How Do The Breakaway Switch And Electric Brakes Connect To A Trailer's 7 Way

Updated 01/11/2022 | Published 01/10/2022

Products Featured in This Question

35 Ft 4-Way Trailer Wiring Harness - Wishbone Style - 42" Ground

(847)

$23.02

Hopkins Engager Trailer Breakaway Kit w/ Charger, LED Tester, and 5 Ah Battery - Side Load

(746)

$60.86

Trailer Wiring Junction Box - 7 Color Coded Terminals - ABS

(535)

$11.87

Ring Terminal - 12-10 Gauge Wire - 3/16" Ring ID

(69)

$1.33

Question:

Trailer wiring with breakaway switch and electric brakes how do I take that back into the plug

asked by: Bart

Expert Reply:

There will be two ways of getting your brakes and break away kit connected to the 7 Way plug on your trailer. First will be to simply splice the wires together, but this can be a bit of a pain as you can end up having several wires connected together. The second way, and the much easier way as well, is to use a junction box, like the Buyers Products # 3375601101. This will require you to mount the box and use ring terminals, like the # 44-5310A, to connect everything, but it is the way I prefer to do it.

I included a diagram and article on what you need to do, but basically, one of each of the brake wires needs to be grounded and the other run to the brake output wire on the 7 Way (typically blue). The blue wire from your break away system, like the Hopkins # 20099 as an example, will also need to attach to this wire. The black wire coming out of the switch will then need to be attached to the 12 volt hot lead, typically black, and you are good to go. This can get a little jumbled when just splicing the wires into each other and is why I prefer using the junction box. It will make for an easier and cleaner install.

expert reply by: Lazer S