Where to buy 7-way trailer wire?

D

Doryman

New member
I need to rewire part or maybe all of my 22's trailer and am looking for 7-way wire. This diagram specifies the color and gage for each purpose. Do I need to buy each color/gage separately? And to cover/protect it do I use the split loom? If so how do I keep it from "gapping" and exposing the wires inside? Or can I buy it as a pre-assembled bundle, by the foot somewhere? I have been to many RV supply websites with no luck.

BTW a company I found while looking, Freeway Trailer, south of Seattle, appears to stock EZ-Loader parts.

Thanks,
Warren
 
Any RV parts place should stock the required 7 wire bundle. Note that the EZ loader trailer came with heavier gauge wire then that which I bought at the local RV store, so go to a decent place and check the bundle diameter.

Need I add, get a peice several feet longer than you measured, or ask for a cable stretcher.

Boris
 
You can get away with a short section of 7 way and do the rest with wire looms since the 7th wire is the backup light and is usually used just to open a solenoid on your brake cylinder when you're backing up. Yah it does mean splices up near the braking assembly but that's only a serious problem if you dunk your hitch into the water backing in like Boris does. :mrgreen:

Don
 
For 7 wire cable try McMaster Carr in Atlanta, GA. They will cut any lenght and ship it to you.

Also try easternmarine.com "Super Trailer Parts Store" they have "50 foot of ABS Green Lectraflex 7 Conductor Wire #3-326" :lol:
 
The problem with 7 wire cable is that you don't need all 7 wires from the front of the trailer all the way to the rear. A second irritation is that a conventional boat trailer use a 7 wire flat plug whereas most trucks are fitted with 7 wire round sockets so an adapter is necessary.

If I were to replace my trailer wiring I'd somehow acquire a 5th wheel "dongle". It is wired into the front of the 5th wheel, uses 7 very heavy gauge wires in a heavy duty very flexible casing and ends up in a 7 pin round plug. The business end of the dongle would be firmly attached very close to the hydraulic brake assy where the backup wire could connect directly to the brake solenoid and the ground wire to the trailer frame. I'd run marine grade wires back to the various lights, inserting them in a loom and then attaching the loom to the inside of the trailer frame at several points on the way aft.

No adapters necessary.

Don
 
Hope this may be of some help Warren....

http://www.etrailer.com/Wiring/Hopkins/H20046.html

H20046.jpg
 
That pre-wired connector looks good and probably does well. Just one word of caution. I have found that there are three (3) "standard" ways of wiring a trailer to the truck. And each one swears that theirs is the only standard. Just check before you plug that connector in. It doesn't hurt to read the schematic on the truck side and compare it with the trailer side and compare those with the actual wiring.

Colors are usually consistent, but the pin they go to may vary, see your voltmeter.

I've never seen a flat 7 pin connector, and that doesn't mean they don't exist, but usually there is a 7 pin round connector. The 4 pin flat services only the lights, but if you need anything else, it's on to the 7 pin connector. These come in 2 styles, flat connectors and round connectors. Flat is for RVs and round for commercial. I believe. So take your pick.

Boris
 
Warren , there are not 7 wires in common boat trailer wire . There is of course the White ground wire ,Green is left stop and turn,Yellow is right stop and turn,Brown is tail light and side markers , and the fifth blue wire is brake lockout which is wired to the backup lights of the vehicle and powers the solenoid on the trailer that keeps fluid from going to the brakes when backing up.If there are brakes on the trailer.
So you need 4 conductor flat wire plus a piece of blue wire to go from the connector[round or flat] to the solenoid. That all can be wired to a flat 5 connector or a 7 pin round as Mike suggests . For your D Max ,the 7 pin round would be great .No adapter to misplace .Only using 5 conductors . Ancor makes a great tinned marine trailer wire.
Marc
 
For the 22, you need only the yellow to the left turn and stop, the green to the right turn and stop and brown to both tail, and side markers. your option about the ground. I run a white to all lights, but some just ground to the frame.

Now the problem may be with the brakes. On the Tom Cat you use a controller for the electric over hydraulic, if I recollect properly. For the 22, you need a wire from the back up lights, to lock out the trailer surge brakes.

You may have also put in a battery charging circuit (one of the auxillary plugs on the 7 pin as I have done). The red should be brakes from the controller, and if you are lucky the blue is set to work the lock out on the surge brakes.

I have my vehicles wired for 7 pin , 6 pin and 5/4 pin connectors.

You just need the 7 pin plug, and then the wire to the back--which is available at most auto parts stores and WalMart. Wrop the first several feet with the silicone tape you have left over from the other project!
 
journey on":1wljvy9i said:
I've never seen a flat 7 pin connector

Boris
Click to expand...

Awchit, Boris, neither have I. Age related misteak. Yah, that's it . . . I meant 5 pin flat not 7. You can even use a 5 pin trailer plug in a 4 pin tow vehicle socket and everything will work except the brake lockout/backup light circuit. Good for emergency tows and no need to back up a hill. (g)

Don
 
thataway":237lal70 said:
Now the problem may be with the brakes. On the Tom Cat you use a controller for the electric over hydraulic, if I recollect properly. For the 22, you need a wire from the back up lights, to lock out the trailer surge brakes.

You may have also put in a battery charging circuit (one of the auxillary plugs on the 7 pin as I have done). The red should be brakes from the controller, and if you are lucky the blue is set to work the lock out on the surge brakes.
Click to expand...

Bob, you are correct, I have electric over hydraulic on the Tom Cat trailer and surge on the 22 so your comments are very helpful (as are all the contributions from the others -- thanks!)

On both trailers I am interested in implementing the charging circuit as you have done but am still a bit unclear on how it is done, or at least how you did it.

What klnd of connector did you install in the boats that can stand up to being splashed and worse? I believe you installed yours near the towing eye -- correct? From inside the boat you ran the charging and ground wires to the battery charger, I am assuming?

Thanks,
Warren
 
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