How do I know if I have the towing package?

[Mbrooks420]

I'm not really sure, as I have never installed one. I would assume it's just a power, a ground, and a tap into the brake lights. If you have done any electrical work before it should be do-able.

 

[Glen4X4]

That sucks, I don't have anything hanging off my bumper or taillight except some plug that plugs into something else. Looks like I've gotta splice into the taillights.

 

[stancisco]

2001 trailer wire connector

My 2001 Explorer has the plug with the wire and red nipple on both sides.
Do I buy a connector that plugs into both?
Is one for left blinker and tail light and the other for the right?
Any one know if Autozone or O’Reilly’s sells a connector for it?
Thanks

 

[corkey]

get the connector,,
i never ever thought i would say this,, but go to the local uhaul and see if they have the plug and play harness for your explorer, you unplug the connections,add the new wires in a plug form and plug it all back toigether,, and its done,
it is like this,,
http://www.autoaccessconnect.com/fora19trwico.html

 

[Mbrooks420]

Before going out and buying a harness, look in the jack compartment in the cargo area. One of my tow harnesses was just in there loose, and the second was in a Ford box.

 

[hazmat456]

My 2001 Explorer has the plug with the wire and red nipple on both sides.
Do I buy a connector that plugs into both?
Is one for left blinker and tail light and the other for the right?
Any one know if Autozone or O’Reilly’s sells a connector for it?
Thanks

I actually seen this connector at walmart and at farm&fleet

 

[Gixxer1000]

No need to crawl under the truck to see if you have a Limited slip, just look at the white sticker on the drivers door. Under axle it will have a D and then a number. Open Diffs just have numbers. The wire harness might be in the compartment with the lug wrench and bottle jack.

I checked my driver's door panel on the 95 XLT and under Axle it says D4. Does that mean I have the limited slip 4.10 axle?

 

[Mbrooks420]

Almost as good. You have the 3.73's with the limited slip.

 

[gijoecam]

I think there may be some confusion here about what exactly a 'towing package' consists of on the Explorers...

First of all, ALL SECOND GEN EXPLORERS built from 1995-2001 come equipped from the factory with the ability to tow a trailer. They all had a step-bumper rated to tow 350lbs tongue weight, 3500lbs gross trailer weight. They all come with the wiring necessary to connect a trailer's lights. As mentioned, the round connector is tucked up behind the driver's side taillight on most of them (If my memory serves, there are some 95 and 96 models that had a slightly-different-wired connector on the passenger side). The factory trailer wiring harness that can be purchased at the dealership or many parts stores plugs directly into that round connector and feeds the trailer's brake/turn/marker lights of independent circuits isolated from the tow vehicle's wiring. There is no special converter or module necessary, just the proper wiring adapter. At the dealership, it's possible to get just the wiring, or the kit that includes the wiring, a couple clips, and a little bracket that bolts to the bumper that holds the receptacle up and out of the way. (Don't have the part numbers in front of me, but they're on the parts diagrams at any dealership)

Now, there was also a Class III/IV Heavy Duty trailer towing package that was optional. That included a larger battery, heavy duty alternator, heavy duty cooling, class III/IV hitch receiver, and a particular set of gear ratios (if my memory serves, the HD towing package added the 3.73 gears standard with the package, and I think the 4.10 was optional, but I'd have to look at the brochure when I get home).

Some of the option and trim packages offered automatically included the 3.73 and 4.10 gears as a part of the package, so the gearing alone isn't necessarily an indication of whether or not it came equipped with the heavy duty class III/IV towing package or not.

None of the second-gens came equipped with the wiring to support an aftermarket trailer brake controller, but adding one only reauires three more wires and a relay. It's not a terribly difficult job to add one.

 

[Glen4X4]

I will add that the 95 explorer I had nor my 96 had a plug for trailer wiring so therefore I had to buy a converter module to be able to adapt to trailer wiring. And all that consisted of was plugging into the trucks tail lights and has a power wire from the battery and grounds to the body in the rear. Both trucks were looked over a lot to determine it did not have the connector for the aftermarket trailer wiring plug.

 

[Electrohacker]

just to add to the trailer brake thing,

It's super simple, get a 6 or 7 prong adaptor (will wire into the stock adaptor thing) there will be 4 wires on the controller to wire (12V, ground, brake light input, brake output) tap power and ground from somewhere handy, or add a fused 12v line from the battery or distribution block. run the two other wires back and tap the light input into the harness, and run the output to the correct pin. there might also be provisions in a 6 or 7 prong trailer plug for power draw from the truck, this is up to you and the design of the trailer you're pulling, sometimes this charges the e-brake battery

 

[gijoecam]

I will add that the 95 explorer I had nor my 96 had a plug for trailer wiring so therefore I had to buy a converter module to be able to adapt to trailer wiring. And all that consisted of was plugging into the trucks tail lights and has a power wire from the battery and grounds to the body in the rear. Both trucks were looked over a lot to determine it did not have the connector for the aftermarket trailer wiring plug.

