Trailer Hitch Tester

I had planned to have the hitch and wiring installed the same day we pick up the trailer in Necedah but now I'm thinking that it would be simpler to have this done locally. I want to test the wiring though beforehand so that things go smoothly pick up day. I'm wondering if anyone else has used a tester like this:
Amazon.com: CURT 58270 7-Way RV Blade Connector Tester: CURT: Automotive

Thoughts/advice? Thanks. Ben H

 

That is a good thing to verify the basic trailer connections are there and that the connector is not damaged. However, it will not tell you if the ground and charging circuit uses the proper gage wire, and that the car charging voltage is enough to charge the trailer battery.

Hopefully you can find a competent shop to do the installation. Cary will check it at the factory.

Happy trailering!

 

I found it worthwhile to have a local RV shop wire in my 7 pin - they do that stuff everyday - no issues that way.

Happy travels -

Bob

 

I would think that 10 gauge wire would be about right? I haven't done the install yet so probably could specify the correct wire. I'm not sure how I would change the charging voltage though. That seems like it would be whatever voltage the alternator puts out. But I'm not too knowledgable about this sort of thing. It will be going into a 2011 Subaru Outback 4 cylinder. Thanks!

 

Slick gadget! It never occurred to me that they would be that affordable.

I suspect most U-Hauls or hitch shops would check the 7 pin output for free. I have done that a couple of times with ours.

The output voltage can be reduced by using a wire gauge that is too small.

 

Once, I did not seat my 7 pin plug well and it came loose on a mountain road and abraded about one-third of the plug before I discovered the problem. (You know you have an issue when every vehicle passing is honking or giving the bird!).

After having it replaced, the new one never did seat well (it did not lock in place well). Another shop said that the replacement was made in Asia and lacked a small circle indentation near the center of the plug. The USA made one had the circle and it worked perfectly.

 

I bought the Curt tester in the original post of this thread a couple years ago.

As it turned out, I was very glad I had it just a couple weeks later - I’d rewired a camper, and thought I’d made a mistake, because the house battery wasn’t getting charged. Plugged in the tester and about 2 seconds later realized the problem was with the TV, not my new wiring. That led me to a fuse in my Nissan Frontier that I didn’t know was there; quick fuse replacement and the charging circuit was live!

A very good investment for the DIY-ers out there. One use when troubleshooting is worth $10! But if you’re depending on shops for your electrical you may as well have them do the testing...

I realize the OP has got his TV wired up by now...

 

I did purchase the tester and was happy to see the shop that wired my Outback did everything correctly - the only problem is the loss of some ground clearance. There was no good place to put the 7 pin outlet up higher so it is now the low point. I fear it will get knocked off if I do much off roading. The tester did come in handy one other time as well. A buddy of mine has converted his old Astro van into a camper and was going to tow my 550 down to Assateague so that we'd only need one vehicle. Turns out his wiring wasn't working. Good thing we checked a couple of days before the trip so alternate plans could be made. I'd say it's been a worthwhile purchase. Ben