Plug Types

[stankdawg]

I am in the process of buying a brand new used pup. It is a 03 Palomino Yearling. When I spoke with the individual about the trailer light type he told me it was a 5 plug. Is this normal? I have a 4 pin flat on my truck and do they make 4 pin to pin adapters?

Gerald

[BirdMan]

Gerald:

I'm not sure one can say anything is normal on trailer connectors as there are a lot of choices.  They actually refer to the pins that connect as "poles", though depending on who/were you are looking they also may say "wire" vs pin or pole.  There is 4 pole flat, 4 pole round, 5 pole round & flat, 6 pole square, 6 pole round, 7 pole round & blade, and 9 pole round & blade.  There are probably more I have not mentioned.

If you have a 4 pole flat on your truck you probably will find it difficult to get an adpater going to a higher number of pole's.  The reason being is the more pole's that are present on the trailer plug the more is needed from the vehicle power.  For small trailers that only have lights on the back and brake lights, like small boat trailers, you only need a 4pin flat.  Once you start adding trailer brakes, inside lights, a charging system, ... you need more pole's/wires to carry power to these loads.  You don't want to try an go from 4 pole flat on your truck to 5 pole or 6 pole.

What I did with my truck is have it wired for 7 pole round and carry with me an adapter that lets me to to 5 pole or 4 pole flat.  I pull four different trailers with my truck between work & play.  This takes care of almost everything out there.  Once you get into the big triple axle trailers & RV's you get into the 9 pole stuff.

If it is not to far go take a look at the trailer and the plug type.  Then go down to any place that sells trailers/RV's/boats/... and talk to them about the different plug types and if you liked the trailer you looked at then get your truck rewired.  It will only take them about 15 minutes to rewire it and probably cost less then $75.

Good luck!

[stankdawg]

Gerald:

I'm not sure one can say anything is normal on trailer connectors as there are a lot of choices.  They actually refer to the pins that connect as "poles", though depending on who/were you are looking they also may say "wire" vs pin or pole.  There is 4 pole flat, 4 pole round, 5 pole round & flat, 6 pole square, 6 pole round, 7 pole round & blade, and 9 pole round & blade.  There are probably more I have not mentioned.

If you have a 4 pole flat on your truck you probably will find it difficult to get an adpater going to a higher number of pole's.  The reason being is the more pole's that are present on the trailer plug the more is needed from the vehicle power.  For small trailers that only have lights on the back and brake lights, like small boat trailers, you only need a 4pin flat.  Once you start adding trailer brakes, inside lights, a charging system, ... you need more pole's/wires to carry power to these loads.  You don't want to try an go from 4 pole flat on your truck to 5 pole or 6 pole.

What I did with my truck is have it wired for 7 pole round and carry with me an adapter that lets me to to 5 pole or 4 pole flat.  I pull four different trailers with my truck between work & play.  This takes care of almost everything out there.  Once you get into the big triple axle trailers & RV's you get into the 9 pole stuff.

If it is not to far go take a look at the trailer and the plug type.  Then go down to any place that sells trailers/RV's/boats/... and talk to them about the different plug types and if you liked the trailer you looked at then get your truck rewired.  It will only take them about 15 minutes to rewire it and probably cost less then $75.

Good luck!

Thank you very much for the help. The owner stated that the trailer is wired for electric brakes but they were not installed. The trailer is about 7 hours from me so I can't physically inspect it until we meet up this coming Friday in Huntsville, AL. I don't want to worry about ticket issues dragging back home to TN. Can I push a 5pin flat connecter into a 4pin flat pin connector and have it work? My truck has a 4 pin connector and I regularly pull a flatbottom boat with it.

[austinado16]

What you could do is show up with a pig-tail that you make now at home.

Go buy a 4pin flat with molded in wires, that you'd put on a trailer.  Cut the wires off maybe a foot or so from the flat plug.  Wire the wires into 5pin round like you'd install in your bumper.  Then when you show up, you plug the pig-tail into the trailer, plug the other end into your truck's flat 4, stomp on the gas and off you go!

[coach]

Can I push a 5pin flat connecter into a 4pin flat pin connector and have it work? .

Yes, more than likely.

[mike4947]

Way back when 4 and 5 pin would fit together as I can remember doing it in the 70's when I added a battery a 5 pin flat to charge it (the trailer had surge brakes so I didn't need 6 or 7 pins) and when others towed it with 4 pins they did get lights working inseting the 4 pin in the 5 pin.
BUT if the trailers been setting for any length of time or your TV hasn't had the connector serviced bring a multimeter and some wire and Scotchlocks to get you home.

[stankdawg]

Thanks for all the help! I think I will make the homemade 4 to 5 pin pigtail that way I can swap it between my truck and van. Again thanks for all the help.

Gerald