New Truck/Trailer Electrical Plugs

[GM Guy]

On new trucks and trailers, is the 7-pin flat blade(round housing)/RV style becoming the most common? If not, what is?

Here on the farm, we are trying to run 6-pin round (5 in a circle, 1 in the center) but looking at wiring lately, the 6 pin seems to be on the way out.

So, i guess my question is, should i be putting a 7-pin coupler on my truck to stay with the times? we are switching it over from 4-pin round, and i was thinking, since we slowly upgrade the trailer fleet over time, if it would be better to start off with 7-pin on the truck, as long as the new trailers are already coming with 7-pin.

Also, is there any advantages to run the 7-pin over the 6-pin?

 

[trouttrooper]

They seem to make a better connection when plugging it in. While they make all sorts of adaptors to go from 7 round to 6 round; 5 flat; 4 flat; and 4 round I've never seen an adaptor to make a 6 round on your truck to go to a 7 round trailer.

IMO switch your truck end to 7 round and buy a couple adaptors to connect to all the other "options".

I did replace the 6 round on my horse trailer to 7 round mainly because I got tired of needing the adaptor, and I use the trailer a fair amount. I keep a couple adaptors in my glove box for whenever I borrow or rent another trailer with the different plugs.

 

[GM Guy]

Thanks for the Reply!

Suprisingly, we actually picked up somewhere a 6-pin to 7-pin adapter.

On your 7-pin, are the terminals a flat "blade" style, or a round "pin" style?

I'm thinking that the extra pin might be helpful, such as wiring extra stuff up, (12V to end of trailer for flasher lights for towed implements, such as auger behind trailer)

So i'm thinking i might as well go 7-pin, now i have to decide which 7-pin is most common, the blade or the pin style. Whichever is most common, I think i will get, as there shouldn't be any advantages or disadvantages to either.

 

[busdriver75]

the semi trucks have 7 pin round i believe, anything i would tow with my truck has 7 pin flat. i'm probably going to build a gooseneck thsi fall and it'll have 7 pin flat.

 

[trouttrooper]

Ya, 7 pin blade.

My camp trailer had back up lights which is where it needed 7 pin. It is nice to have a spare or two as well. I've wired some internal and external "flood" lights on my horse trailer and the extra slot helps.

 

[tinypeckerwood]

7 flat blade is what you want. the 7 round pin is better, but is for semi's

 

[GM Guy]

Thanks for the responses.

7 flat= pickup trucks
7 round= class 8

Alright, i'll be going with the 7-flat aka RV style.

Thanks for the help everyone!