Trailer Brake Controller Installation in 2013 Ford F-150 XL with Factory 4-Pole Wiring

Question

Question:

Apparently my 2013 Ford F150XL with the factory installed 4 way plug does not have the blue wire and the orange wire connected to the harness in the rear of the truck. I understand I need to run the blue wire to my brake controller. My question is, do you absolutely need to run the wire that would normally connect to the 12v orange wire to the battery for the 7 way? Is that wire mainly used to power lighting or accessories etc. in the trailer? Thanks.

asked by: Paul G

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Expert Reply:

In 7-way wiring one of the 6 circuits does provide 12V power for a trailer, to either top off its battery while you travel or to power devices on the trailer if it does not have its own power source. This circuit is carried on the pin at the 1-o-clock position as you view the trailer socket. Please see the linked photo.

A trailer brake controller does NOT require that 12V auxiliary power circuit be present at the 7-way but it does naturally need its own 12V operating power which it gets directly from the battery.

A brake controller's black power wire connects to the battery + terminal through a 30-amp circuit breaker like # PK54530 to deliver its operating power. The controller's blue output wire then connects to the pin on the 7-way at the 5-o-clock position. Usually the blue and orange wires are found on the driver-side frame rail.

In your factory-4-pole-equipped F-150 installation of a controller like the Prodigy P3 # 90195 can still be done via harness # 22292 and hardwiring kit # ETBC7. This kit includes part # 37185. An install video is linked for you.

expert reply by: Adam R

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Answer 1

It sounds like you may already have the factory towing package wiring present, so to install a 7 way connector on your 2013 Ford F-150 XL you can use the Curt #C55774, which will plug into the same port your 4 way is plugged into. I do recommend…

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Answer 2

A factory 7-way trailer connector isn't all you need to power a trailer's electric brakes. You still need a brake controller. Some Ford F-150s are equipped with a factory integrated brake controller, which you may have. If your 2012 Ford…

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Answer 3

There are some wires that run along the frame rail on your 2014 F-150. I have attached a photo that shows where you can find the wires. They will be on the driver side. I have attached a link to a helpful article on installing a brake controller on a…

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Answer 4

Knob or crank handle is just a change in design, we need to determine how the lift bar attaches to the plastic cover on your roof vent. The operator you selected, #BV0115-04, will work with roof vent covers that have a slot that the rivet head at the…

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Answer 5

The Sno Pro website shows their entire range of enclosed trailers and does indicate that their CargoPro Standard series includes a 14 x 14-inch manual roof vent. Most likely we have what you are looking for but you will need to first determine what…

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Answer 6

Are you certain that you have the 6-way connector, like part #PK12720 with the 6 round pins? Or do you have the 7-way connector like part #PK11893 that features 6 blade-type pins with one connector in the center? The two can sometimes be confused.…

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Answer 7

The reverse light pin on a traditional 7-way trailer connector, like part #PK11893 or a factory connector if that's what you have on your 2018 Ram, is the center pin. Take a look at the picture I attached that shows all the pin functions. To add…

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Answer 8

The red wire on the brake controller connects to the stop light wire on the brake switch located above the brake pedal. You will need to use a circuit tester like #PTW2993 to probe the wires. You need the one that shows a signal ONLY when the brake…

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Answer 9

Your 2013 Ford F-150 must have come with the factory 4-Way connector. Since the harness for that connector uses a square plug and not the round plug, a simple plug and play 7-Way is not available. You will have to partially hardwire in a 7-Way using…

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Answer 10

I have a solution for you, but none of the Curt front hitches like the #C87FR will fit on the 2020 Ram 1500 Rebel models. For that reason I recommend using the Draw-Tite #65081 which is confirmed as a fit for your 2020 Ram Rebel as long as you do not…

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Answer 11

I attached a picture that I got from Tekonsha that lists all of the mounting locations for the RF #90250 that they recommend. As long as the box is sitting level and the cable is pointing towards the front of the trailer though you'd be okay to…

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Answer 12

The Curt Echo Trailer Brake Controller #C51180 won't itself provide any charge to your trailer mounted battery, but you certainly can still have a 12V power wire ran from the 7-Way to the battery for this purpose with the Echo in place. The Echo…

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