trailer harness..aargh!

[177mph]

Ladies and Gentlemen (are there any ladies on here? I havent seen any yet) - here's another newbie question:

Bought my 95 land cruiser from a clueless dealer a few months ago. It has a trailer hitch on it (bolted on - appears factory). I dont think the truck ever towed anything in it's life. I however - bought the truck to tow a car to and from racing events. I've searched high and low for any sign of a trailer harness on the truck. Pulled the spare down - checked the wheel wells (inside and out) no luck.

1. Is it possible that it was never installed? I think I know the answer there...

2. Is there any place I should look where I could be missing it?

3. How hard are they to install? Just tap into the brake lights?

thanks all. Great site.

 

[alkaline747trio]

Have you taken the PS rear plastic off (where the smaller storage cubby hole and sub woofer are)? That is where they are generally found. It is possible that it never came with one, you could get the FSM and EWD along with the harness from CruiserDan and have if knocked out in an hour.

 

[Elijah]

If I'm not mistaken all 95-97 came with the "tow package" which would mean it has the light harness somewhere unless removed by PO. I found mine kind of hidden away by the rear crossmember or above the untouched spare tire IIRC.

 

[Poser]

If your truck is missing the wiring, you can get a plug and play piece from cdan and remedy this in short order...If it is not tied up out of the way under the truck, it will be stowed in one of the areas in the right or left rear as mentioned previous.


Good luck!


-Steve

 

[Hants]

Ladies and Gentlemen (are there any ladies on here? I havent seen any yet)...

... I've searched high and low for any sign of a trailer harness on the truck. Pulled the spare down - checked the wheel wells (inside and out) no luck.

1. Is it possible that it was never installed? I think I know the answer there...

2. Is there any place I should look where I could be missing it?

3. How hard are they to install? Just tap into the brake lights

Yes, there are a few ladies hanging around... some lurk using their lesser-half's accounts, and others are "out of the closet"

My LX harness is a dealer/port installed hack. Wires running under the carpet over metal edges and, I'm told but haven't verified, taps into the wires at one of the taillights.

There are plugs and a harness behind the rear bumper that I'm told are for a factory trailer harness. I haven't queried CDan-the-man for availability yet...

I believe the electronics are in the passenger side. You can remove the plastic cover from the inside and have pretty good access if you want to look around.

 

[Brentbba]

Hoppy brand makes a plug and play 4-pin that will take you about 1/2 hour to install. Molex connectors plug directly into your existing wiring harness. DO NOT 'tap' into any wires. This is a plug and play solution. The Lexus/Toyota version will set you back mucho $$$.

 

[e9999]

well, if you are going to tow a car, as you know you'll need trailer brakes, so unless yours are hydraulic you are going to have to work out a 7 pin type system anyway so some wire laying / splicing etc may be in the future. May want to keep that in mind while making plans, but then I'm sure you have already thought about all that. What I've done it to use the existing 4 pin and get from that connector to a 7pin, adding the power and brake lines. I can then go from 4 to 7 and vv in a minute, depending on what trailer I'm towing.

 

[Scamper]

If your receiver was present when originally purchased, it would have come with the little "black box" which you'd have found in the PS rear wheel well (behind the panel rear of the tire/wheel). Since you said you looked and it wasn't there, then it's likely the receiver was installed some time after purchase, or the guy in the port simply screwed up and didn't install it.

As Brent said, the Hoppy is the easiest solution. Valley also makes one, but I believe you just get it when you buy the receiver (IIRC, Valley makes the OEM ones too which may just be sourced from Hoppy).

e is correct that you'll probably want the 7-pin, and you can buy an adaptor for that. Better yet, buy a 7-pin adaptor that has the 4-pin built in and kill two birds at once. Bear in mind that if you end up with surge brakes on the trailer (assuming you use a trailer vs a tow hitch), you'll need to tap the reverse lights to disengage the surge brakes while in reverse (so you'd have 8 connectors actually). If so, you'll need to hook up a relay for this 'cuz if you just tap into the rear light wire you'll be blowing fuses every time you go into reverse. Don't ask me how I know this...

 

[177mph]

Interesting - I am buying a trailer with surge brakes. Hmmmm

 

[cruiserdan]

If I'm not mistaken all 95-97 came with the "tow package" which would mean it has the light harness somewhere>>>

Not correct.

 

[Brentbba]

With surge brakes, you will not need a 7-pin and brake controller.

Look to see if there's a black box behind the PS rear interior quarter panel. If not, go online and order the Hoppy. Around $45-50 IIRC. Very simple to plug into the brake light harness on the PS, route one wire with a connector to the DS brake light wiring harness and 4-pin connector thru a rubber grommet on the PS out to the hitch. It's that simple.

 

[177mph]

Ok - final wrap up question. Is the "7 pin" connector you speak of - round? I have seen two types and I know that the trailer I'm getting has a round connector as opposed the the rectangle shaped connector I have on my motorcycle trailer.

thanks

 

[RavenTai]

yes it is round, if you do not need the extra functions of the 7 pin plug you can get a 7 to 4 pin adapter and vice versa

 

[94landcruiser]

I have been dealing with this too. I have seemingly a factory tow package (I have a seperate trans cooler in front of the radiator) I have no electrical connector anywhere (I looked in the ps panel) but I do have a rounded corner square four wire connector that is open near the spare tire wire tied to the rear light wire harness. Is this where I need to connect trailer lights to? If so where do I get the connector?

Gracias!

 

[RavenTai]

you wiull need more than a connector, you need a converter box that converts the the 4 channel back lighting of your cruiser to the 3 channel the trailer takes (tunrsignals. parking and brake all in one bulb)

the converter will come with the harness. the converter will plug in in the cab as spoke of in the posts above ^^^^

somebody correct me if i am wrong but IIRC the trailer package was just the trans cooler and soemthing else but did not include the hitch platform and trailer light converter? the later were port or dealer installed IIRC.

 

[Beowulf]

... somebody correct me if i am wrong but IIRC the trailer package was just the trans cooler and soemthing else but did not include the hitch platform and trailer light converter? the later were port or dealer installed IIRC.

You are correct. All North American market 80s (91-97) came standard with a towing package (a trans cooler.)

There was an optional trailering platform that included the wiring described above and the frame mounted class III hitch. On my '97 this was called a "drop hitch" and was part of the C7 Convenience Package.

-B-

 

[94landcruiser]

I have the cooler and hitch that looks like every other hitch I see on 80's but no lighting connectors. grrrrrrrrrr.

 

[Brentbba]

I have the cooler and hitch that looks like every other hitch I see on 80's but no lighting connectors. grrrrrrrrrr.

That, sir, is an aftermarket hitch. It's not Yota or Valley Industries, which made the Yota OEM.

$50 and a very little amount of your time will get you a 4-pin installed.

 

[RavenTai]

hitch that looks like every other hitch I see on 80's but no lighting connectors. grrrrrrrrrr.

mine is diffrent

the lightign converter many never have been installed or may have been removed, they are much less realiable than the rest of the lightling system and go out often, soemtimes taking other stuff with them.

 

[e9999]

the Draw Tite receiver is nicer IMO cuz it is level with the brackets and not hanging down...