Can I Wire a 7 Way Plug in my Truck Bed to Run A Refrigerator
Question:
Looking to use this as a outlet for a acdc portable fridge /cooler, in the bed of the truck, instead of the one by the bumper. This will always be dry.under a bed cover. Question. Will this always be hot? When truck in not running, if not what can I do to make it always be hot? Will it make the trailer connection have problems when connection that. I have to make a trailer connection when the truck is in the off position, or it will cause a malfunction with the truck computer.
asked by: DONALD S
Helpful Expert Reply:
Whether or not the 12v power wire is constantly active on your 7 way is going to vary from vehicle to vehicle; if the 7 way on your bumper is always supplying power then installing the Curt # C56070 would also operate in the same manner. You can test this with the vehicle off using a circuit tester like the # PTW2993. The real issue I can see happening here is overloading the electrical system with a trailer plugged in and also running the refrigerator, because of these typically use a lot of electricity.
Your best solution here would be to just run a separate 12v wire to this harness from either the vehicle battery, or an auxiliary battery that is designed specifically to power this plug; the auxiliary battery would be the best solution to ensure that your vehicle battery is never drained. You'd also likely want to use something like the Pollak Circuit Breaker - Cycling/Automatic Reset - 40 Amp - Straight Mount Bracket # PK54540 between the fridge and the battery to help prevent any damage to the electrical system in the event of a short.
The 12v power is located on the pin at 1 o'clock when looking at the receptacle, so that's where you'd want to run the wire from the battery, and then connect a ground wire to the 7 o'clock pin and you'd have power. I've linked an article on wiring a 7 way that illustrates the wiring diagram for a 7 way plug that you can refer to, but at the end of the day I can't say that running everything off of the vehicle battery alone is going to be a good solution, especially if also towing a trailer.
Products Referenced in This Question
Pollak Circuit Breaker - Cycling/Automatic Reset - 40 Amp - Straight Mount Bracket
- Accessories and Parts
- Wiring
- Circuit Breaker
- 40 Amp
- Pollak
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Product Page this Question was Asked From
Curt 5th Wheel/Gooseneck Custom Wiring Harness w/ 7-Pole Connector - 7' Long
- Custom Fit Vehicle Wiring
- Fifth Wheel and Gooseneck Wiring
- 7 Feet Long
- Custom Fit
- 7 Round - Blade
- CURT
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