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  1. #1
    Seasoned Camper Likes to tow's Avatar
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    Intermittent electrical connection between trailer and truck!!!

    I have a 2017 Reflection and the 7 pin connector from the trailer to the truck continuously fails to make a good connection every time I plug it back in. I have to take a small flat blade screw driver and bend the female blades on the trailer side of the connection back closer together for it to make contact. Is there not a better type of connection?? I've never had it open back up after the connection is made, the brakes always work and I would become aware of this immediately if the connection opened up. But now I'm wondering about the brake and parking lights. How would I know the brake light is not working.....dangerous situation. There must be a better quality electrical connection available!! The only thing I have noticed on these Grand Design plugs is that they are U shaped on the female trailer end. My previous 5th wheel had a single piece of brass on this side and I never had this situation. I'm about to change it if I can find a quality device.

  2. #2
    Site Sponsor Cate&Rob's Avatar
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    Likes to tow - A liberal application of dialectic grease will help the plug engage more easily and keep corrosion off the electrical contacts.

    Rob
    Cate & Rob
    2015 Reflection 303RLS

  3. #3
    Seasoned Camper Likes to tow's Avatar
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    The female part of the connection just keep spreading open. They bend very easily. Although dialectic grease may make it more protected I don't believe it will help a poor tight electrical bond. I have bought a different style end for the camper side. It has a single blade instead of a thin U SHAPED connection. This the type used on my last 5th wheel and I never had connection issues.

  4. #4
    Seasoned Camper Likes to tow's Avatar
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    This is the type of pigtail lead coming from our trailers. Open it up closer so you can see the dual blades of the connection. Mine stay wide apart after a time or two of re-hooking my trailer to the truck. They are not close together as shown in this picture. The metal apparently has no spring to it and once it goes over the male end in the truck it is "set" at that width. If I take a small flat blade screwdriver and force them to be closer together my connection is ok.

    https://www.etrailer.com/Wiring/Migh...d/A10-7W6.html

    I'm replacing it with the single blade like this..Never failed me on my old trailer
    https://www.etrailer.com/Wiring/Hopkins/H20044.html

  5. #5
    Long Hauler LCBoyer's Avatar
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    I've used connectors like that for several years with no problem
    2018 Freedom Elite 24FE, 2 Yorkies, and my wife MARILYN, HAM call K0LCB. Traveling around this great country, making friends and seeing lot of beautiful and interesting places

  6. #6
    Site Sponsor Cate&Rob's Avatar
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    Likes to tow - I just took a look at both our trailer cord and truck receptacle. Probably connected/disconnected a hundred times over nearly 3 years. The pictures are a little fuzzy (just taken in the dark), but all the connectors in the cord are open to about the width of the terminals in the truck receptacle. All connections seem reliable (we check all lights and the brakes before each tow) but all are liberally coated in dialectic grease. Hmmmm . . . .

    Rob
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails IMG_1616.jpg   IMG_1607.jpg  
    Cate & Rob
    2015 Reflection 303RLS

  7. #7
    Seasoned Camper jdmuth's Avatar
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    In my last truck, the plug mounted in the bed was like a two piece designed plug. The backside pressed together like a plug?
    The trailer hitch place that installed it, didn't quite get the two pieces pressed together, and I had the intermittent electrical problem also. It was mounted in the bed near my driver side tail light, and I had to reach up in between the inner & outer section of the bed to press it back together so the contacts mated correctly. After that I never had a problem.

  8. #8
    Rolling Along johndeerefarmer's Avatar
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    Clean with electrical contact cleaner then coat with dielectric grease as Rob mentioned above
    Donald AKA johndeerefarmer
    2020 Ford F350 Powerstroke diesel
    2017 F150 ecoboost max tow
    2016 Reflection 29RS VIN# 573FR322XG3305717

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