Why are 7-pin connectors so sloppy?

[gsganzer]

Both my rear bumper connection and my in-bed gooseneck connection seem to be sloppy (Bumper is Ford OEM, gooseneck is Hopkins). With two different trailers and in both configurations I get the same issue. Today, while heading up to Madill OK to get some pipe, my truck was constantly sensing the bumper pull trailer plug connecting and disconnecting. I'll get the same thing sometimes (although less frequently)with my gooseneck horse trailer. The male/female connection is fully engaged and the flip cap tab is fully engaged in the opposing tab on the plug, so I don't understand why I'm getting such a crappy/intermittent connection.

I know when I was talking to one of the truck bed installers (Install CM and Pronghorn truck beds), they said they won't install the 7-pin connectors because of this problem. They prefer the 6-pin round connector.

Does anyone have the same issue with the 7-pin connectors and is there a simple fix?

 

[nisaacs]

Change out your single contact trailer plug with a dual contact Bargman plug.

 

[gsganzer]

Change out your single contact trailer plug with a dual contact Bargman plug.

View attachment 702726

Oh man!!! I thought you had the winning answer, until I went out and looked at my trailer plugs. Both are dual contact and one is actually a Bargman. However, I'll see if I can squeeze the contacts a little tighter and squirt some dielectric grease into each contact on the plug. I'll also double check all the connections on the truck. The dealer actually put the B&W gooseneck hitch in and the gooseneck receptacle, I'm hoping they used a connector and not those cheap insulation penetrating wire splice gizmo's.

 

[BleedingOrange]

Usually once a year, on my 2008 Ford F150 Limited, I take a small blade flat screwdriver, with about a 3/16th inch wide blade, and spread open every pin on the connector. I noticed way back when that the pins on the truck end used to get narrower over time, so by spreading them out a bit, I get a nice tight connection, every time.

 

[i7win7]

Nothing on my trailer worked this year, no lights, no brakes. I crawled under truck with test meter and had power to the light pins. Used 12v battery and some jumper wires on trailer plug and could make lights work.

The socket on the truck - all the tabs were flattened - like someone shoved a piece of pipe in there and flattened them.

Replaced truck connector to fix problem.

 

[Randy Gann]

When I tow my fifth wheel RV I do a couple wraps of electrical tape around flip cap and plug to hold it tight in the socket. Makes me feel that it is more secure. Takes only a few seconds to do and easy to remove.

 

[LittleBill21]

every person I talked to who installed this, said their issues vanished, if they kept it clean

Amazon.com: EZ CONNECTOR S710 Trailer Side Elec Socket : Automotive

Buy EZ CONNECTOR S710 Trailer Side Elec Socket: Connectors - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

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[BravoXray]

That type of plugs and sockets are cheap crap. I have a friend that pulls new boats for a local company, and he continually has problems with them, even on new trailers.
I would replace them with standard semi type 7 pole connectors and sockets that are much better. We very rarely had problems with them on my trucks.

https://www.etrailer.com/Wiring/Pollak/PK11700.html

https://www.etrailer.com/wiring/pollak/pk11720.html

 

[workinonit]

Yea, I use the pin connectors. Those flat spade connectors are unreliable.

 

[oosik]

I have nothing to pull but went out and checked the Power Wagon. It has the seven pole type connector. And a separate oval two pin connector socket. Both have a spring loaded trap door to keep them weather tight.

 

[skipmarcy]

Do ya think it could possibly be one of the wires inside the connector making/breaking contact ? Spades/pins aren't the only electrical connection necessary. Open that baby up and have a look at the condition inside. Or possibly a butt connector or scotch-loc that shouldn't be used anyway in the harness … Was a mechanic for close to 50 years and saw all kinds stuff that "worked for years like that". I ALWAYS soldered and heat-shrinked wires and took my time and properly wired the connector inside and then sealed where the wires go into the connector with silicone. Dielectric grease on actual connections inside and outside. My stuff works when I need it. Personally I don't care for the round pin connectors, I prefer good heavy flat terminals in a trailer plug/connector. Doing automotive diagnostics for so many years I've seen how round pins compare to flat pins for durability to abuse.

 

[nikerret]

My trailer has never given me a problem, but others I’ve pulled have. On the car trailer, we out a metal plug on. That helped, for quite a while. One of the HD trailers (14k tag) I pull, sometimes, has a new plug. The first few miles were rough. After I bent the tabs, for more pressure, it worked fine. One of the first posts hit the nail on the head, for immediate fixes.

 

[RichNJKubota]

Do ya think it could possibly be one of the wires inside the connector making/breaking contact ? Spades/pins aren't the only electrical connection necessary. Open that baby up and have a look at the condition inside. Or possibly a butt connector or scotch-loc that shouldn't be used anyway in the harness … Was a mechanic for close to 50 years and saw all kinds stuff that "worked for years like that". I ALWAYS soldered and heat-shrinked wires and took my time and properly wired the connector inside and then sealed where the wires go into the connector with silicone. Dielectric grease on actual connections inside and outside. My stuff works when I need it. Personally I don't care for the round pin connectors, I prefer good heavy flat terminals in a trailer plug/connector. Doing automotive diagnostics for so many years I've seen how round pins compare to flat pins for durability to abuse.

What Skip says here is very important.
Solder all wire to wire connections. Then use heat shrink with silicon sealant inside the heat shrink.
To keep contacts from corroding use dielectric grease, regular grease, oil, or Fluid Film.

I have not found anything better that will last for years and years out in the weather.
All the trailers I've owned have come with crimp connectors - from the factory. They will always fail. But worse than that they allow water to get into the wire and the entire wire from end to end will corrode so now the wire must be replaced.

 

[Sonny580]

my 7-pin flats are sloppy too. I dont use them much so gotta fight them every time I hook up the trailer. Neighbor bends his so they fit better and has great luck with them, but then he uses his trailers every day.
I still need to change mine to the type we had on our semi's way back when I drove. --- never had any trouble with them.

 

[sklunk]

every person I talked to who installed this, said their issues vanished, if they kept it clean

Amazon.com: EZ CONNECTOR S710 Trailer Side Elec Socket : Automotive

Buy EZ CONNECTOR S710 Trailer Side Elec Socket: Connectors - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

The EZ Connectors are GREAT!
Unfortunately they are also a little pricey (around $120 for both sides) but like you said everybody I know that has one loves them and has never had any problems. The newer version comes with self-sealing plug holders for when you don't have the trailer connected.

 

[Gee Ray]

I tied a very small cloth bungee around the wire and pull the plug toward the truck. I put several thousand miles on the truck like that before I got a new trailer and new plug.

 

[jaxs]

4 forces work in unison to cause poor/intermintent contact on those plugs. #1 Heavy cord moving/wiggling plug which progressivly increasses clearance between contact points. #2 Loose contacts increase resistance and resistance translate's to heat when it come's to electric current #3 Internal parts become annealed from repeated heating and cooling. #4 Heat create's a resistive coating at contact points. Each force feed's and feed's off of other 3 so the process is like a run-a-way mine train picking up momentum until conections fail. The remedy in post 4 above doesn't last because annealing in force #3 make's metal soft and lose memory(spring).
The process can be slowed by supporting cord near plug and periodiclly cleaning contacts with something like DeoxIT followed with grease/preservitive.