Adapter to Allow 12 Volt Trailer Wiring Circuit of 2017 Ford F-150 to Function

Updated 06/25/2020 | Published 06/24/2020

Question:

I have a 2017 Ford F150 and a new slide-in truck camper. The camper battery is unable to trickle charge from the truck because the 2017 F150 has a computer that requires the trailer to have electronic brakes to be detected. I’ve spent a lot of time reading various forums and am thinking that a 7 pin to 4 pin adapter might “fool” the truck into thinking that the camper has brakes and will allow it to be detected. Do you think that will work? Otherwise what other options do I have to make the truck think the camper has electronic brakes?

asked by: Patrick L

Expert Reply:

The new Ford trucks do have the smart tow package which makes the activation of the 7-way circuit sometimes challenging. We have an easy fix though with the part # 20142 which puts enough of a load on the circuits so that the truck thinks a trailer is connected and activates the 12 volt circuit.

expert reply by: Jameson C