How to Connect Breakaway Kit to Trailer Wiring Harness

Published 10/07/2019

Question:

Truck: 2014 Ford F250 Super Duty Trailer: 2009 Cargo with dual axle brakes. Ordered new trailer wiring connector and terminal box and new breakaway switch and battery. Made the mistake of assuming trailer color coding was same as the replacement. Big mistake. I have sorted out the lights, but need help with the brake wiring on the trailer. Where should I land the wires coming from the brake, truck, and the breakaway switch and battery. Do you have a wiring schematic for this portion of trailer wiring? I could not locate one that answered my problem on line. This is our Scout trailer and I need to get this right.

asked by: Gordon P

Expert Reply:

Thank you for all of the information!

One of the common misconceptions with trailer wiring is that you just match up the colors so you are definitely not alone in that regards and I'm glad that you were able to correct the issue. Connecting your trailer brakes to a breakaway kit like part # HM20001 can be a little confusing as well if you aren't familiar with it but we are here to help.

I am attaching a few pictures to show how your trailer breakaway wiring needs to be connected along with the typical 7-Way connectors for both a trailer and the corresponding vehicle. You can use either the "Traditional" or the "RV Standard" configuration in the photo as they are both the same. Please note that the trailer in the breakaway kit is a gooseneck trailer but the wiring will be the same for your bumper pull trailer.

We also have some helpful articles on trailer wiring and the installation video for the breakaway kit above which I am linking for you to reference. If you need any more help with the wiring please don't hesitate to reach out.

expert reply by: Jon G