4-Way to 7-Way Adapter for a 2010 Honda Element Pulling Pop Up Trailer Without Brakes

Question:

Hi! Our family is thinking of renting a pop up camper that does not have brakes but uses a 7 pole connector. The Element had 4 pole wiring already run to the trunk area. I would need an adapter to 7 pole, of course. Will I still need to run any wires to the battery, or can I just hook up the 4 pole to 7 pole adapter and have it work correctly? If I do need to run a wire to the battery, what else would I need as far as breakers and such?

asked by: John L

Helpful Expert Reply:

If you use a 4-Way to 7-Way adapter such as # 30717 then without hooking up any of the additional wires (other than the white ground wire) the trailer will just have the basic light functions (brake lights, turn signals, and running lights).

Since it does not have electric brakes you will not need to connect the blue wire on the adapter. If the trailer has to have 12 volt power to run things on the trailer or to provide a maintenance charge to a trailer mounted battery then you will need to connect the black wire.

To do this you will need a length of # 10-1-1 wire to reach from the adapter to the vehicle battery. The wire is sold in 1 foot increments. You would route the wire under the hood avoiding areas that might pinch or burn the wire. Then it would go up into the engine compartment near the battery.

In the engine compartment you would mount a 40 amp circuit breaker, # PK54540. The cut the wire to length and attach it to the AUX post. Using the left over wire attach one end to the BAT post and the other to the positive battery terminal.

The yellow wire is going to be for reverse lights. If the trailer does not have reverse lights you do not need to attach this wire. If it does then you will need to tap into the reverse light wire behind one of the reverse lights on the 2010 Honda Element.