Wiring Adapter for 2002 Land Rover Range Rover Wired for European 7-Way

Question:

I have an 02 Range Rover p38 with the standard OEM towing package. The vehicle is rated to tow 6500 lbs and the hitch says hitch weight 550 lbs. I am wanting to tow a dry wieigt travel trailer of 4500lbs. Can you suggest what I might need to tow. It has 2x2 in receiver The trailer accepts a 2 5/16 ball One problem I have been told is that the vehicle is wired for 7 pin European connection and this will not work for US trailers I have been told I should use anti sway but not weight distribution because the vehicle has self leveling air suspension. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

asked by: Wesley

Helpful Expert Reply:

The European trailer wiring standard is different from U.S. trailer wiring. In Europe all lighting and other circuits are totally separate from one another.

But if your Range Rover has a 7-way round connector like that on # 118710 then you can use this adapter part to convert the wiring to a U.S. 4-pole configuration. The 4-pole format carries ONLY lighting signals; it does not include provisions for the additional circuits required for electric trailer brakes, 12V trailer auxiliary power nor reverse lights (for trailers that have them).

You'll need to confirm the trailer's gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) which is the most that the loaded trailer can weigh. I do not recommend using a tow vehicle whose towing capacity will be closely approached by the trailer's GVWR. You really want some safety margin in any towing set-up. You also need to determine if the trailer has electric brakes as these will not be active using the above adapter.

You can use the linked article for help in selecting a 2-inch ball mount with the right amount of rise or drop to keep the hitched trailer level. Then select a 2-5/16-inch hitch ball with the shank dimension required by that ball mount such as # 19286.

We do offer simple friction style anti-sway units like # 83660 but I suggest towing the trailer at least once before deciding on the need for one of these. Friction units do not deliver the anti-sway performance that can be found in the integrated anti-sway systems incorporated into weight distribution systems.