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7 blade plug

Hi folks,I have a 99 x sport and I need to tow a small travel trailer. I have a few questions about wiring a 7 blade rv type plug. I have read a few places that my ex will need a convertor because it has amber turn signals,my question regarding this is what if the trailer also has amber turn lights? Second,I do not believe it has a tow package, if it does should it have obvious appropriate plugs near the bumper or rear tail light? Is my only option to purchase a wiring kit specific to my ex? Thanks in advance,,any and all tips would be very much appreciated.
 



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The easiest way to go about this would be to purchase the specific wiring kit for your vehicle.

http://www.etrailer.com/Custom-Fit-Vehicle-Wiring/Ford/Explorer/1999/118345.html?vehicleid=19993130

Then you can add this, It simply plugs into the 4 way flat above. You will also need a mounting bracket.

http://www.etrailer.com/Wiring/Tow-Ready/30717.html

Do you need a charge line? If your camper has a battery then you will want a charge line so the battery will charge as you are driving. To do this you will need a run a 10 gauge wire from the batteries positive on your Explorer to the 7 way's black wire. You will need to add a 30 amp thermal breaker near the battery.

The white wire on the 7 way will have to be grounded to the Explorers frame.

Does the camper have electric brakes? If so then you will also need to ad a brake controller to the Explorer. It will have to be hardwired since it did not come with a tow package. This is what the blue wire on the 7 way is used for.

The yellow wire on the 7 way is an auxiliary that is usually used for reverse lights or not used.

Since your Explorer didn't come with a tow package it can't haul the same weight as a factory equipped vehicle. When factory equipped a vehicle will usually include an external transmission cooler, It may have an auxiliary engine oil cooler and could also have different differential gearing.

I wouldn't try towing anything over 3,500 lbs total weight / 350 lbs tongue weight with your Explorer. Your sport model also has a very short wheel base and is not as stable as a long wheel based vehicle. Keep the speeds to 65 mph or under, Make sure that 10-15% of the campers weight is on the tongue to prevent any sway.

One last question, Does your Explorer have a receiver hitch installed or just the ball on the bumper? If you only are using the bumper ball mount then you really need to install a receiver hitch which bolts to the frame.

I hope this helps you.
 






Thanks Turborich,,yes the trailer does have a single axle with brakes and I do plan to install a brake controller.The ownership says it weighs just under 700 kg, which I think is about 1500lb. I do not have a receiver yet but I am on the look out for a used one. This will more than likely be a one time tow with this trailer,it will stay at a friends where I will be working this summer.I don't think the trailer has backup lights? I am also not too concerned about the charge line. I would not even atempt to tow it if it did not have brakes.I have yet to take a good look at the truck to see if it has factory plugs for towing and if it has a cooler, I have been working on the trailer harness.The x does have 4.10s so that should help. Oh and the trailer is classed as 15 ft, tounge to rear bumper. Thanks again, ken.
 






Where are you located at? I have a brand new in the box receiver for your Explorer made by Eaz-lift. We are blowing out remaining hitches out for $75 bucks.

If you're far away then shipping would be a killer as it's a big heavy box.
 






Wow that's a great deal but I'm Ontario Canada. My local wrecker says I can take my pick for $35-$40. I took quick look under the x this morning and found a two wire plug hanging down below each tail light, I assume this would be the factory points to connect a direct fit harness. I also seen that it does have a trans cooler. I ordered a direct fit harness today and will have it in the morning,,thanks so much for your help, Ken.
 






YW. Sounds like you should be good to go. That's a great price for a hitch. Good luck to you.

Post pics when you're done!
 






Just a quick update,,I went to my favorite wreckers and found a 5000lb drawtight receiver and had the yard torch it off for me,$20, and $40 for the receiver,not too bad. I picked up 4 grade 8 bolts on my way home. The day before I ordered a custom 4 wire direct fit harness along with a 7 blade adapter. The wire install went very smooth other than having to pick the mud out of the plug that hung down under the x, some one had used this plug before and I guess removed the harness.Oh and I mounted the 7 blade plug in the bumper like I have seen a few other members do here, took a bit of drilling but it all worked out and looks clean.I cleaned and painted the receiver before I installed it.I had to drop the spare for more access and discovered I have no crank handle.Even though the receiver was removed from what I thought was an identical x I had to trim a small bit off the bottom of the bumper.It all looks good and is tucked up nicely under the bumper. So far I have about $100 into the install but still need a brake controller.Now if I could only get the trailer lights to play nice!
 






Thanks Turborich,,is about 1500lb. Thanks again, ken.

