Battery Connections Required When Installing 4-Pole Powered Harness, Brake Controller and 7-way Kit

Question:

I have the T-One Vehicle Wiring Harness with 4-Pole Flat Trailer Connector Item # 118426 installed on my 2005 Ford Escape Hybrid and now wish to install the ETBC7 7-Way connector adapter. My 2010 Coleman pop-up trailer has electric brakes. My questions is, do I keep both power wires that run to the tow vehicles positive battery connector? Will I then have two runs of power wiring going to the positive pole of the tow vehicle battery? Or is the 4-Pole flat not needed once the 7-Way wiring is installed?

asked by: Guy D

Expert Reply:

The 4-pole wiring harness # 118426 you installed in your 2005 Ford Escape uses a 12V battery connection to provide the power for the trailer's lights. This connection is still required even if you are converting the wiring format to a 7-way using our brake controller installation kit # ETBC7.

The # ETBC7 install kit will also require another connection to the battery positive terminal, via the included 40-amp circuit breaker, to provide the 12V auxiliary trailer power that will, for example, maintain a trailer-mounted battery while you drive. If you refer to the linked photo showing a 7-way socket you will note that this 12V auxiliary power circuit is carried on the contact at the 1-o-clock position. Trailer brake power is carried on the pin at the 5-o-clock position.

The Prodigy P2 # 90885 brake controller that you selected will itself also require a 12V power connection for the operating power it needs to generate braking signals for the trailer. This too connects to the positive terminal via the 30-amp breaker included in the kit. So in total there will be three (3) connections at the battery positive post.

expert reply by: Adam R