FYI, the wiring was, in fact, there from the factory. You did not need the converter module.

 

[Glen4X4]

Ok, not sure if I'm understanding you correctly but my truck did not have the pig tail at all for the trailer plug. I searched high and low and tore it apart in the rear to be sure that it didn't have it. Now my 00 did and was very easy to find.

 

[97sprt4x4]

Ok, not sure if I'm understanding you correctly but my truck did not have the pig tail at all for the trailer plug. I searched high and low and tore it apart in the rear to be sure that it didn't have it.

I'll second this, My sport did not have a wiring harness, and i've had the back end of everything apart enough to know if it would have been there. I had the cooler and an open 4.10 diff, but there was no option for a plug in trailer controls. I'm unsure if it is something to do with the fact that i have a sport, but i did not have the pig tail on either the driver or the passenger side not in, under above the bumper, and not up by the body either.

Justin

 

[gijoecam]

Ok, not sure if I'm understanding you correctly but my truck did not have the pig tail at all for the trailer plug. I searched high and low and tore it apart in the rear to be sure that it didn't have it. Now my 00 did and was very easy to find.

Next time you're underneath the back end of the truck, take a look at the wiring harness that the license plate lights are a part of. That loom runs across the bumper and dead ends at C407. That's where the trailer/camper light adapter would connect to the factory harness on a 95 or 96. If you look at the harness with the license plate lights, you'll see it connects on the left side of the bumper at connector C402. The trailer signals should all be present at that connector, and the factory adapter harness would connect down at the other end of that harness.

I'll second this, My sport did not have a wiring harness, and i've had the back end of everything apart enough to know if it would have been there. I had the cooler and an open 4.10 diff, but there was no option for a plug in trailer controls. I'm unsure if it is something to do with the fact that i have a sport, but i did not have the pig tail on either the driver or the passenger side not in, under above the bumper, and not up by the body either.

Justin

97 was a bit of a mixed bag. The schematics list the description as being below LH side of rear bumper, but I believe some engineer made an error on that one. The END of the adapter would be mounted there to plug the trailer into, but the harness that adapter connects to *should* be in the same place as a 95 or 96. Sport or 4-door makes no difference as that portion of the wiring harness was the same (i.e. the section that ran across the bumper with the license plate lights) From what I recall reading on here about 10 years ago or so, *some* of the 97 models used the adapter like the 95-96, and some used the adapter like the 98-01. The physical connector itself was the same, but the pinout was a little bit different.

 

[Glen4X4]

Alright, thanks for clearing that up, even though its to late for me now, I'll check it out.

 

[gijoecam]

Alright, thanks for clearing that up, even though its to late for me now, I'll check it out.

Please do, and if you can, snag some pics of the harness ends and their location(s). It could certainly be helpful for future readers.

 

[Duster Doug]

I have a 2000 XLT with the below pictured pre-installed wiring harness by the rear bumper (passenger side) of the truck (immediately up and behind the rear passenger side bumper). But it was DOA for some reason.

We checked the wiring but nothing seemed to work. So much for using the $10 direct flat-4 plug-in wiring harness.
I was getting ready to give up and buy the $70 T-connector wiring harness to connect to the lights (plus the hassle to install) when by fluke I noticed another similair pre-installed round harness located behind the left rear bumper (driver side), and voila! it worked fine.

Moral of the story is besure you check BOTH sides of the rear bumber for the pre-installed wiring harness! My EX had both and the passenger side one did not work at all...

 

[jschuring]

need some info guys.... my 04 explorer Eddie Bauer has a frame mounted hitch, but only a small hitch receiver (about 1 1/4 square). so is this a "tow package" or just a utility towing hitch thing?? I had towed a small (about 1500 lb) travel trailer for a few short trips with no apparent problems, however just recently the trans failed miserably and required a complete soft part rebuild. my mechanic also "upgraded"several things....a piston of some sort and the servo....so... i guess my question really is... " is it safe to tow my little trailer again?" or do i need to look into a more suitable vehicle?
this explorer is wonderful in all other respects, but i need a vehicle to tow with.. it has a 4.6l v8 and about 90K miles....
thanks in advance....
Jim

 

[SoNic67]

Do you have the auxiliar transmission cooler in front? That's the important thing. And not to tow in OD, as the manual say.