7-pin to 12-pin adapter (Melbourne)

[Texpat]

Hey folks, new to the forums and making my first post. We're picking up our new (to us) 14ft Expanda this weekend!

Well, maybe... Our tow vehicle has a 7-pin plug, and the van has a 12-pin plug. We're planning to get the van's 12-pin switched over to a 7-pin + Anderson, but that doesn't help us this weekend. I ordered a 7-pin to 12-pin adapter on eBay a week ago, but according to tracking it's been sitting in a sorting facility in SYD for 6 or 7 days...apparently it takes more than 2 weeks to ship something from SYD to MEL! A bit concerned that it won't arrive in time now.

Does anyone know where you can pick up a 7-pin flat male to 12-pin flat female adapter locally in Melbourne? After many Google searches, it seems like you can only find these on eBay or similar...why don't they sell these things everywhere?

Backup plan is to see if I can get booked in to an auto electrician this week to switch the vehicle's 7-pin for a 12-pin, but I hate to spend the $ on that if I don't need to.

Thanks for any advice/comments!

 

[chartrock]

G’day @Texpat , and welcome to the friendly forum. I don’t know Melbourne, living north in God’s country, but I have bought plug adaptors from Supercheap and Repco, even Autobarn so even Melbourne shops should have them.
Don’t forget to post some pics of the new toy and be careful to hide your wallet as members will show you many ways to spend your cash.

 

[mikerezny]

Hi,
the quickest and cheapest alternative is to go to Super Cheap Auto and buy a 7-pin plug and temporarily replace the 12-pin plug on the van.
Take a photo of the top 7 pins on the existing 12-pin plug and swap them over wire for wire onto the 7-pin plug.
There should then only be 2 heavy wires on the 12 pin lug connected to the heavy-duty pins. These just run the fridge and can be left on the 12-pin plug.
Or if that is not possible, just disconnect these two wires and tape them up.

take care
Mike

 

[Drover]

Agree with @mikerezny , supercheap grab a 7 pin male plug they come with the wiring code, in colour and the pins have numbers, it as easy as joining the dots, take about 5 mins to swap over just needed a small screwdriver and its done, the larger cable just tape up individually,.... if running an Anderson later for the fridge then run new cable direct to fridge don't stuff around with the vans wiring its usually not good enough ......

A 7 pin male will plug into a 12 pin female which is the type on vehicle.....

 

[Texpat]

Thanks all for the comprehensive responses! As luck would have it, the adapter arrived today...seems the tracking info was just stuck in limbo and not updating.

I guess logically, the adapter just passes through the 7-pin inputs, and just ignores the 5 (or 2) additional pins. I'm wondering if there's any value in going ahead and having our auto electrician (haven't worked up to tackling any elecs myself yet) swap our 7-pin plug on the vehicle to a 12-pin? Guessing it's bound to be more robust than an eBay adapter, and seems like it "future proofs" the vehicle a bit to be able to accommodate both 7 and 12 pin trailers.

Any thoughts?

 

[MDS69]

Just checking you have an electric brake controller fitted to your car.

 

[mikerezny]

Thanks all for the comprehensive responses! As luck would have it, the adapter arrived today...seems the tracking info was just stuck in limbo and not updating.

I guess logically, the adapter just passes through the 7-pin inputs, and just ignores the 5 (or 2) additional pins. I'm wondering if there's any value in going ahead and having our auto electrician (haven't worked up to tackling any elecs myself yet) swap our 7-pin plug on the vehicle to a 12-pin? Guessing it's bound to be more robust than an eBay adapter, and seems like it "future proofs" the vehicle a bit to be able to accommodate both 7 and 12 pin trailers.

Any thoughts?

Hi,
if you decide to go down this route, bear in mind that vehicles quite often have a microswitch fitted to the flap of the socket to disable the reversing sensors and alarm when a trailer plug is inserted.
Further, there are two types of microswitches: Open Circuit or Short Circuit when closed.
So, you have three possibilities to consider when replacing the 7-pin with a 12-pin.

Since you already have the adapter I would suggest following the KISS principle, use it and keep it simple.

If given a choice, wiring in an Anderson plug to run the fridge is considered to be more reliable than relying on the 35A connectors of the 12-pin plug.

If it was me, and I already needed to pay an auto electrician to do the work, I would opt for keeping the 7-pin on the vehicle, wire in an Anderson plug for the fridge, and replace the van plug with a 7-pin. On the rare occasions when you want to hook up a trailer with a 12-pin to your vehicle, you already now have the correct adapter 12-pin to 7-pin adapter.

take care
Mike

 

[Boots in Action]

Thanks all for the comprehensive responses! As luck would have it, the adapter arrived today...seems the tracking info was just stuck in limbo and not updating.

