Should 4-Pole Wiring Harness Be Kept Inside Vehicle When Not in Use

Updated 12/27/2018 | Published 12/24/2018

Products Featured in This Question

Curt T-Connector Vehicle Wiring Harness with 4-Pole Flat Trailer Connector

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$43.14

Dielectric Grease for Electrical Connectors, 2 oz.

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$10.79

Mounting Bracket 4-Pole Flat

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$10.89

Hopkins Plug-In Simple Vehicle Wiring Harness with 4-Pole Flat Trailer Connector

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$47.07

Curt No-Drill Bracket for 6-Way or 7-Way Round Trailer Connector Mounting Bracket - Long

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Question:

Instructions show leaving in trunk area and feeding though back hatch door when needed. Any pros/cons for feeding through the bottom holes in the trunk area to affix permanently to trailer hitch?

asked by: John S

Expert Reply:

Unless you tow almost every day I recommend keeping your 4-pole trailer connector inside the vehicle where it is protected from corrosion and damage. Many wiring issues can arise from corrosion and so it is best to save yourself that potential hassle by keeping the harness out of harm's way as much as possible.

The various harnesses for your RAV4, Curt harness # C55307, Tekonsha # 118389 and Hopkins # 33465, all have a protective cover for their 4-pole plug, but I still recommend keeping the 4-pole safely stowed unless you are actually using it.

If you do prefer a permanent external mount on your hitch tube you can use 4-pole bracket # 18144 along with part # C57202. This combination avoids drilling. You can use dielectric grease # 11755 to protect the pins on the 4-pole.