Wiring 2001 Ford Ranger to Tow a Trailer with a 7-Way Blade, 7-Way Round, or 9-Way Round Connector

Question

Question:

I have a 2001 Ford Ranger 4.0 and want to tow a 5000 gvw trailer a short distances less than 50 miles. My Ranger has the flat 4 way connector and the Trailer has a 9 way round connection. Is there a 4 to 9 adapter that feeds all the electrical that the trailer needs for towning?

asked by: Mike

0

Expert Reply:

9-Way trailer connectors are pretty rare, limited to big rig trailers and large RVs. A quick double check will confirm if the trailer has a 7-Way blade like # 37185, 7-Way round like # 47595, or a 9-Way round like # PK12906.

For a 7-Way blade style, you will need to install a 7 and 4 Way Installation Kit, # ETBC7. Your existing 4-Way plugs into the back of the ETBC7 and then you will need to hardwire the remaining wires. White is grounded to the vehicle frame, yellow is for reverse lights, black goes to the positive battery terminal via a 40 amp circuit breaker, and blue goes to an electric brake controller.

If you have a 7-Way round pin style connector on the trailer, you can still use the ETBC7, you will just need to use an adapter, # 47595.

For a brake controller, I recommend the Prodigy P2, # 90885, installation details linked below. On the wiring harness that comes with the brake controller, the white wire connects to the negative battery terminal, the blue wire connects to the blue wire from the ETBC7, the black wire connects to the positive battery terminal via a 20- or 30-amp circuit breaker (see brake controller instructions for which size to use), and the red wire connects to the brake switch above the brake pedal. You will need a circuit tester like # PTW2993 to find the wire on the brake switch that carries a signal ONLY when the brake pedal is pressed. For a brake controller and ETBC7 installation you can use the linked FAQ article on installing a brake controller from scratch. I have also included a video that shows the installation of an ETBC7.

If you do have a 9-Way on the trailer, you will need Pollak 9-Pole, Round Pin Trailer Socket - Vehicle End, # PK12907. After installing the ETBC7, you will need to clip off the the connector at the very back of the 7-Way. You will then need to hardwire the PK12907. If looking at the back of the 9-Way to insert the wires:

The white wire attaches to the pin in the 12 oclock position.
The green wire attaches to the pin in the 3 oclock position.
The blue wire attaches to the pin in the 5 oclock position.
The brown wire attaches to the pin in the 6 oclock position.
The yellow wire attaches to the pin in the 7 oclock position.
The black wire attaches to the center pin

There are three remaining pins. The pin in the 9 oclock and 11 oclock positions are for auxiliary circuits. The pin in the 1 oclock position is for refrigeration.

I also recommend checking your owners manual and verifying the towing capacity of your truck before towing as 5,000 pounds is a fairly heavy load and you do not want to exceed the capabilities of the truck and potentially cause damage.

expert reply by: Michael H

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Wiring 2001 Ford Ranger to Tow a Trailer with a 7-Way Blade, 7-Way Round, or 9-Way Round Connector

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