I thought I'd share how I wired my trailer connector and backup camera because I haven't seen anyone else use the factory plugs to their fullest potential. I did this on my HDJ81 but this will work for any 80 series.
What you'll need for a flat 4 connector w/ backup camera:
Located at the back of the spare tire carrier area there are two sets of plugs. A single large one in the center that is used to connect the OEM secondary fuel tank, and on the right-hand side of the vehicle is a bundle of 3 plugs that in my case were all taped together. Here I've removed the electrical tape and disconnected the two that are plugged together. Clean these plugs and then pack with terminal grease supplied with the wire harness.
Others have used this Tekonsha wiring harness to add/replace a flat 4 trailer connector, however, there is an additional terminal in one of the factory plugs that goes unused. That extra black and red wire on the factory 3 terminal plug is a reverse signal wire. The Tekonsha wire harness just has a blank in this position. By adding the missing terminal to the Tekonsha harness we can pull power from the reverse light circuit without cutting into the factory harness.
Adding the reverse light terminal to the Tekonsha harness:
Crimp the flat/blade terminal onto a red 16ga wire and heat shrink. For a 7-blade trailer connector, also crimp the purple wire (cut to length) from the Hopkins harness into this same terminal as I have done below. This red wire will be run into the rear quarter panel and connected to the camera power wire and the convenience wire in the camera extension cable later.
Insert this terminal into the blank location on the Tekonsha 3 terminal plug. If you are only using the flat 4 connector on the Tekonsha harness skip the following section.
What you'll need for a flat 4 connector w/ backup camera:
- (1) Tekonsha wiring harness
- An appropriate sized flat/blade wire terminal. I used this GM terminal.
- 16ga red wire
- Soldering setup or wire crimp settup
- Open barrel terminal crimper like this one
- Marine heat shrink. I use this pack from harbor freight.
- Electrical tape
- Wire loom
- Backup camera. I used this camera that mounts flush into my 4x4 labs rear bumper.
- (1) Hopkins multi-tow kit #41144 or (1) Hopkins multi-tow connector #40974 with (1) Hopkins universal harness #40985
Located at the back of the spare tire carrier area there are two sets of plugs. A single large one in the center that is used to connect the OEM secondary fuel tank, and on the right-hand side of the vehicle is a bundle of 3 plugs that in my case were all taped together. Here I've removed the electrical tape and disconnected the two that are plugged together. Clean these plugs and then pack with terminal grease supplied with the wire harness.
Others have used this Tekonsha wiring harness to add/replace a flat 4 trailer connector, however, there is an additional terminal in one of the factory plugs that goes unused. That extra black and red wire on the factory 3 terminal plug is a reverse signal wire. The Tekonsha wire harness just has a blank in this position. By adding the missing terminal to the Tekonsha harness we can pull power from the reverse light circuit without cutting into the factory harness.
Adding the reverse light terminal to the Tekonsha harness:
Crimp the flat/blade terminal onto a red 16ga wire and heat shrink. For a 7-blade trailer connector, also crimp the purple wire (cut to length) from the Hopkins harness into this same terminal as I have done below. This red wire will be run into the rear quarter panel and connected to the camera power wire and the convenience wire in the camera extension cable later.
Insert this terminal into the blank location on the Tekonsha 3 terminal plug. If you are only using the flat 4 connector on the Tekonsha harness skip the following section.
