Tow Vehicle issue

[Campahedu]

Hi,
I have a 2013 F150 crew cab Lariat EcoBoost hauling a Wildwood X-Lite 262. Occasionally when hauling, I will get a "Trailer Disconnected" message on my display. This message usually only last seconds (maybe 30). Any idea why? My trailer lights are still on. Is there an issue with contact on one of the 7 pin connection? Is it the truck (7 pin wire)? Is it the trailer (7 pin connector)? Not sure where to go from here. Has anyone else had this issue?
Thanks in advance for any help

[Martsing]

I have been towing with ours for about a year and a half now and in my experience that connector is temperamental. You can push the connector and think it is connected and then have the "trailer disconnected" signal on the controller. It has happened twice so far so I try to remember to push that thing in pretty hard to make sure it is seated. I am also getting suspicious that My connection may need to be cleaned.

Marty

[llr]

I assume you have a factory brake controller or this message is on the brake controller.

sound like a bad connection in the brake controller wire. I would start with the TV - TT connector, some contact cleaner, have someone what the display while you wiggle the wire and plug, if not here move to another location, the junction box where the pigtail terminates, where the one wire splits to 2 or 4 near the axles and on the truck.

intermittent are the worst issues to find.

when it says trailer disconnected you probably do not have trailer brakes so be careful

[m35a2]

In addition to the connections at the connector itself, there might also be a wire
intermittently shorting to ground somewhere (or even broken inside the insulation and making intermittent contact.) A failed brake solenoid will cause this issue too.

I'd get some good contact cleaner (I like deoxit ds5) and make sure both the plug and connector contacts are clean. If you are still having problems after that, I'd start looking at the wires on the trailer harness going to the brake solenoids and the brake solenoids themselves to make sure all are working.

It can be a real bear to find these things when a wire has rubbed through insulation or a problem hidden by the insulation.

[Campahedu]

Well, I think I had lady luck with me as I went looking for a possible short. I followed my 7 pin plug on my tt back towards the tires. Found nothing. Then, crawled under the right side tt (passenger) and inspected the wires on both tires. Found nothing. Crawled under the other side and inspected the wires. THERE! on the forward tire there are three wires and one was loose inside a wire connector (see picture). I took the connector apart, reinserted the wires and reconnected the wire connector. So far so good!
I am just glad I didn't lose my brakes last week coming out of White Mtns National Forest
Dang! I love the challenge and I love camping

[Bama Rambler]

Looks like you found it! I'm glad it was as easy as it was for you. And thanks for coming back and posting the pic of what you found.

[m35a2]

Glad you found the problem! Thanks for reporting back.

I see lots of these posts (mostly on other forums) where the brake controller complains about the trailer being disconnected. I can't recall a single time when it wasn't a bad wire going to the solenoid or the solenoid itself.

One guy even tried a different tow vehicle.. it didn't report the trailer disconnected so he was convinced it was his truck. Nope, bad brake solenoid on the trailer.

[Restcure]

Glad it was an easy find... and thanks for letting us know!