Hi all,

So I want to replace my trailer connector plug and clean up this wiring.

Now just throwing on a new plug would be no big deal, but I want to figure all this out and clean it up. I know that whole bunch of wires thats hanging on the right was installed to run up to the bed for a gooseneck connector. Im planning to leave that as is because I may pull a gooseneck in the future, unless someone can suggest a better way of wiring that?

What I don't know is, what is that short white wire up at the top thats capped off, and what should I do with it?

What is the long black wire thats capped off?

What is the lighter gauge wire with the red one attached and capped off in the center of the picture? And why would someone have put that red one on there? I believe the main wire is blue with a black tracer.

My truck does have a trailer tow package from the factory.

Also, would you guys use crimp on eyelets like that? or just strip the wires and put them in between the two little plates and crush them with the screw as designed? 

I spent a little time looking at the fsm, but I'm not real good at interpreting schematics like that and it didn't make much sense...

Thank in advance all!

 

EDIT:

Well this fsm is making a little more sense now, still haven't found the answers to any of my questions though. 

I also think I will remove those huge crimp on connectors for the gooseneck wiring, and solder and heatshrink them in. Question on that though, shouldn't the wiring for the gooseneck have 7 wires? It only has 6 now so I'm thinking one is missing. Maybe thats originally where the red one went thats on the blue wire?

 

EDIT 2: So it sounds like the black wire is probably a second ground, but I still can't find anything on that short white wire. The only white one I see in the FSM is further up with the brakes, but it doesn't seem like that could be the one here...

Edited September 9, 20168 yr by leathermaneod

15 minutes ago, leathermaneod said:

did your truck come with the trailer tow package or was it added after?

 

I believe it factory

Hmmm well this is quite strange. Anyway something else I forgot to add about the install of my new plug. After seeing the condition of the old one

I decided I wanted nothing like that. So, I again removed the plastic from the ring terminals I had and crimped and soldered them to the wire ends. I didn't bother heat shrinking because neither I or the friend who was helping thought it was necessary since the wires really shouldn't get pushed around inside the cup that goes over the back of that and the terminals are all really close to each other anyway. Looking back maybe I should have? Idk, I didn't have much exposed wire, just the length of the crimp area of a ring terminal. I put the wire in so the insulation was almost touching the terminal. Anyway, I also basically packed that area around all the terminals with dielectric grease to prevent any future corrosion. It will be a mess if I ever take it apart, but I hate rust lol. Sorry I should have grabbed some pics but I was in a rush to get done at that point lol just sharing my ideas incase it helps someone else. 

Yea after seeing those pics, I would've done the same.

Haha yeah I guess that's what happens to crimp connectors after years of exposure to the elements, even though they are partly cover by the cap for that. I'm really wishing I had heat shrunk the ends of those so they would be insulated as much as the crimp connectors...oh well I guess there's no point messing with it unless i start having issues. If fuses start blowing I'll know what to check first lol

 

i just left them like this rather than heat shrink that little bit 

using the old connector for illustration purposes here

the only ones that seems even a little close were the ones by the center 

 

you can kinda tell there, but I just bent them a little so they weren't close. Then packed that entire thing with dielectric grease :-)

Edited September 13, 20168 yr by leathermaneod

Well the more I though about it, the more I convinced myself that I needed to take that connector back apart and insulate those ends

before

During

after

 

You can buy a continuous duty solenoid that you run that hot wire through so it will charge camper battery only with key on. Really simple. Do a search for camper battery isolater. 

14 minutes ago, Royal Squire said:

You can buy a continuous duty solenoid that you run that hot wire through so it will charge camper battery only with key on. Really simple. Do a search for camper battery isolater. 

Thank you! Good to know 

3 hours ago, leathermaneod said:

you guys don't happen to know off the top of your head which fuses they are?

This is the 40 amp fuse in the PDC for the 12 volt power feed.

 

59 minutes ago, leathermaneod said:

Well the more I though about it, the more I convinced myself that I needed to take that connector back apart and insulate those ends

before

 

Hahaha dude you crack me

up! This is why I just solder and heat shrink all my connections  just so I don't worry about it.

Lol yeah I know. For some reason I just wasn't thinking when I did it the first time.