4-Pole Trailer Wiring Harness Options for 2012 Ford E350 Van

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Question:

Looking for the right wiring harness for our E350 van.

asked by: Blaine P

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Expert Reply:

We can help you with a 4-pole flat trailer wiring harness for your 2012 Ford E-350 van. All types of wiring kits are shown on the linked page. These include products for vans equipped with no factory wiring, vans with a factory 4-pole set-up and vans with a factory 7-way. You can use the drop-down menu tool at the top of the page to Select Vehicle Style of your particular van to then see appropriate products.

If the van has no type of factory-installed trailer wiring you can use the plug-in T-Connector # C56020 from Curt for the lowest-cost option. This plugs in at your van taillights, no cutting or splicing required. This passive 4-pole harness taps into the existing vehicle wiring to get the lighting signals for the trailer. It does not have a powered converter as is found on Tekonsha harness # 118551, which uses a direct wired power connection to the van's battery to provide the actual power for the trailer lights.

This powered type of harness is generally preferred, and especially so if your trailer has a lot of lights since it can deliver higher output current to the trailer than the passive type. The T-One harness # 118551 can output up to 4.2-amps on each stop/turn circuit and up to 7.5-amps on the taillight circuit. The passive harness can pass only the same amount of power that can be carried by the vehicle wiring. If you have a trailer with many lights, and/or if they are all the incandescent type that requires more power than high-efficiency LED lights, or if you just want the van to be as safe and well-equipped as possible then you'll want to use this powered converter harness.

In addition to providing more power to the trailer lights, a powered converter will also serve to protect the van's own internal wiring from any potential faults or shorts in the trailer. With the passive harness # C56020 there is nothing to isolate the van from any wiring issues on the trailer. So, for example, if a dead short happened to occur somewhere in the trailer's wiring, that fault would likely blow a vehicle fuse and could potentially damage wiring in the van.

Installation of the Tekonsha harness is mostly a plug-in process at the van taillights, as with the passive harness, but it also has a single 12V power wire that will be run up to the engine compartment for connection to the battery + terminal using the included fuse holder. This one power wire is the only additional installation step required for a powered harness.

I have included for you both a helpful article on routing that one power wire and a video showing harness installation in a 2012 Ford van.

expert reply by: Adam R

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Answer 1

We do have a fit for a step bumper for your 2012 Ford van, though it is a different part number than you mentioned. What you will need is the Westin Fey Diamondstep Rear Bumper #20107. A separate mounting kit isn't needed for this bumper because…

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Answer 2

The connectors you have found are not confirmed to be for the trailer wiring and we don't have any wiring harness that is a fit for what you described. Because you don't have the factory trailer wiring, I recommend starting with the T-One…

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Answer 3

The connectors that the #118261 is designed to fit should look like the picture that I attached. It is possible that you haven't found the correct harnesses on your 2009 Ford E-350 Van. The correct harness will be under the rear of the van inside…

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Answer 4

On your 2012 Ford E350 Van with the factory towing package the brake controller port should be located behind the center of the dash above the stereo. You will need to remove the center panel above the stereo and to the left. Once it is removed there…

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Answer 5

To connect your vehicle that has a 4-Way flat connector to your trailer that has a 7-Way connector, you will need to install a 7-Way on the rear of your vehicle. If you just want or need the tail light functions to operate on your trailer you will…

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Answer 6

Hey Johnathan, The Curt T-Connector Vehicle Wiring Harness with 4-Pole Flat Trailer Connector #C56329 requires a 10 amp fuse so I'd first make sure you're not putting a lower rated fuse in place. The next step is checking the wiring for any…

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Answer 7

The difference between the Class II and Class III hitches has to do with their Gross Trailer Weight (GTW), their Tongue Weight (TW), and their Hitch Receiver Size. Class II trailer hitch receivers have a 1-1/4 inch receiver and can be rated up to…

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Answer 8

Based on my research, the 10 pin connector that you found on your 2012 Ford Escape is actually unrelated to any trailer wiring functions so there is not a harness available that will connect to it. If your 2012 Ford Escape does not have the factory…

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Answer 9

I spoke with my contact at Curt and he told me that the Curt Trailer Hitch, #C13651, does sit lower to the ground than the Curt Hitch, #13650. Both trailer hitches will fit the 2005 to 2011 Ford Escape without a factory hitch, but the #C13651 will…

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Answer 10

Basically a lot depends on what you will be using the hitch for. If it is just for accessories such as a bike rack or cargo carrier than for the most part you will be fine with a Class II trailer hitch. If you will be towing then I would go with the…

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Answer 11

We actually have an FAQ article that explains exactly what you need to do to add a 7-Way to a 2008 Ford E-series van with a factory 4-Way wiring harness. I have linked it for you. There is no simple plug-in harness that will work but installation of…

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4-Pole Trailer Wiring Harness Options for 2012 Ford E350 Van

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