6-wire or 7-wire for trailer/camper connection?

   / 6-wire or 7-wire for trailer/camper connection? #1  

RobertN

Super Member
Joined
Apr 6, 2000
Messages
8,655
Location
Shingle Springs California
Tractor
New Holland TC40D
Any opinions on wiring up for a horse trailer and camper?

Horse trailer currently has 6-wire. It has brakes.
Camper has six wires, but no connector right now.

I would like to add two receptacles on the rear of my F250.

I one better than the other? what about reliability?

Thanks for the inputs!

RobertN in Shingle Springs Calif
 
   / 6-wire or 7-wire for trailer/camper connection? #2  
I have a simular situation. I have a camper plus a 16' trailer and also a boat trailer. If you don't have anything on the truck as yet, I would go with the 7-wire. It's heavier and from my experience, the receptical is usually better. Then wire the camper with the simular 7-wire plug. A majority of people who tow campers have the 7-wire set-up. If someone else wants to use the camper, they are set. Also, a lot of trailers don't have a 6-wire...only 4. When I use the boat trailer or utility trailer, which are 4 wire, I use a converter. You can buy a good converter for under $10. They make the converters in 7 wire to 6 or 4 wire. I have one of each so whatever the trailer connection might be, I am already to go.

Rod
 
   / 6-wire or 7-wire for trailer/camper connection? #3  
Robert, I agree with Rodney. You said both your trailers have 6 wires, but did you mean to say the camper has 7? Otherwise, I don't guess I understand why you want two receptacles on the truck. At any rate, you can use a single 7 wire receptacle, and put a 7 wire plug on both trailers (you don't have to use all 7 prongs) and you're all set.

Bird
 
   / 6-wire or 7-wire for trailer/camper connection? #4  
I would go with the seven way flat pin it's the standard for traveltralers and as Rodney and Bird both said go with adaptors or homemade pigtails for the round or square six or flat four. Or convert all your trailers to the seven way flat pin connectors.
Gordon
 
   / 6-wire or 7-wire for trailer/camper connection? #5  
Gordon,

Just sold our '95 travel trailer this summer, it had the 7 pin round connector. Is the flat 7 the same but newer?
Still have the truck with the 7 pin round, use the adaptor to pull my flat 4 utility trailer.

Thanks, JimBinMI

We boys and our toys!
 
   / 6-wire or 7-wire for trailer/camper connection? #6  
Jim and others sorry for my shortness in my previous post. OK here goes. Traveltrailer standard for plugs is this if you look at the plug from the end it's round with a tab on the top six connectors around the outside of the plug are flat and there is one round connector in the center of the plug.
Before that was a round sevenway plug with round connections from the male and female sockets. Before that was the nine pin with round connnectors.
Does this clear things up alittle Jim?
Gordon
 
   / 6-wire or 7-wire for trailer/camper connection? #7  
Gordon,

Yes, what you describe is "standard" 7 pin to me. Around here we call the 4 round pin connector a "flat" 4 because the pins are arranged straight across next to each other, when you view it, it is flat. The "round" 7 pin connector looks round when you look at the whole thing, but as you described, the outside 6 connectors are "flat" and the center is a round connector.

Thanks for clearing it up for this novice! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

P.S. - Last time I used my truck 7 pin connector with the converter to flat 4, my connections didn't work really great. I believe it wasn't the converter because the last time that I hooked to the travel trailer, I had connection problems too, kept hooking and rehooking to get a better connection. If you believe that all of your wires are properly hooked up on the tow vehicle, what is the best way to clean the connections at the round 7 connector?

JimBinMI

We boys and our toys!
 
   / 6-wire or 7-wire for trailer/camper connection? #8  
JimBinMI, since Gordon hasn't answered yet, I'll try. Assuming the wires are all hooked up properly and the plug is just not making good contact, there are several things you can do, depending on the condition of the plugs. Radio Shack, and a lot of other places, sell an electrical contact cleaner in aerosol cans (I keep on one hand). WD40 also works quite well. Either of those is usually enough; however, sometimes you need to take some fine grain sandpaper, and use it to clean those flat pins. Good luck.

Bird
 
   / 6-wire or 7-wire for trailer/camper connection? #9  
Ditto to what Bird said he hit the nail on the head. I'll also add this a small wire brush works well also to clean the contacts. Another thing that you would run into over time is the salt that they put down on the road in your neck of the woods it can eat the plug up from the inside out---looks fine on the outside, but on the inside of the plug where the wires attach it's a ball of green and white yuck. Also make sure your ground connection is good alot of people overlook the ground wire and check the wiring connections under the truck as well where the plug extension wires tie into the harness.

I could ramble on all night about plug connections so I'll say this Ditto to Bird./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
I've been brush hoggin all day and I forgot my ear plugs not smart my ears are still ringing. Thank goodness I ran low on fuel so I could shut the tractor down.
Gordon
 
   / 6-wire or 7-wire for trailer/camper connection? #10  
Bird & Gordon,

Thanks for the ideas, next time I use it I'll try some of them.

JimBinMI

We boys and our toys!
 
 
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