Connecting A Trailer Is Not That Complicated. What Are The Steps Required To Tow An RV?

As an important branch of RVs, trailers are absolutely mainstream in Europe, the United States etc. At this stage, RVs in my country are still a niche product, and trailer-mounted RVs are even more niche among niches. Not to mention using them, even though very few people really understand them. Many people think that a trailer can be used for travel as long as it is towed by a trolley. Obviously, it is not that simple. The charging, lights, and brakes of the trailer all need to be connected to the towing vehicle, so how to connect them? Today we will talk about this issue and give you a reference.
First of all, we need to install a special tow hook on our car. Tow hooks are generally divided into universal tow hooks and ready-to-use tow hooks.
Universal tow hook
This kind of tow hook generally does not need to replace the vehicle's rear anti-collision beam. If it is installed on a vehicle with a load-bearing body (family sedan or some urban SUVs), the original anti-collision beam needs to be reinforced, and then the tow hook is welded to the anti-collision beam. Just hit the beam. For vehicles with a load-bearing body, the rear anti-collision beam is relatively thin. Its function is only to buffer the impact force when the vehicle collides and reduce vehicle losses, but it cannot meet the task of towing a heavy RV with a tow hook.
Ready-to-use tow hook
This type of tow hook can only be applied to some parallel imported vehicles with square trailer openings. For example, we often mentioned that the F-150 Raptor is equipped with this kind of tow hook reserved interface integrated with the rear anti-collision beam. This kind of tow hook is The tow hook can be removed at any time when not in use, which is very convenient.
After installing the tow hook, you can connect the RV or small trailer. The main connection methods for a trailer-mounted RV are the trailer connecting arm and the fifth-wheel trailer.
Trailer connecting arm
The trailer connecting arm is the most common connector on a trailer-mounted RV. There are two types like the one with wheels or the one that requires a jack to support it. In the same way, you only need to connect the tow hook ball at the rear of the front vehicle and the trailer. The connecting arms are connected together.
fifth wheel trailer
However, there will also be a special trailer structure on the pickup truck, which is what we often call the "fifth wheel" trailer. The special trailer structure makes it the first choice for heavy-duty pickup trucks. The upper right corner is mounted on the tractor's compartment through a trailer connection device placed in the tractor's (pickup) compartment. This unique design makes the space above the pickup truck cabin become a large master bedroom, while the inside of the truck is more of a family activity space.
Many netizens are worried about whether the trailer will brake after connecting to an RV or a small trailer? Are there any safety hazards? In fact, there is no need to worry. In addition to connecting the trailer hook, you also need to connect the electricity. The 7-pin wiring harness and the 13-pin wiring harness are specially prepared for towing RVs.
The 13-pin wire harness is commonly used in European trailers. Many European imported vehicles will have this 13-pin wire harness interface. Our country's requirements for vehicle lighting are similar to those in Europe, so we are using a 13-pin wire harness. It will feel more convenient. The interface of the 13-pin wiring harness contains brake lights, left and right turn signals, driving lights, reversing lights, fog lights, long live wires, ground wires, etc. It is worth noting that although there are brake lights in the wiring harness, there is no brake. Because most European-style trailers use impact braking, there is no need to connect brake lines.
Some American models such as the F-150 Raptor are equipped with a 7-pin wiring harness. These seven wiring harnesses are brake lights, driving lights, left and right steering, long live wires, ground wires and spare wires.
Nowadays, this kind of interface is also pre-installed on some domestic pickup trucks. However, more vehicles do not have these interfaces and require additional wiring. Generally, the solution of wiring from the rear taillight is adopted. In this solution, attention should be paid to considering the bearing capacity of the original car wires and the safety of construction.