My installation was a little different than the normal hookup since I wanted to do four things: 1) tow a small trailer w/o brakes, 2) be able to tow a trailer with brakes using a brake controller, 3) provide power to operate a macerater pump for transferring black water, and 4) provide power to operate a power lift to help load and unload the back of the minivan. Therefore, I needed a little heavier wire to the back of the minivan, but otherwise the hookup was the same. The only thing I did differently than suggested in the package was to mount the plugs on the bumper rather than on the hitch - that was a mistake, since the angle bracket has taken some damage that it would not have experienced had it been attached to the hitch.
My requirements 1) and 2) were very well taken care of by the adapter package. I run a separate black wire for ground rather than use the frame of the vehicle and, like I said, due to my load requirements, I needed heavier wire. I used the black wire from the adapter as my 'blue' wire for the electric brake support. Unfortunately, my macerater pump uses the center wire (the one marked backup lights - purple) as an auxiliary power. If I get time, I will switch that to use the black wire (aux) which seems to be more suitable, but for now that is is how it is.
The heaviest user of power is the power lift. It uses 30 amps of 12 vdc, so the wires (red for positive and black for negative battery were run to it first and then T'd to the other operations (one for the power brakes (2) and one for the macerater (3). Since the lift does not operate during travel and would not be in use while the macerater is running, the power is shared among them as well as the lights for the trailers (both 1) and 2) ). I had installed the standard 4-wire small trailer package which is a prerequisite for this product's installation.
It all works like a charm.
| Manufacturer | Hopkins Towing Solution |
|---|---|
| Brand | Hopkins Towing Solutions |
| Model | Hopkins Towing Solution 47185 |
| Item Weight | 15.2 ounces |
| Product Dimensions | 8.88 x 3.88 x 3.25 inches |
| Country of Origin | USA |
| Item model number | 47185 |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Exterior | Painted |
| Manufacturer Part Number | 47185 |
| OEM Part Number | 47185 |
