5-Way Adapter For 2013 Ford Escape

Question:

Do they make a 5 way harness that is custom for a 2013 Ford Escape or do you always use the 4 way custom harness Tekonsha 118566 and then use the 5 way adapter #20036? If using the this setup with the adapter, can you use either the 4 way or the 5 way- so you can pull a typical small landscape trailer with no brakes and also a boat trailer with surge brakes.

asked by: Tracy

Expert Reply:

While we do not carry a Custom 5-Way harness for your 2013 Ford Escape, the Tekonsha #118566 you describe will indeed work with the adapter #20036.

Your boat trailer has surge brakes, which use the inertia of a vehicle trying to stop the trailer to compress the hydraulic fluid in the master cylinder, which then transfers to the brake assemblies and activates the trailer's brakes.

Since your boat trailer has a 5-pin socket this would indicate that it has an electric lockout solenoid. What an electric lock out does is prevent the fluid from being sent to the brake assemblies when the trailer is being put in reverse. The reverse light circuit of your trailer wiring is what does this. This is why you need the adapter, the included blue wire of the adapter is designed to splice right into your vehicle's reverse light.

Once installed, you won't need to remove the adapter to pull your landscape trailer. All of it's lighting functionality will work well even with the fifth connection left open. You might also consider purchasing some dielectric grease # 11755 to keep those connections protected and clean.

expert reply by: Aaron A