question about adding trailer light plug

[RLKBOB]

Are the Ford platforms prewired for trailer lights and brake controllers? My 1995 F53 has a hitch from the factory(or from Coachmen, don't remember) but no plug for triler lights/brakes. Just wondering if anybody knows if I'm gonna have to run all the wires myself or if there is a plug hidden up undernieth that I can just plug into?
The same question for the brake controller. On my 2003 E-150 and my Dad's 1994 F-150 there was a wire with a brown or gray plug under the driver's side dash for trailer brakes, just had to plug the brake controller into it. Now that I think about it both vehicles probably already had the towing package with the plug installed by the hitch and that's why we just had to tap in with the brake controller. Still wondering about the trailer light wires though.
Thanks for any insight.

[subford]

Are you asking about a 1995 F53 or a 1995 E-350?
OR
Do you have two 1995 RV's?

[RLKBOB]

Its a 1995 Coachmen. The front end is an E-350 so I assume the MH is on an F53 chassis. I'm referring to the MH not an E-350 van.

[subford]

You do not have a F53, you have a E-350.

You should have the Brake controller plug under the steering column area.

The wiring may or may not be going to the rear as coachmen would have had wired that.

All of the wiring is there under the dash but the blue brake wire may stop at the safety wall connector.
The plug should have power on it and wired to the brake light circuit.

I think you will have to run the wires from the safety wall plug to the rear of the RV.
You may be able to wire into the wiring at the rear for the turn/brake and marker lights.

[RLKBOB]

I did not know that. All the references to F53s that I've read since I got the MH a few months ago I thought all Ford based MHs were F53s. So are just the coaches on Ford platforms F53 then?
Anyway, what about the wiring for a trailer plug, anybody know?

[subford]

An F53 with a motor home would look like the one in the small photo to right of my post. There is no Ford looking part to the RV.
A class "A" on a Ford chassis would be a F53.
You have a Class "C" RV on a E350 chassis.

I added information to the post above and you may have to hit reload on your computer.

An F53 when the home builder gets it.


/

[Pusherman]

A problem with the older E-350 chassis's which were wired for toad lighting (by the coach builder) was that they simply tapped off the tail lights for power. This causes both the RV lights and the toad tail lights to be dimmer than they should.

There are relay systems which you can buy at any RV store which get power directly from the coach battery, as controlled by the RV running, brake, turn lights, etc. They cost somewhere around $30-50. They allow brighter lighting at both the coach lights and the trailer (or toad) lights.

[RLKBOB]

Thanks for the replies. That sounds like the way to go. I'd rather add a few relays and just tap the rear wires to actuate the relays than run wires all the way from the front. If this is the route I have to go I'll probably just use my own relays and run my own wire(I have a lot of both). I've done this on other vehicles but as I originally asked; I was just wondering if there was already provisions to just plug into. I had an S-10 in the 90's that had a flat 4 connector up near the driver's side tail light so all I had to do to get the flat 4 at the hitch was plug into the one already on the truck wiring and place the other end by the hitch, it was as easy as could be). Doesn't look like Ford is gonna make it that easy for me.
Thanks again.

[Hikerdogs]

Before the you get too involved make a few simple checks. First look at the underside of the dash. In most E and F series Ford chassis there is a box about 2" x 4" screwed to the bottom rail of the dash. If you have this box check to see if there is an opening (usually on the left side) to accept about a 4 connector plug. If it is there it's the box meant to accept the plug from a brake controller harness.

Wheen you buy a brake controller you'll also need to buy a short "brand specific jumper harness". The harness has a plug on one end to fit the controller. The other end hads a plug to fit whatever brand of truck, i.e. Ford, Chevy, Dodge, etc. you're installing the controller in.

Next go to the trailer socket at the rear of the coach. Follow the harness back to where it connects to the end of the original Ford chassis. At this point open the harness to see if the Brake wire is present. It should be a blue #10 wire. If you have the wire it may or may not have been extended to the trailer socket. If it has been extended you should see it along with the other wires heading toward the socket. If it hasn't been extended it's probably folded back inside the chassis harness. If this is the case you'll hace to add enough #10 blue wire to get it to the plug.

If all these checks are positive there may still be a couple things you need. I bought a 1999 Ford truck with all the wiring in place, but there were no relays installed in the power center under the hood to activate the trailer brakes,trailer brake lights, and trailer tail lights. The relays were shipped to the dealer as part of the setup package but whoever setup the truck wasn't aware of what they were supposed to do and just threw them away.

[chboone]

Thank you Hikerdogs,
I read your post from April 2009 before reading this one. I am installing a brake controller on my 99 F53. I was able to find the factory plug under dash; all of the fuses and relays are in place in both fuse blocks. I was about to run a new wire from the control to the 7 pin plug until I read your posts. Tomorrow I will dig into the wire loom at the end of the frame that the other wires come from to find the blue brake wire.

Chuck

[Hikerdogs]

If you found the plug under the dash for the brake controller I'm almost certain you'll find the blue brake wire in the harness. As I mentioned earlier ours was folded back and taped off at the end of the original Ford chassis frame rails. Ours was on the outside of the drivers side rail.

[RLKBOB]

Thank you, you were absolutely right. The wiring harness runs down the driver's side frame rail makes a loop and all 7 wires are wire nutted and taped up in 17 year old untouched elec tape. All I have to do is install a socket and hook the wires up. The fuses are all installed also. I didn't see a box under the dash but I did see where the wire(s) came out of the harness, so the plug for the brake controller must be there, I'm sure I'll find it. Thanks again.

[chboone]

My brake control wiring was taped up under the dash to the right of the steering column. It had a clear plastic bag on it, cut the ty wraps pulled the wires out. Mine had a pigtail with plain ends, unplugged the connector and plugged in the brake control harness I bought for it that had the Ford connector on it.