connector[/SIZE]
In a Dodge RAM (2000 - Current)

For towing a 5th wheel or goose-neck trailer, it is very convenient to have a 7-Pin trailer connector mounted in the bed of the truck. I was looking for a way to do this without splicing to the factory wiring harness. Reese makes a "T-Connector" adapter (P/N 15381) harness that works well for this application. The adapter is available from Camping World using SKU 26693. The haness is modified to replace the 4-pin trailer connector with an in-bed 7-pin connector per the following instructions and installed as shown in the drawing below.
Reese_15381-Installation-Drawing.gif


Wire FunctionDodge
Drawing

(4)Truck
Wire
GaugeWire
Color
(5)10-Pin
Plug
(6)7-Pin
Plug
(7)Ground (1)(2)8W-54-414WHT
8, 91
Tail/Running Lights (1)8W-54-318BRN53Left Turn/Stop (1)8W-54-318YEL105Right Turn/Stop (1)8W-54-318GRN26Battery Charge (3)8W-54-514BLK (added)
44Trailer Brakes (3)8W-54-514BLU (added)
72Backup Lights (3)8W-54-518ORG (added)
3CNotes: (1)Remove 4 Pin trailer plug and connect these four wires to in-bed 7-pin plug as shown. In my case, the wires were just long enough to reach the in-bed 7-pin plug w/o splicing.
(2)I also attached the ground wire from the 7-Pin plug to truck chassis ground (optional). (3)Splice a new wire into the "T-Connector" harness and connect to the in-bed 7-pin connector as shown.(4)For model year 2004, reference Dodge drawing 8W-54-X for details. Click here for drawing.(5)These are the colors for the wires between the 10-pin and 7-pin in-bed plugs on the Reese "T-Connector" harness. The WHT, BRN, YEL, and GRN wires are included on the harness. The BLK, BLU, and ORG wires must be added.
(6)10-Pin connector is attached to the back side of the factory installed 7-Pin trailer connector located to the left of the license plate, and is part of the Dodge towing package. It is refered to as "Trailer Tow Connector-Add On" on the 8W-54 drawings.(7)7-Pin identification is the pin location as shown on the drawing below.
(8)These instructions assume that the trailer towing package was installed at the factory.(9)These instructions are for 2004 models 2500 and 3500 RAM trucks, and have not been verified for other years or models. According to Reese, the "T-Connector" harness will work on model year 2000 and newer RAM trucks. Additional "T-Connector" configurations for other vehicles may be available from Reese.
(10)
I have made every effort to make sure that the information on these pages is accurate. It is the sole responsibility of the person using this information to verify that all connections are made correctly. klenger.net takes no responsibility for any damage to the vehicle or trailer that may result from the use of this information. If you do find any errors in this information, please contact info@klenger.net and we will research and correct as necessary.


Modified "T-Connector" Drawing [ High-Res ] [ PDF ]
wiring_7pole.jpg


http://klenger.net/dodge/index.html
 

Jimmyt5

Well-known member
Just installed a plug today in my new Dodge.
I bought a harness that does it all.
It plugs into the rear and the harness from up front,no splicing.

I purchased it at a trailer parts store.......
 

BJ'sDad

Active Member
There's another alternative, just have the dealer make up a short wiring harness to plug into the outlet at the bumper hitch and run that up thru the bottom of the bed into the plug in.
That's what my installer did, he said it's cheaper and simpler to do it that way than to buy one of the special harnesses that plug into the OEM harness. Two plugs and about a 3 foot section of 7 wire harness and he was done in the time it took me to check the air in the tires before I pulled out.

If I want to use the truck to haul a TT or other trailer, all I have to do is to unplug the harness that leads to the inside of the bed, tuck it behind the under bumper hitch and be on my way.

I did however put a zip tie on the cover plate to make sure the plug won't come loose while towing the 5'er, one less place to cause the lites to go out.
 
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