7 Blade RV Plug Maintenance and Weather Protection

Updated 12/02/2019 | Published 12/01/2019

Products Featured in This Question

Pollak Black Plastic, 7-Pole, RV Blade-Style Trailer Socket - Vehicle End

(341)

$13.18

Dielectric Grease for Electrical Connectors, 2 oz.

(1481)

$10.94

Fastway Tethered 7-Way Trailer Connector Cover with Tether

(206)

$7.54

Question:

Im new to towing and am wondering if there are any maintenance procedures I should be doing to keep the socket on the truck, and the plug on the trailer side in good working order. I have some Deoxit and some dielectric grease. Ive read some articles about the grease attracting grime and actually creating a mess. Another article extolled fluid film instead of dielectric grease. Because at least one pin on the truck side will always be hot I thought I would use some plastic foam applicators I use for cleaning firearms vs. pipe cleaners or brass brushes- on Amazon - Swab-Its Id be grateful for any guidance you have on this!

asked by: Rich D

Expert Reply:

The great thing about a lot of the 7 way connectors on vehicles like the Pollak # PK12-707E is that they come with a built in cover that helps keep most of what you're concerned about away from the plug, so applying some dielectric grease like the # 11755 after every use is a usually sufficient to keep moisture off the contacts and free from corrosion. You shouldn't need to worry about it attracting grime or anything since it will be covered, but it might be worth cleaning it out every so often. You won't want to use anything liquid on the vehicle side connector without first disconnecting the battery- and even then, I would advise against it.

When it comes to your trailer 7 way, I'd consider putting something like the Fastway 7-way Trailer Plug Cover # FA82-00-3315 on for when it's not in use. The cap will keep dirt and other contaminates out of the 7-way and I'd recommend putting some dielectric grease on it before putting the cap on after every use to keep moisture away from the pins. Additionally, you may want to consider keeping your trailer covered and storing the plug under there so it's completely safe from the elements. It's really just a matter of keeping it out of the wet weather and you can easily keep it safe under a quality trailer cover.

I can't see why those swabs you are looking at would hurt anything on the 7 way for light cleaning, but they might not really scrape away any corrosion that might potentially build up. Because of this, the popsicle stick method mentioned is always a good go-to in a pinch. With that being said, taking proper care of everything after each use and proper storage is usually sufficient to make sure that everything stays in working order.

expert reply by: Erik B