7-Way to 5-Way Adapter for a Honda Pilot with 7-Way and Trailer with 5 Pin Connector

Expert Reply:

A 5-pin round connector is pretty rare, are you sure you do not have a 6-pin, 5 pins in a circle with one pin in the center?

Having both trailers work with your 7-way connector on the Pilot will be pretty easy. You will need a 4 pole to 7-way adapter, part # PK12716. This will allow you to tow the trailer with the 4 pole connector with no problem.

For your trailer with the 5 pin round connector, you will have to make a wiring modification to the trailer because of the separate brake light circuit. The 7-Way connector on your Pilot uses a converted signal, with both the turn signal and brake light signal combined onto one circuit for each side of the vehicle. In order for the lights to work correctly, you will have to un-convert the signal.

I would advise you remove the 5 pin connector, install a Vehicle to Vehicle Taillight Converter, part # 118158, to the leads coming from the trailer. The green wire on the output side of the converter would connect to the lead for the passenger side turn signal, the yellow wire from the output side of the converter would connect to the left turn signal circuit, and the red wire would connect to the brake light circuit.

Then install a standard 4 pole trailer side connector, part # 18004 to the input side of the converter. The brown wire on the 4 pole for the running lights would bypass the converter, and connect to the running light circuit of the trailer. The yellow wire from the connector would attach to the yellow wire on input side of the converter, and the green wire from the connector would connect to the green wire on the input side of the converter.

Although the vehicle to vehicle converter is constructed to be weather resistant, it would be advisable to install it on the trailer in such a way so that it is as protected from the weather as possible.

expert reply by: Mike L