Trailer Harness?

[zahc]

I have a Chrysler minivan with a Curt hitch receiver, but no wiring for a trailer. I want to rent a little utility trailer from Sunbelt. What kind of wiring do I need? Are they universal or does it depend on the trailer?

[charby]

95% without brakes are going to be the flat 4 pin.

[Kingcreek]

Go to someplace like etrailer.com Amazon or eBay and search for your specific vehicle 4 pole harness. Simple to install and usually pretty cheap.

[brimic]

Charby and Kingcreek said it all.

[Hawkmoon]

You can find the harness adapter for many of the more popular, current vehicles in the auto electronics aisle at Walmart.

I would call the rental place and ask them if their trailers (of the size and type you want) use a 4-pin or 7-pin connection.

[Brad Johnson]

Another vote for harness adapter. Too many places still do the "Them 'dapters don't work a'tall. Lemme butcher the crap outta your wiring harness and garntee you'll have a lifetime of electrical problems, instead!"

Couple years ago I spent the better part of an afternoon unf***ing the gawdaful mess a "perfeshnul" trailer hitch installer made of Dad's truck. Rather than use a $20 adapter that would have worked perfectly, he butchered the wiring harness to the point that not only nothing worked, it blew out both tail lights if you used the cigarette lighter while the trailer harness was connected. (Smart, no, but infinitely impressive in terms of creative incompetence.)

Brad

[Kingcreek]

Yeah the adapters just plug into the existing wiring. Splicing wires is redneck evil..

[Hawkmoon]

For long-term flexibility, I suggest getting a plug-in harness for a 7-wire connection, then buy an adapter for 7-pin to 4-pin. That way your vehicle is set up for any type of trailer you might use, at any time in the future.

[Boomhauer]

It ought to be legal to shoot people who do shitty electrical work. It takes the same amount of time or less to do it correctly vs *expletive deleted*it work.

[charby]

For long-term flexibility, I suggest getting a plug-in harness for a 7-wire connection, then buy an adapter for 7-pin to 4-pin. That way your vehicle is set up for any type of trailer you might use, at any time in the future.

7 wire means he'll need to install a brake controller and everything that goes with that.

[Hawkmoon]

7 wire means he'll need to install a brake controller and everything that goes with that.

No it doesn't. My Cherokee came from the factory with a 7-wire receptacle, and an adapter to step it down to 4-wire for smaller trailers. No brake controller. The 7-wire just means it can handle a trailer that has separate brake lights and turn signals.

[charby]

No it doesn't. My Cherokee came from the factory with a 7-wire receptacle, and an adapter to step it down to 4-wire for smaller trailers. No brake controller. The 7-wire just means it can handle a trailer that has separate brake lights and turn signals.

Doesn't work that way, your vehicle is probably prewired for a brake controller to be installed under the dash.

See https://www.curtmfg.com/towing-electrical-wiring

[dogmush]

For long-term flexibility, I suggest getting a plug-in harness for a 7-wire connection, then buy an adapter for 7-pin to 4-pin. That way your vehicle is set up for any type of trailer you might use, at any time in the future.

I would submit that any trailer that requires a 7 pin connector should not be hooked up to the Chrysler minivan mentioned in the OP

ETA:  Just a note, I looked at some of the available wiring harnesses, and at some point around 2010 (ish) it looks like Chrysler went to a more digital light system where brake and turn signal power is on the same wire, and the trailer light harnesses seem to require a powered converter box to go from the integrated vehicle system to the more analog trailer lighting.  These are twice as expensive.  You should plug your exact model and year into something like etrailer.com and see what you need.  Example of $50 trailer light harness with electronic wizardry.

[zahc]

I bought one of these. Walmart had a similar universal one for $20, but you had to splice wiring to install it.

Curt Manufacturing 56331 Black Custom Wiring Harness https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074H6GPZ2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_se-MCbMZSGDJ0

[charby]

I bought one of these. Walmart had a similar universal one for $20, but you had to splice wiring to install it.

Curt Manufacturing 56331 Black Custom Wiring Harness https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074H6GPZ2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_se-MCbMZSGDJ0

I'd swap the fuse out for a 12 volt circuit breaker of similar amperage.