Umbilical Cord

[slides]

I'm not wanting to add a plug inside the bed of my new to me truck and am not interested in having the V gate either. So what I want to know if any of you have the same situation I have how do you deal with the umbilical cord ( i.e. wanting to use the plug that is under the bumper and not wanting the cord to rub the paint on the back of tailgate)?
Thanks in advance

[Allworth]

If you resell the truck to somebody who knows anything about towing, the plug in the bed will add to the resale value.

[Dave2001]

I did not want to put a plug in my bed either.
I run my extension cable over the tailgate from the bumper connector to the 5er plug. I added a ring to the extension cable with Ty-wraps. The ring is located on the cable inside the bed close to the top of the tailgate. I use a rope with two snaps on it. One for the ring, the other in my case goes to one of the chain rings on my goose neck hitch. I'm sure I could have found a place on my fifth wheel hitch, but this was convenient. The rope keeps the cable outside the bed in light tension. My stock tailgate also has a plastic cap over the top of the tailgate. Extra cable lays in the bed by the tailgate out of the way.

[thedoghouse]

It's a truck. Just cut a hole in bed install plug and use the truck. It's not goin hurt resale or anything else. Just make towing a lot easier

[richfaa]

I got the plug in Both places and the V tail gate. I am covered.

[john_bet]

Mine is not a Ford, but I have been plugged into the one in the bumper for 9 1/2 years now and no rubbing of paint or flat spots on cord or cord tangelled or cord coming further out of the bed than what it takes to plug it in. We typically do about 4000 miles a year. I for one will not put one in bed as I do not want it full of sand,dirt, other foreign material or get broken from stuff that is hauled in my truck bed.

[Shadow_Grey]

Just put one in the bed and be done with it if you are worried about rubbing the paint off the outside of the tailgate...although a little pricey, it sure looks easy to put it in.
In bed 7 way plug extension.

[kohai]

slides wrote:
I'm not wanting to add a plug inside the bed of my new to me truck and am not interested in having the V gate either. So what I want to know if any of you have the same situation I have how do you deal with the umbilical cord ( i.e. wanting to use the plug that is under the bumper and not wanting the cord to rub the paint on the back of tailgate)?
Thanks in advance

I bought a new truck as well and was a bit nervous about having someone add the plug. I found someone that had a lot of experience to do it. It was recommended to me to put the plug in front of the wheel well -- I think we put it a tad too far forward. Luckily I had already had an extension that worked with the 5th wheel wiring.

I actually traveled with the 5th wheel twice hooked to the plug in the bumper. I prefer knowing the cable is in the bed and not getting messed with.

[C-Bears]

slides wrote:
I'm not wanting to add a plug inside the bed of my new to me truck and am not interested in having the V gate either. So what I want to know if any of you have the same situation I have how do you deal with the umbilical cord ( i.e. wanting to use the plug that is under the bumper and not wanting the cord to rub the paint on the back of tailgate)?
Thanks in advance

I purchased the extension but I also have a V tailgate. I secure the cord with small Velcro wraps as it comes up over the tailgate, across to one side of the bed, then plugs in. This way the cord never moves around as it enters the bed of the truck but has plenty of extra cord in the bed of the truck for my turns.

[Shadow_Grey]

That King Ranch should have black plastic over the edge of the tailgate for the cord to rub on. If your cord is that limp that it touches the tailgate metal/paint put a twist in the cord to make it stay away or use a bungee cord. If you can't live with that then get a kit and put the plug in the bed like some of the factories do now. It will not deduct from the resale of the truck as you already have holes in the bed from the hitch mount telling everybody that the truck was used to pull a 5er or gooseneck. It might even help in a sell down the road if someone is looking for a tow vehicle.

[Water-Bug]

HappyKayakers wrote:
pool noodle

Or closed cell styrofoam 1" pipe insulation. It's already slit with a self adhesive, when the protective strip is removed.

[BB_TX]

I have a 2012 F350 and the cord does not touch the paint on the back of the tailgate. The only place it touches is the top of the tailgate where the plastic rub strip is.
I actually have both the in-bed connector and the bumper connector. And have used them both at different times.

[brirene]

I've been using mine that way for years. Keep thinking I'll put the plug in the bed, but this works fine and I'm lazy. I take up the slack in the bed with a bungee cord, drape it over the tailgate and put a foam insulation tube over it. Never any damage to anything; no problems at all.

[Oaklevel]

May have paint rub on the top of the tailgate. & Do not leave a hitch in the trucks receiver as it can unplug the fivers cord when you turn (we call them stingers here as that's how your shin feels when you find them the hard way LOL be sure to leave them out).

Much prefer having the extra plug in the bed its a lot nicer & easier.

[HappyKayakers]

pool noodle