Wiring Harness for 2016 Chevy Silverado With Upside Down Factory Trailer Connector

Updated 09/08/2021 | Published 12/16/2019

Products Featured in This Question

Reese Multi-Plug Wiring Harness for Factory Tow Package - 7-Way and 4-Way Flat Trailer Connectors

(266)

$47.67

Dielectric Grease for Electrical Connectors, 2 oz.

(1481)

$10.94

No-Drill Mount for Electrical Mounting Bracket - Short

(1180)

$21.57

Question:

Is there a fix for upside down wire plug receiver on the Chevy trucks from 2014-2018? The plug won’t stay in tight because GM mounted it upside down! The stop is on the bottom rather than the top so it falls out enough to make the trailer wire connection light come on. A big screw up on GM’s part!

asked by: Brian H

Expert Reply:

The upside down factory trailer connector on certain model year Chevy and GMC trucks is one of those little details that people (rightfully) get aggravated with, so you're definitely not alone. There is a solution for you, assuming you have room to mount a new harness on your Chevy's hitch.

The Reese Multi-Plug Wiring Harness for Factory Tow Package - 7-Way and 4-Way Flat Trailer Connectors # 74682 will do the job perfectly, as you'll simply unplug the connector from your upside down factory 7-way and install this one on your Silverado. You can use Mounting Bracket # 18140 with it, and I also highly recommend using Dielectric Grease # 11755.

I have added a link to a video showing this harness being installed on a Chevy Silverado so you can see for yourself how it's done.

expert reply by: Kyle S

click to enlarge

Curtis D.

4/8/2020

I have the same upside down plug on my 2014 Silverado. Tekonsha brake controller installed by the trailer dealer from beginning. No issues on six trips with a travel trailer. Last trip, brake controller went crazy at times listing short, no brakes, etc. Made it home safely but the issue must be resolved before I consider going out again. I watched the video and am having difficulty reconciling the inverted plug on the truck and the trailer connector. I cant believe a special cord for the Silverado was installed by the trailer manufacturer. Seems like the wiring would be a bit askew if the plug had to be rotated 180 degrees. Can you clarify this please?

Chris R.

4/11/2020

I'm not sure the issues you described are being caused by the factory 7-Way, unless the connector was coming loose from the trailer during travel. I would make sure you've got a secure connection when hooked up. This sounds more like a short coming somewhere from the trailer wiring - I'd inspect the trailer side 7-Way for any debris or corrosion inside the pins that needs to be cleaned out, then the grounds coming from each brake assembly to make sure they're still securely attached to a clean portion of bare metal. Please let me know what you find and we can go from there.

Thomas S.

9/8/2021

@CurtisD The problem is caused by the stupid way gm mounted plug upside down. The tab on cover should be on the top so the weight of cord keeps it plugged in nice and tight. With 7 pin on bottom tab holds on bottom of plug and the weight of cord is always pulling down jarring cord on every bump of the road lights flicker and trailer alarm chimes. Very annoying. I pulled mine out and with a die grinder ground out the bottom and top turned the plug around and snapped back in place the whey it should have been. Whole job took about 30 minutes. No more problems . Shame on GMC.