KG is 2.2 lbs so 2X700=1400 plus .2 is another 140 so 700 KG is1540 lbs, buck
 






Yup,,it's actually a little less the ownership says 630kg, just under 1400lb's. I wonder if anyone can help me out with the trailer harness? I just can't seem to get the lights to work properly, I have followed every wiring diagram I have found concerning a 7 blade plug but just doesn't seem to work. White should be ground but I can only find one wire that goes to the frame and it is green?? The tails have two bulbs,one dual filament with green and red, and one single filament with a white wire coming from it, clearance lights have a green wire coming from the back. I believe the dual filament should be running and brake lights and the single is turn. It is an 88 so who knows what has been done to the wires and most of the harness is hidden in the floor. Any help or trips are appreciated.Ken.
 






This is where a test light comes in handy. I would take a battery, battery charger or some kind of 12 volt device & individually check the wires at each light. This will give you what the function is. White should be ground. Like you said who knows how it's been wired? You should be able to look at the socket itself & determine which is ground, marker and brake/turn. This is the best I can do without seeing it. I have seen all different color wiring on trailers.

The standard for a 4 way flat is:

white=ground
brown=marker
green=right turn/brake
yellow=left turn/brake

this changes with a 7 way connection and if the correct colors were even used. Search for 7 way trailer wiring chart.
 






Thanks Turbo,I'm in the process of redoing the ground now. I removed the tail lights to access the wires and found they had been spliced to different colors. Green seems to be running lights,the white wire at the left turn goes to yellow and right goes to orange. There is also a small fused junction box inside the trailer.Left stop appears to be red and right stop appears to be brown. I think someone has this wired incorrectly.I will take your advise and go through each wire one at a time,,it has a deep cycle battery mounted on the tounge,,thanks,Ken.
 






just for general info, if you havae a trailor that is pulled by both older and new cars, some with standard lights some with electronic lights, this is a handy way to wire, use ice cube relays perm pounted in weathertite box on trailer,, use three relays l energized directly from appropriate bulb as its energized left turn energizes one relay, rt turn energises another, tail energizes third,,, that will work with all systems and will not confuse the new electronic logic circuits and the relays dont draw enuff current to make blinker circuit change its speeds blink rate, buck, oh feed the relays and light power from one power wire or like your house trailer, from the inhouse battery, then your light circuit is isolated from vehicle light circuit except for just enough to energize relays buck sounds comp[licated but its not really
 






Buck, I took a 12 volt source and was able to light up each circuit and adjusted wires accordingly after I got a nice clean ground.I believe my problem is the tails turn into three wires,green-rt,red-lt but the stop and running lights are a different bulb each with two wires.I tried connecting the stop with the turn and they both blink or both light up with brakes applied.Is there some sort of magic box that can convert two wires back to three? Will those relays do the same thing? Sorry bout all the questions,but my brain is numb over this.Thanks Ken.
 






I think someone had the turn bulbs as running lights and brake/running lights as turn/brake but that turns the amber part of the lens into running lights.
 






sorry stroke, i forgot what car u were talking about, i have 98 ,, 98 to 2001 lights same, so i will work from my,, well wifes exp,, i did have new wiring harness, extra if i find it can send,, send email and phone, i can work schematic and parts list, very simple, once u see it work u will want more, makes all trailer wiring easy, they are available but somewhat expensive, some imports will not drive us trailer lights without these,, buckwill33 et hotmail.com mispelled there littl bit so data bots wont mine it, buck
 






converter is already available look to drawtite 119139 16 to 30 dollars, i wud talk to them see if your exploder needs spefic model but pretty sure its right,, has flat blade and provision to five blade round and seven blade dot round, this is much better i think tho i did enjoy doing mine working out the logic, i should have patented it but that was long time ago ,, buck, have fun, let us know
 






some reason edit didn work,, 119130 is right,, 39 is not buck
 






Thanks Buck,,I have two ideas. 1, see if I can run power backwards through 5-4 wire converter,or 2,just replace rear lights with a set that will work. I just went to my local princess auto and can get tails for $32 or converter for $18, Since I'm not sure I can reverse the current through a converter I think I'll just change the tails and be done with it.I really appreciate you time and responses,Ken.
 






Ok got new tails and that solved one problem,,but when i use a signal and apply brakes both tails flash!Also don't seem to have power at running light spade at truck plug. I checked and can only find the two fuses in the dash area panel and they seem fine.
 



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Ok,figured out the running light issue, there was no current running through the factory plug for that circuit so I just spliced into it before the factory plug. I assume my other issue is grounding, gonna run a few more ground wires.
 






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