Do I need to install plug in bed of truck

dan747 · 02-10-2011, 08:33 PM

I am picking up my first 5er next month and was wondering if the electrical connector on a 5th wheel is located so I can plug into the bumper plug on my truck or will I need to either install a bed mounted plug or use an extension to go from the existing bumper plug to the trailer plug. Don't want to spend extra $$ if I don't have to.

Thanks for the help,
Dan

sherdep · 02-10-2011, 08:51 PM

I am no expert in 5th wheels but my parents owned one and they had there plug mounted on one of the wheel well humps in there bed - if I remember correctly it was the Drivers side
you could always call the dealer and ask them how long the cable is - not sure if it would work plugged in at the bumper or not due to the angle and possible length since it would need slack when making turns - if they make an extension cable for the 7 oin plug I dont see why it cant be done though

dan747 · 02-10-2011, 08:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sherdep

I am no expert in 5th wheels but my parents owned one and they had there plug mounted on one of the wheel well humps in there bed - if I remember correctly it was the Drivers side
you could always call the dealer and ask them how long the cable is - not sure if it would work plugged in at the bumper or not due to the angle and possible length since it would need slack when making turns - if they make an extension cable for the 7 oin plug I dont see why it cant be done though

Thanks for the help. I going to have to find out how long the plug wire is and where it comes off the trailer.
dan

scubieman · 02-10-2011, 09:03 PM

Dan, hold up. They actually of the wiring on the RV long enough that it still plugs in by the hitch/bumper. You probably need nothing. I would say don't buy anything till you get RV.

sherdep · 02-10-2011, 09:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dan747

Thanks for the help. I going to have to find out how long the plug wire is and where it comes off the trailer.
dan

Good Luck - My parents have gotten away from a 5th wheel and now own a Holiday Rambler 40 foot Diesel pusher - My father took it to a place to have them re-wire the Motor Home for his Tag Along (Dodge Dakota) and paid $500 for them to fix it - I went there two weekends ago to there house and had to sort out the mess and rewire it the right way cause they did a piss poor job IMO.
Where I am going with this is if you know anything about wiring and can do it yourself - I would suggest doing it cause I have seen alot of crappy work that I would be ashamed of letting it get out of the shop if it was mine.

EdJunior · 02-10-2011, 09:05 PM

It is normally long enough to reach the bumper plug, but almost everyone I know has on on the side of the bed. I think the main reason is convenience. Especially if you leave your tailgate on like I do. It can become a real pain to reach around and under and such. I think also it's there for some of the sharper turns that you may have to make. It could stretch the limit on a hard turn. It will be interesting to see more responses to this.

Glenn5995 · 02-11-2011, 09:37 AM

When I picked up our fifth wheel, the plug line was not long enough to go over the bumper to the OEM plug on the bumper. I purchased an extension to get it home, which worked fine. It is much more convenient having it in the bed. I did not want to splice wires as that frequently results in problems later down the road and I still have occasion to pull bumper pulls so I wanted to retain the plug-in at the bumper, so I purchased a T-connector. You simply disconnect the wiring harness from the plug socket and install the t-connector between and run the second 7-pin to the bed. There is no splicing of wires, I retain the 7-pin and 4-pin at the bumper and have a 7-pin in the bed for the fifth wheel.

Pollak 5th Wheel and Gooseneck Trailer Connector Wiring Harness w/ T-Connector Pollak Custom Fit Vehicle Wiring PK11932

http://www.etrailer.com/Custom-Fit-V...ey/V30137.html

snjparham · 02-11-2011, 10:07 AM

When I picked up my 5er I actually had problems with the socket that was installed in the bed. I discovered this by plugging in to the bumper. In my case the cable is plenty long enough. I am not sure how sharp of a turn I could make, but I could probably get close to 90 degrees without stretching the cord.

The dealer installed the bed pigtail by splicing and thats where the problem was. I would definitely suggest the T-Connector if you add the plug in the bed. The bed socket will ensure you have enough line to make any necessary sharp turns.

dan747 · 02-11-2011, 02:09 PM

Thanks for the great info! I too was concerned about splicing, nut that T should do the job better. Is your plug mounted flush on the wheel well or surface mounted somewhere out of the way. Maybe just below the bed rail on the drivers side?

wingriders · 02-13-2011, 10:19 PM

I have the plug flush mounted in bed. I have Heavy Duty series of truck & the plug wiring was already on the truck. All I needed to do was cut the hole in box & reroute the wires & buy the 7 pin plug. All GM Heavy Duty trucks come with extra plug wiring from the factory.

dc471 · 02-14-2011, 11:20 AM

I have pulled 2 5ers thousands of miles using the bumper connection with no problems. Factory length of trailer cord on both units allowed for the sharpest of turns, no problem. I would rather bend over and conect at bumper that reach into bed and plug in there. Just MHO.

Chicken Legs · 02-14-2011, 12:58 PM

My truck was wired for a bed mount but decided not to use it. I just run the wire over the tail gate to the rear plug. This wire is a reminder to me that I have to lower that tail gate before I pull out. I don't really want that to happy so it just helps me to remember.

dan747 · 02-14-2011, 03:29 PM

Thank you for all of your helpful replies! I have ordered a T-connector harness, but will not install right away. I will be driving to Missouri from Denver to pick up the trailer and if when I get there I find out that the cord is long enough to plug into the existing bumper plug I will do that. If not, then I will have to temporarily install the T harness just to get the trailer home.

EdJunior · 02-14-2011, 07:58 PM

Now that's a great way to do it. Smart feller there!

Big bird · 02-19-2011, 01:37 PM

If you go the bumper mount, make sure the cable is long enough for sharp turns and does not rub the ground when straight. Mount on the inside of the bed near the tail gate reduces the required length of the cable. This is not something to shortcut since your trailer brakes are apart of the cable. I like Wingrider, have a newer truck with tow package and it is easy to wire to truck bed.

M109Rrider · 02-19-2011, 03:23 PM

I installed another plug into the bed. Mine would reach the bumper but I'm just "A.R" like that I guess. Bought a prewired 7 pin with a flat 4 already installed. Mounted the plug on the L bracket under the bed rail to keep dry and ran the wires throught a hole in the side of the stake hole. Plugged the 4 pin in to the 4
pin stuffed behind the bumper then spliced the other wires into the 7 pin on the bumper using weather proof connectors

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