Do you Have to Run Hot Lead to Battery When Installing Curt Harness on Dodge Grand Caravan

Published 04/27/2018

Question:

Is it possible to skip the step of running the wire to the battery? Im hauling small utility trailers. Very basic lighting needs only.

asked by: Steve

Helpful Expert Reply:

The custom trailer wiring harnesses available for your 2017 Dodge Grand Caravan, such as the Curt # C56331 that you referenced, do require that a hot lead be run up to the vehicle's battery. This 12V power connection is what is needed to power the converter, which in turn sends out the needed power for the trailer lights.

This powered type of converter will do a much better job of protecting the vehicle's wiring from excessive power draw from the trailer lights or from a short in the wiring. The fact that this is the only type of harness available for your Grand Caravan indicates that the vehicle's wiring is not considered heavy enough to carry the power drawn by trailer lights. When installing the harness, you will not be able to skip the hot lead step. This is necessary for the harness to operate correctly on your vehicle.

I have attached a great article that details the process of routing a power wire for a harness like this that you might find helpful.

expert reply by: Chris R