Hopkins Plug-In Simple Vehicle Wiring Harness with 4-Pole Flat Trailer Connector

Video Transcript for Hopkins Custom Fit Vehicle Wiring - Trailer Hitch Wiring - HM11142645 Review

Today, we're going to be taking a look at the Hopkins Plug-In Simple Vehicle Wiring Harness with the 4-Pole Flat Trailer Connector. This product fits certain years of the Jeep Compass. You can use the vehicle fit guide located at etrailer.com to see if this is a fit for your vehicle. It's going to provide a 4-way flat trailer connector at the back of your vehicle to power your trailer's signal lights. This is compatible with 5-pole, 6-pole and 7-pole adapters. Adapters are sold separately, and it's going to come with a dust cap for the 4-way flat connector.

That way, you can cover up the connection points when your plug's not being used. The black box right here is the included taillight converter. This is going to ensure that your vehicle's wiring matches that of your trailer's. The power module connects directly to the vehicle battery through the wiring to avoid overloading the vehicle's electrical system. Now, this unit is designed to connect quickly and easily. All you need to do is locate the connection points behind the taillights.

The connectors with the green wires go to the passenger side. Connectors with the yellow, brown, and red wires goes to the driver's side. The plugs on the harness are going to match up perfectly with the ports on the vehicle. They have the locking tabs for a nice, tight, secure connection point. One you have those located and once you have those connected, you'll then need to make a ground connection. Your ground wire is the white wire, has a ring terminal pre-attached to it.

You can get that grounded to a nice, clean metal location with the included grounding screw. Then you'll need to mount your converter box, there's going to be a couple of mounts on here. That way you can get this secured out of the way with a few zip ties that are provided with the kit. Then you'll need to run the hot lead to the vehicle battery. The hot lead already has the connector pre-attached to it. This red wire connects to one end of the bundle.

The other end of the bundle runs to the vehicle battery, connects to one half of the fuse holder that already has a buck connector pre-attached to it. The other half of the fuse holder has a pre-attached ring terminal, and that connects to the positive post of the vehicle battery. This right here is where the fuse inserts. It does come with your 15-amp fuse, and it's got the cap that goes over to keep it safe and protected. Once you have that done, you can secure any excess or slack in the wiring with the included cable ties. Once your installation is complete, the 4-way connector is going to be stowed near the hitch of the vehicle. You can loop it around the safety chain loop or you can purchase a mounting bracket. We do want to recommend the use of a mounting bracket. A mounting bracket is going to keep the connector secure and it's going to make it very accessible. Mounting brackets are sold separately. If you're interested in one, you can find them here at etrailer.com. It's also recommended that you use a small amount of terminal grease on all your electrical connections, like the plugs on the vehicle and the 4-pole connector itself. The grease is designed to help prevent corrosion to those terminals and it is included with the kit. When it comes to the maximum amperage for the stop and turn lights, that's going to be three amps per circuit, for the taillights, it's six amps per circuit. That's going to do it for today's look at the Hopkins Plug-In Simple Vehicle Wiring Harness with a 4-Pole Flat Trailer Connector.