I guess logically, the adapter just passes through the 7-pin inputs, and just ignores the 5 (or 2) additional pins. I'm wondering if there's any value in going ahead and having our auto electrician (haven't worked up to tackling any elecs myself yet) swap our 7-pin plug on the vehicle to a 12-pin? Guessing it's bound to be more robust than an eBay adapter, and seems like it "future proofs" the vehicle a bit to be able to accommodate both 7 and 12 pin trailers.

Any thoughts?

@Texpat , definitely go for the 12 pin type. I had a 7 pin at first with separate Anderson plugs for fridge. Changed to 12 pin (Baxters from Ebay for around $30.00 included plug for van and socket for tug). Brass pins/connectors too! It is double rowed with 5 heavy duty pins/sockets for up to 35 amps each and the usual 7 pins in a row on the lower level for up to 15 amps each. Easy to fit and full instructions and numbering on included cards. Very suitable for my van, but even better when I have to take my box trailer to the dump, as trailer has only a 7 pin plug, but that fits the bottom row of 12 pin plug perfectly and is also able to have the locking cover on tug clip over the trailer 7 pin plug. Still have the Anderson plugs for fridge connection between tug and van.

 

[Texpat]

Just checking you have an electric brake controller fitted to your car.

Yep, just had that fitted last week. Went the Tow Pro Elite, and also got an Anderson plug on the Prado. Planning to get an Anderson on the van, as well - as some have indicated, I've heard it's better for running the fridge from the tug.

 

[Drover]

Okay , reality, if you use a Sparky or not, for a 7 pin with Anderson on van you will need to run a dedicated cable from anderson on draw bar to fridge with a fridge switch in-line, if one not already fitted, you will also need to run a dedicated cable from tug battery, fused to anderson on bumper, you can add a heap of other stuff but not really needed.
Leaving van with a 12 pin and fitting 12 pin to tug you would still have to run a dedicated fused12v supply to the 12 pin to run the fridge, add fridge switch to van if not one fitted.... This would be the cheapest and quickest way..... I would mount the 12pin on tug in a position that the HD pins are at the bottom, this way when plugged in the weight of the van cable will push and hold the HD pins into the socket and less chance of causing a short/ melt down...

This assumes your brake controller is already wired in.

A 14ft'r is a fantastic rig, any more questions ask away, provide a good description and pics if possible, the more info the better the diagnostic.

There will be suggestions for DC/DC Chargers, solar controllers and many other gadgets but they are just extras, often not needed by most and as you get to know your van you will discover what you do need and what is not needed for your style of use............... what is ones must have, is anothers bling....

When you get it home go all over it so you become very familiar with how it all works, if you can plug it into power turn it on and leave it on, making sure your battery switch is on, then the Setek will keep your battery charged up, it won't over charge just keep it happy, run your fridge for a day, takes a day for it to get cold anyway, give it a run on 240 and gas so you know and fill, dump and fill again your water tanks, run your pump to flow all taps and HWS if fitted, leave your tanks chock a block and HWS, keeps things clean and make sure bed ends and roof skirts are clean and dry before folding all up................ that should do for starters.... enjoy.

 

[Texpat]

Thanks @Drover for all the info.

Well, since the sparky had already ordered the 12-pin plug, I went ahead and had him swap it out for the old 7-pin on the tug...so no dramas picking up the van now, and we're covered either way in future. I'll still go ahead and get the Anderson to the fridge on the van shortly.

Managed to sell the adapter for what I paid for it, so I guess it all worked out. Two more days til we pick up!

 

[Drover]

Exciting times for sure, have a look at the Narva site for the wiring, its handy to print a copy of the wiring code for those mongrel times, taped inside the tool box lid or somewhere handy....

If you wander around this ALKO site it has a heap of good info for reference of all things craavaning. . https://withoutahitch.com.au/ask-expert-navigate-tow-vehicle-limits/

 

[Boots in Action]

Exciting times for sure, have a look at the Narva site for the wiring, its handy to print a copy of the wiring code for those mongrel times, taped inside the tool box lid or somewhere handy....

If you wander around this ALKO site it has a heap of good info for reference of all things craavaning. . https://withoutahitch.com.au/ask-expert-navigate-tow-vehicle-limits/

Great site that you refer to @Drover. Some important information for all on a lot of topics, especially for "newbies" with vans.