How To Plug 1997 Lance Truck Camper Into 7-way Connector On 2016 Ford F-250

Updated 06/15/2024 | Published 08/06/2021

Products Featured in This Question

Hopkins Trailer Connector Adapter - 7-Way RV Style Blade Plug to 7-Pole Round Pin

(123)

$37.68

Pollak Black Plastic, 7-Pole, RV-Style Trailer Connector - Trailer End

(662)

$7.94

Question:

Hi, i have a 1997 Lance truck camper that has a 7 pin connector on it, im trying to connect it to a 2016 ford f250 that has a 7 way blade connector. Will this product work? The connector on the Lance camper looks a little different then this product connector. I have attached a photo of the Lance camper connector. Thanks.

asked by: Nick

Expert Reply:

We have run into this quite a few times in the past, and the best option will be replacing the Lance 7-pin connector with a standard 7-way blade connector like the # PK12706. This will give you a standard 7-way connector to plug into the factory 7-way on your 2016 Ford F-250.

There is not a adapter compatible with the connector on your 1997 Lance Camper as they use their own style connector that does not match any standard connectors.

I included a video of the # PK12706 for you to take a look at.

expert reply by: Samuel C

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Scott

6/13/2024

I keep seeing this as the recommended solution but Lance is very clear that their proprietary plug uses 8 gauge conductor for the 12V positive and ground so that in addition to charging the battery you can run the refrigerator off the truck's electrical system while rolling. What's not clear is whether this proposed solution using part # PK12706 is capable of accepting 8 gauge wire from the battery. Can you please clarify?

Samuel C.

6/14/2024

@Scott This would be rated for 10 gauge. I haven't seen where they run 8 gauge, but the truck does not use 8 gauge (most don't even use 10 gauge) for the 12v power, so if your going to be using that much of a load, you'll be running your own 12v power wire and circuit breaker on the truck.

Scott

6/14/2024

@SamuelC Lance is pretty clear about this both in literature and videos they've published. They don't make their truckside socket readily available specifically because they want their dealers to install them, and they do in fact run a fused #8 wire from the truck battery to the socket in the bed. So I guess if I use the Hopkins socket and hack off my OEM Lance 6 pin pigtail, that'll get me tail lights but I'm still going to have to run a separate circuit with both male and female hardware if I want to use my camper as designed. I just wish there was an obvious solution that was cleaner but I don't live anywhere near a Lance dealer and wouldn't want to pay them $600 for $100 worth of hardware anyway when it's a job I can do myself. With so many Lance campers on the road and so many of them hitting the secondary market I find it pretty astonishing no third party vendor has produced a better solution for this issue.

Samuel C.

6/15/2024

@Scott If it were mine, I'd use the 7-way for the light functions, and a 2-way connector # 337TC2012 and # 337TC1012 for your 8-gauge wire to the camper. These are rated for up to 40 amps. You could then run your 8-gauge wire from the connector, to the battery on your truck with a 40 amp circuit breaker # 9510. We don't sell 8-gauge wire but you can pick some up locally.