I have a 1995 6 cylinder yota pickup pulling my 7x12 enclosed trailer which has electric brakes. From what I understand, the trailers with electric brakes have a round "octagon" shaped plug for mid to large sized pickups. Unfortunately, looks like our trucks don't come standard with this plug and I hear it's pretty pricey to have one installed. I really don't need the electric brakes and I don't understand why they installed them on a trailer of this size anyway. Is there an adapter piece made that I can plug into the trailer so my truck just run the lights? Thanks guys.

Here's my trucks adapter: http://img585.imageshack.us/i/photoam.jpg/

Here's the trailers: http://img713.imageshack.us/i/photo3hh.jpg/

 

I have never seen a plug like the one on your truck.

I got a kit from walmart that plugs in to a 4 flat and changes to a 7 round and it has the other wires you need coming out the back. But if you dont need brakes or auxiliary then you can just leave them unhooked. The lights will work and thats it.

 

If this is your trailer and you don`t pull it with any thing else just change the plug on the trailer.

If it was me I would change the plug on your truck . you don`t want to add the brake control to the truck to use the brakes.

It is not that hard to do

You don`t say where you are there might be someone close that could help.

I had to change one on a light cord the other night that bounced out and got drug along the road. I am sure the rough roads had nothing to do with the plug bouncing out.

 

I'm in Richmond, VA. I keep being told that this can't be done or they don't make adapters. Then I go online and people tell me it's possible. I was hoping for some sort of plug and play adapter, but if that's not possible then maybe I can hit up uhaul and they can install something.

I really suck at wiring, so it's probably best :-P

 

why not wire in a controller and get a 7 pin universal plug. Then tie into your adapter harness for the signals,brakes, lights etc. Or just tap into the trailer harness and add a flat 4 pin connector.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Hopkins-Simple.../dp/B0002Q7ZKK

And this

http://www.google.com/products/catal...d=0CGkQ8wIwAA#

 

The trailer plug is a typical 7 pin connector. That comes on almost all vehicles now. My 2002 Silverado has the 7 pin on the truck (ele brake is pre wired on the Chevy) However the truck comes with a 7 to 4 flat adapter. That adapter is available at any parts store.

The plug on your truck has a built in 4 way.

You have two options, either put a 7 pin on your truck or put a 4 flat on the trailer.

I would go for the 7 pin on the truck, much stronger and easy to plug in.

In addition, you may need a 5 to 4 adapter. This depends on how the brake light vs turn signals are on the truck vs the trailer. Example: if your truck has seperated brake lights and turn signals and the trailers are combined, you will need the 5 to 4 adapter.

 

http://www.etrailer.com/Brake-Contro...ler/ETBC7.html
I may look into this myself.

 

If you are really bad at wiring, just get the right connector and take it to a car audio installation place. Just ask if they can wire it up for you. I used to do car audio and we would just charge $25-35 to do something like that.

 

Trailer barkes are great, I would replace the connector on your truck and add a brake controller.

 

Yeah the trailer weighs about 1200 pounds, I won't even be breaking the 2000 pound mark when it's loaded with what im putting in it. I definitely don't need electric breaks. Would be nice, sure, might help brake wear a bit, but I just had uhaul install this 4 pin connector a couple weeks ago for $70. The controller itself is going to be at least 50, then another 90 for installation. If the trailer was heavy enough to "maybe" "possibly" use it, then I could see the justification, but it's simply a waste of money in my case. Plus I spent a few hundred more on the trailer then I had, so I'm sorta trying to make up for that in the next few weeks eating microwavable dinners :-(

Take a look at these:

http://www.google.com/products/catal...d=0CGkQ8wIwAA#

and

http://www.uhaul.com/MovingSupplies/...-Metal?id=4809

I'm now being told by multiple people this won't work because the electric brakes on the trailer will be CLOSED if they aren't "opened" by a brake control box.

From what it looks like those extra wires are optional (used for a brake controller if you had one), and it should work without them.

Anyone please care to shed some light on this? I would think both of those would work, you just simply wouldn't use the brake controller wires and plug up the adapters.

Thanks folks.

 

7 ways are super easy to wire in. if your gonna wire it old school then you will need to run a wire from your brake control to your plug. a 7 way line has your normal running (green wire), left turn (red wire) right turn (brown wire) and a ground (white wire.) Also it has a reverse light (yellow wire) that you probably wont use. the black wire is your charge line. the only wire left is blue which is your brake. if you wire your own 7 way up just remember that B on the plug is not brake. its battery. pollak has a 7 way connector that says what colors go where so its easy. when you wire your brake control. get a reese, all the wires are labeled. if your gonna run a charge line then you need to install a 30 amp relay off your battery. I work at an rv dealership so i do this everyday. last thing is your 4 flat. remember that white is ground, yellow is left turn, green is right turn and brown is running. when going from 4 way to 7way you switch the green and brown wires. thats that

 

Thanks for the write up. In the future if I ever add an additional 1000 pounds to my current payload and have the cash for the brake controller + installation, I'll give it a shot. Course by that time my truck will be at it's towing capacity and I'll have to get a mid weight truck.

I think for now I'm going to go ahead and get that adapter, I'm confident it should work.

 

I ended up having to change the plug on the truck. Simple 5 minute job. My towing capacity is so low that most trailers I do pull aren't equipped with brakes anyway. They make adapters to go from 7 pin truck to 4 pin trailer, but not the other way around. Grandpa told me I could make my own adapter... it was easier to change the plug on the truck.

 

Electric brakes are not "closed" and "opened" when plugged to the truck.
Electric brakes are energized magnets in the brake assembly of the trailer. When you apply the brakes on your vehicle, the brake controller applies electric current to the magnets in the trailer brake drums, when the magnets are energized they draw to the drum, the drum turning moves the magnet causin the brake mechanism to move applying the pads to the drum outer surface, (where they normally do). The controller,depending on quality, applies more or less voltage to the magnet, depending on braking force, causing the magnet to draw stronger to the drum face, hence trailer braking harder.
Turn up the brake controller all the way.... Walla!! the trailer brakes Lock (too much current sent to the magnet).
Whoever told you of the unlocking of elec. brakes were confusing with the operation of air brakes. Totally different. You can pull a trailer without connecting anything to the elec. brake circuit.

Hope this info is of some value. If you ever pull with elec. brakes you will not want to do without them. Even on light loads. Ever have anyone stop in the middle of the road?, that's when they come into play, BIG TIME.

Larry