Brakes on Horse Trailer with 6-Way Lock Up When Connected to the 7-Way on Ford F-250

Question:

The brakes on my horse trailer lock up when hooked up to my F250 but spin freely when not plugged in. So if I buy this product, what do I need to do to eliminate this problem? Thank you in advance.

asked by: Dena

Expert Reply:

A 6-Way round pole connector can be wired one of two ways; with the center pole as the 12 volt hot lead, or as the brake. Since the trailer brakes on your horse trailer lock up when plugged into your F-250, it sounds like the 7-way to 6-way adapter that you are using is wired opposite from that of your trailer. This would mean that the center pin on your trailer is the 12V hot lead and the center pin on your adapter is for the brake or vice versa. Either way the brakes are receiving constant power due to the mismatched wiring.

In order to eliminate the problem that you are having, you will just need to switch the wiring on those two pins. For the 7-Way to 6-Way Adapter, # 47549, that you mentioned, just remove the 4 screws on the housing so you can open the adapter. Next you will need to switch the location of the black and the light blue wire. You will need to loosen a small screw in order to do this.

My personal recommendation would be to go with the Hopkins Endurance Multi-Tow Trailer Connector Adapter, # HM47570. This wonderful little device, my favorite, allows you to switch the wiring in seconds. Just grab a small plug on the back, flip, plug back in and you are done. This is especially great if you tow multiple trailers whose wiring could be opposite of your current trailer.

I have attached a picture and a short video for you.

expert reply by: Leah S