Yes you will still need to put in the relay's and fuse. They go in power box under hood. you may have a wiring dia that came with relay's that will show placement. In my 99' the power box is on driver's side near brake power booster. Any ? get back to us...

 

Kind of suspected that... I appreciate your help!!

-RP-

 

This was a great read.
So basically, I need the controller, harness, bag of relays/wires and plug out back.

1. The controller plugs into the harness and the harness plugs in under the dash near the glove box, right?

2. The relays get wired in the engine compartment (according to provided diagram), right?

3. The plug out back; Do the wires just tap into the existing wires (about a 1' back from the bumper)?
My main question is; Will an adapter that takes the 4 pin to a 7 pin still work the e-brakes or should I just wire up the 7 pin seperatly?

Thanks in advance for any info.

 

Budha05STX,

A little clarification...assuming you have the factory tow package on your truck.

(1) Also assuming you get the recomended Prodigy brake contoller, get the harness with it that is specific to your truck. One end of this harness will then plug in to the Prodigy, and the other end into the factory installed plug under the driver's side dash of your truck. (not under the glove box)

(2) The relays that were provided in a plastic bag with your truck will just plug in (no wiring involved) to vacant slots in the power relay box under the hood. There should be instructions with a diagram in the plastic bag.

(3a) I think your 2005 truck (again assuming factory tow package) should have both a 4-pin and a 7-pin connector under the rear bumper. You would just plug the trailer's plug into the appropriate connector. If the trailer in question has electric brakes, it will have a 7-pin connector. If it does not, it will probably have a 4-pin connector.

(3b) If your truck has only a 7-pin connector under the rear bumper, then your plastic bag should have a 7-pin to 4-pin adaptor to use when towing trailers without electric brakes, since these trailers would probably have a 4-pin connector.

Hope this helps a little without oversimplifying the obvious.

 

RP, my friend has the Prodigy Brake Controller that is listed on eBay, and it is amazing, by far the easiest brake controller to use that I have ever seen. I'll make you a deal, you buy it, use it a few times, and then I'll buy if off of you. I've been looking for a good one for a while and I'm always up for a bargain....

 

Correction for #2. The relays on a 2005 are behind the passenger side kick panel.

 

Thanks guys, I forgot to add that my 05 doesn't have the factory tow package. I have an aftermarket class 3 hitch on it. The trailer I will be pulling is a 6 x 12 enclosed tandem trailer for construction tools and misc materials.

 

Thanks for the correction. I didn't know the relays had been moved from under the hood like earlier models.


Budha05STX, does your 6x12 trailer have electric brakes?

Without the factory tow package, the electric brake setup will be a little more complicated, with more wiring and splicing involved. It won't be nearly as "plug 'n' play".

SM

 

Yes, the ones I'm looking at (tandem axles) have electric brakes and the breakaway saftey brakes.

I was under the impression that the harness would still work, I haven't looked under the dash for the connection yet. And the hardest part would be wiring the relays and wiring the connecting plug out back. Am I wrong? Do the 05's without the factory tow package not have a factory spot for the harness?

 

Unfortunately, if you don't have the factory tow package, I don't think you will have the factory installed plug under your dash that is for brake controllers. Yours will have to be spliced in, as will the 7-pin connection out back.

Installing the relays would probably be the easiest part, as they just plug in to designated vacant slots in the relay box.

 

Does anyone have a pic of the factory plug under the dash on a 04-06? I wouldn't know what to look for so I don't want to waste my time crawling under there until I know what I'm looking for.

Thanks in advance for any pics.

 

Just pop off the plastic plate directly under the steering column. It's in plain sight.

 

I just went through all this with an 04. You CAN make this work simply. There *is* a plug, just under the dash (There is only one harness for the F150 for each model - XL - XLT - Lariot - etc.), right beside the computer connection, for your brake controller. Get the correct pre-assembled harness for the Prodigy controller and it's plug and play.

On the rear of your truck, is a harness that has the 4 wire trailer plug. You'll need to order the harness for a truck with a tow package to replace the one you have. That package includes a relay and underdash harness (which you won't need because you have the custom one). The part number for my truck (an 04 XL) is FMC 4L3Z13A576DA and lists for $100.83.

Now, I ordered the genuine hitch which came with the 7 wire socket (the thingy with the flap door) that this harness plugs into. You should check that your hitch has this plug as you'll need it.

The panel for the relay is in the right kick panel. There's a sheet in the parts package that'll show you where.

The only other thing you really need to consider is a transmission cooler. Once more, I went with genuine. Pricy, but I don't like sticking mounting things through the fins of my radiator.

This will pretty much make your unit a trailer tow equipped truck except for rear springs.

When I bought my truck, I road tested several. The ones with the tow package rode noticeably stiffer. As I run 99% of my miles with an empty bed and no trailer, I went with no tow package. Next time, I'd buy the package and change the rear springs! A LOT cheaper!

Good luck!
Flagship

 

Now that's why they can sell so many parts

I think mine is too soft with the tow package. I'm thinking about shocks.

 

Thanks, your info will be very helpful.