When towing a pull-behind trailer, it’s essential that the lights, turn signals, brakes, and other electrical components of the trailer are working properly.
Syncing the wiring is going to be the most important aspect of ensuring these trailer components are all functional.
If you own a Dodge Ram, this can be a little tricky as the wiring is different from the normal wiring configuration used in most other vehicles across the industry.
This guide to the Dodge Ram trailer wiring color code will help make sure you get the wiring aspect right and map out which wires go where and do what when connecting a trailer to your truck.
Dodge Ram Trailer Wiring Configuration
The wiring color configuration on pretty much any Dodge Ram truck is going to be the same when it comes to towing trailers.
Most Dodge Rams should have a total of eight wires in the wiring harness underneath.
Each of these wires will be a different color or color combination, aside from two black wires which serve the same purpose and only one of which is used.
The wire color coding for the Dodge Ram is as follows:
- Brown Wire with Red Tracer – right turn signal and right brake light
- Green Wire with Red Tracer – left turn signal and left brake light
- Black Wire with Orange Tracer – tail lights and running lights
- Purple Wire with Black Tracer – reverse lights
- Red Wire with Orange Tracer – battery hot lead, 12V aux power
- Light Blue Wire – brake power, electric brake controller
- Black Wire – ground
- Black Wire – ground
While this configuration follows the same seven-way wiring set-up of many other vehicles across the industry and provides the exact same functionality, the wire colors are quite different.
7 Pin Dodge Ram Trailer Wiring Color Code
Most Dodge Rams come equipped with a seven-way trailer connector near the trailer hitch where the trailer’s connector can be plugged in to sync the electrical components.
If your trailer does not feature the same seven-way trailer connector plug, you’ll need to use an adapter that can connect the two different plug types or convert the trailer plug to a seven-way connector.
This seven-way wiring connector contains seven pins or poles that sync with one of each of the seven different wires in your truck and on your trailer.
Below is a wiring diagram for this seven-way connector for reference.
Testing The Wires
If you suspect that your wiring configuration is not consistent with the majority of other Dodge Ram trucks, you can confirm what each wire does by testing each with a circuit tester to determine the functions.
If your Dodge Ram did not come with a tow package, it may be missing the necessary fuses for some of the trailer wiring.
If you don’t get a signal when using a circuit tester to test the wires, this is probably why.
You should check the fuse box under the hood to make sure all necessary fuses are present for the trailer wiring to function properly. They’ll need to be added if not.
Conclusion
If you’re going to be towing a trailer behind your Dodge Ram, you obviously want to be sure that all of the electrical components of that trailer are functional while on the road.
Using this Dodge Ram trailer wiring color code as a guide should help get you pointed in the right direction of successfully syncing your trailer with your truck via the seven-way wiring connector.
If you happen to be towing a trailer with your ATV or UTV on it, the following guides may be of interest to you before you take off:
