Trailer Electronic Technology for Safer, Easier Connection

Three Products, by H. Kent Sundling

EZ - Connector

If you're new to towing you may not relate how wonderful the EZ Connector is. If you are a veteran trailer dude or dudette and spent time with that little screw driver redoing your trailer plugs after they pulled apart or using your knife to scrape the crap (corrosion) off the trailer plug blades and off course using the straight edge screw driver to bend the blades so they will connect to the male plug, you'll relate to a better way. Trailer brakes in general need monitoring and maintenance more than any other part of your trailer for safety reasons. EZ-Connector will make the wire connection issue one thing less to worry about (when brake lights and blinkers aren't working and you don't know it.) Those of use that tow trailers every week know how many times we drop the coupler on the ball and plug in the wire connection (and wiggle the connection for contact.)

This is an ideal electrical connection for snow plows and farm machinery. I remember my big round balers and the guidance electrical system wiring exposed to all the dust and corn planters have sophisticated monitors that all could use a weatherproof electronic connection.

EZ is a magnetic connection, powerful magnets. Just get the male end near the female plug and "pop" it sucks together. A tab slot align the socket and plug to match the right connections. The male end has two silicone o-rings, the cables have sealant injected inside, all to make the system water proof. If you can keep the water out, you can keep the mud and all the corrosive chemicals used to dissolve ice on the highway out.

Because the EZ Connector is magnetic, it's a no brainer to understand that the system will breakaway if your trailer cable gets tangled. Right top picture shows the dummy plugs to keep dirt and water out of the EZ-Connector when you aren't using them. This is quality all the way. When you first look at EZ you'll be impressed that it's made to last with trouble-free function.

 
 

Nice box The cables, dummy plugs, wire connectors, heat shrink wrap and mounting bracket Quick T-plug for factory truck tow harness. A sealant is injected into the wire harness Seven floating spring-loaded pins in the socket, with powerful magnet in the middle. Trailer plug has fixed pins Comes with butt connectors and heat shrink tubes for sealing the individual trailer wire connections and the whole wire harness
According to Joe Cardoza (the big cheese at EZ) inside the truck socket, the cable is crimped three times. It is also reinforced with a stainless steel hog-ring on the inside to take any strain.  Every unit is 100% tested, not a sample testing as is common in the electronic industry.

I tow dozens of new trailers each year for reviews and have adaptors for 7 blade to 6 pin and 7 RV blade to 4 pin  When EZ-Connector brings out the plug adaptors this spring, I'll go back and do the butt connectors and heat shrink wrap and cut off the old RV 7 blade plug. Semi truck connections will be out latter also.

With the T-connector I use, it only took 15 minutes to install on my truck. EZ-Connector also has a hard-wired version if you don't have a factory tow package on your truck or SUV. They sent me the kit for GM/Ford. I cut out the V in the wiring harness connector with a hacksaw blade and needle nose pliers. Hopefully in future they will get Delphi to make a plug just for Ford connection.

Bottom line, yes it's expensive, but you buy more expensive aluminum trailers for a reason. Quality is never cheap, being a farmer for decades means I'm naturally frugal. But I'd have no problem shelling out $100 for this trailer wiring system. Piece of mind and safety have value. For more: http://ezconnector.com/

I mounted the socket under my old style RV 7 blade. I want to long term test the EZ in the road chemicals and sand that my truck tows trailers in You can see the triangle I had to cut out for the Ford factory connection in the socket EZ Connector just snaps into the factory wire loom connections, part of the factory tow option I bolted the bracket to my factory socket bracket on the receiver hitch frame You can see the back side of the EZ socket, 4 screws and sealed, just says "quality"

Don't do this at home. I need to use my old plug so I wired the new one into my old cable Rubber tape makes covering the wire connection easier When EZ-Connector comes out with the plug adaptors, I'll do this right and get rid of my old socket..... and use the butt connectors and heat shrink tubes that come in the EZ box Now I have two trailer cables, and three trailer sockets on my truck, but I test things, it's ok

 

RV Pro Plug

I've had trailers along time. Spent my share of nights with a flashlight in my mouth in the rain as I work on trailer lights. Fuel injection and electronics make our trucks more trouble free, now trailer wiring and electronics make tracing trailer wire problems a breeze. Pro Plug is a 7 pin female plug with a twist. It has a circuit board that makes wiring easy with self-test lights and wire terminals which are much easier than taking a plug apart and running wires in a hole. You can mount the Pro Plug flat or on a bracket. It uses 3M VHB (Very High Bond) tape for quick placement that is rated to hold 1500 lbs. 3M tape is used in many horse and cargo trailers to hold the sheet metal to the frame. Using 3M tape makes installing RV Pro Plug inside your truck bed simple. There are 3 rubber plugs on the side of the Pro Plug  and two on the back, so finding a good place to run your wires into Pro Plug is convenient.

Now you can test your tow vehicles trailer wires with the LED lighted barrier strip and connect other wires to a power source such as snow plow, slide in camper or for 12 volt power in the bed. When connected, the LEDs in Pro Plug will light up when electrical power is at the Pro Plug terminals. Actually I think I'll get another Pro Plug and use it to build a circuit board for my trailer so I can add accessories to the trailer in an organized manner. It would also make wiring in a second trailer easy like a boat behind a 5th wheel. Made in the USA. Patent Pending. For more info http://rvproplug.com/

3M VHB (Very High Bond) tape for quick placement that is rated to hold 1500 lbs Tape Pro Plug to your truck or attach with mounting bracket Mounting bracket for screwing to bumper or receiver hitch You can mount the Pro Plug anywhere. ABS plastic case is rugged which makes it useful for a 12 volt power source for anything

With terminal cover off, my tools laid out. The terminal lights come on when your truck is live. On some truck where the wires are always hot, you can turn in test light screw to shut LED's off. Three grommets on side, bottom and top and knockouts in back panel Grommets make the box sealed against the elements I cut a slit in the grommet and ran the wires through it.

 Barrier strip makes wiring easy. Just put the grommet in the slot and feed the stripped wires into the terminal that matches the wire using the test lights. Put the cover back on and the grommet is secure.

 

Max Brake Wireless Trailer Light Tester

What do you do when you don't have someone to check your trailer lights while you run the blinkers and light switch? I know trailer dealers need this or anyone who tows a lot. Imagine walking to the rear of your trailer with a remote and just pushing buttons to check your trailer lights by yourself. When I was at the NATDA convention in Texas this summer, Chuck McDaniel with MaxBrake trailer brake controllers, installed on my truck their Wireless Trailer Light Tester. It's an easy install which is just the control box plugged into the truck's wire harness in front of the female trailer plug. It comes with 2 remotes, has a range of 100 ft. installs fast and easy and one of my favorite accessories. For more info http://maxbrake.com/