Hitch and Wiring Needed for 2002 Dodge Ram to Tow 3500-lb Pop-Up with Electric Brakes

Question:

Greetings, I have a 2002 Dodge Ram 1500 without a tow package. I just purchased a popup camper that weighs 3500 pounds and has electric brakes. Can you tell me what hitch, wiring harness and everything else that I need to be able to tow my new camper? Thanks and have a great day.

asked by: Peter V

Expert Reply:

You came to the right place.

To equip your 2002 Ram for towing your new pop-up you will need the following items: a trailer hitch, ball mount, hitch ball, wiring harness, brake controller and a brake controller installation kit.

A good first step is a check of your Ram owner's manual to verify its towing capacity, which does vary slightly by truck version. It is not likely that your 3500-lb pop-up will pose any issues for your truck but it is still a good idea to confirm.

First, you need a hitch. Your Ram 1500 can be equipped with either a Class III or a heavier-duty Class IV hitch. All options can be seen on the link provided. All are 2-inch receivers but their trailer weight capacities vary considerably between Class III (5000-lbs) and Class IV (10,000-lbs). Either class will work for your 3500-lb pop-up so your choice just depends on how much safety margin you want (and whether or not a larger heavier trailer may be in your future). Your most cost-effective option is Curt hitch # 13326, installation of which is shown in the linked video.

For a ball mount you can use # 2753 and for a hitch ball you can use either # 63845 if your trailer uses a 2-inch coupler or # C40051 if it has a 1-7/8-inch coupler.

For wiring you can use Curt harness # C55504. This harness plugs into your truck's taillight wiring with no cutting or slicing required and provides a 4-pole flat trailer connector which you will adapt to a 7-way for your pop-up with brakes by installing brake controller installation kit # ETBC7. The written instructions for the harness and for the ETBC7 kit are included along with a video of the kit being installed in a Ram. I also provided an article on the installation of the # ETBC7.

Last, you will need a brake controller. The unit you reviewed, the Tekonsha Prodigy P2 # 90885 is an excellent choice. This reliable and easy-to-use unit is highly-rated by our customers and provides both the flexibility to be used with electric and electric-over-hydraulic brakes and built-in diagnostic functions to make using it easy. Since you truck lacks a quick connect port under the dash you'll need to do a hard-wired installation and this is explained fully in the linked article.

I have also linked you to two articles on towing that will also provide useful guidance.