The trailer wiring connector on the truck has been a eye sore since I've owned it. It was loose, rusty, and the terminals inside were loose and would pull out with the trailer connector.
I was at K-Mart a few days ago and they had their trailer wiring components marked WAY down. I happened to find the nice Hoppy 7-pin connector in the stack so I grabbed it up.
After breakfast this morning I decided that since I was going to be pulling a trailer in the next couple days, I would go ahead and stick it on.
First things first, I pulled the fuse on the Aux power line. No reason to have sparks flying if we don't have to.
Next, I took off the old connector:
Then, I took a hole saw and knocked a hole in the bumper just below the impact strip.
Next, I lined the bracket that came with the connector up with the hole in the bumper and center punched where the attachment holes should go.
After drilling the holes, I held the connector in place and marked the impact strip with a pencil where it needed cut out to put the connector in. Using a razor knife, I cut the notch out of the impact strip.
I then pulled the wiring through the hole and started looking at them. It turns out, instead of dropping the factory trailer wiring harness out of the frame rail and using it, they split the tail light harness and spliced in a four-flat wire. After dealing with that, I pulled the factory trailer harness though the hole and made all my attachments.
Pages 4-61 and 4-62 in the manual if you are following along.
After getting it wired up and all the wires back in loom, I pushed the connector in place and used #12 self tapping screws to hold the connector in the bumper.
Then it was a simple matter of taping up the loom under the truck and zip-tieing the excess wiring up where it won't hang down and get caught on anything.
I was at K-Mart a few days ago and they had their trailer wiring components marked WAY down. I happened to find the nice Hoppy 7-pin connector in the stack so I grabbed it up.
After breakfast this morning I decided that since I was going to be pulling a trailer in the next couple days, I would go ahead and stick it on.
First things first, I pulled the fuse on the Aux power line. No reason to have sparks flying if we don't have to.
Next, I took off the old connector:
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You must be registered for see images attach
Then, I took a hole saw and knocked a hole in the bumper just below the impact strip.
You must be registered for see images attach
Next, I lined the bracket that came with the connector up with the hole in the bumper and center punched where the attachment holes should go.
You must be registered for see images attach
After drilling the holes, I held the connector in place and marked the impact strip with a pencil where it needed cut out to put the connector in. Using a razor knife, I cut the notch out of the impact strip.
You must be registered for see images attach
I then pulled the wiring through the hole and started looking at them. It turns out, instead of dropping the factory trailer wiring harness out of the frame rail and using it, they split the tail light harness and spliced in a four-flat wire. After dealing with that, I pulled the factory trailer harness though the hole and made all my attachments.
You must be registered for see images attach
Pages 4-61 and 4-62 in the manual if you are following along.
You must be registered for see images attach
You must be registered for see images attach
After getting it wired up and all the wires back in loom, I pushed the connector in place and used #12 self tapping screws to hold the connector in the bumper.
You must be registered for see images attach
Then it was a simple matter of taping up the loom under the truck and zip-tieing the excess wiring up where it won't hang down and get caught on anything.