Wiring Adapter 4 Pole to 7 Pole Vehicle End Trailer Connector

Updated 03/27/2015 | Published 03/26/2015

Question:

On my truck I have a 4 pin flat hookup for trailers, and was recently given a trailer with the 7 blade setup. I was wondering if this product will work properly just by plugging in the 4 pin and not hooking up the extra wires.

asked by: Ryan

Expert Reply:

You could wire the Tow Ready Adapter 4 Pole to 7 Pole # 30717 without the brake functions and just have the light functions on your tow vehicle without connecting the other wires. But I would be very cautious about not doing so for several reasons.

The main reason is safety. The general rule for towing trailers with brakes is that if the Gross Trailer Weight is half of the Gross Vehicle Weight it is recommended to use a brake controller and have brakes on the trailer.

Not being able to activate the trailer brakes can be dangerous. The weight of the trailer will act as a force to keep pushing your tow vehicle forward as you are trying to stop. As you may know, the more mass a traveling object has, the more force it takes to bring that object to a stop. So, with your vehicle connected to a trailer, you are adding more overall weight but not increasing the braking power.

The white wire of part # 30717 would need to be connected to a clean metal surface, like the vehicle frame.

Check out the FAQ article on trailer wiring that I have included.

expert reply by: Chris O