Placement of electric plug in truck bed

[a_flyfisher]

As I've said here on prior posts, I'll be buying my first truck camper in the spring - a Northern Lite 10-2 CD Special Edition.

I already have an electric plug in my truck bed that I've used for my fifth wheel, which is located near the rear of the truck bed behind the wheel well on the drivers side, just below the bed rail.

Will this plug location work for the truck camper, or is it better to have the plug located in front of the wheel well? (My truck is a 2011 F-350 dually 4x4, which has an 8' long bed. The truck sits high as it is, and I'm just 5'8" and practically need a a stool to stand on to reach the plug where it is located now, but maybe that's irrelevant.)

Thanks, John

[Rubiranch]

I wouldn't want to drill new holes or cut into a virgin wiring harness.

Mine plugs into the rear bumper. Bought the camper used and it had a 4' extension that works just fine for me.


Its easy to reach and works great for my 4-pin add-on for my ATV trailer.

[Redneck_bling]

If anyone is interested, I just bought a new from dealer 5th wheel harness that plugs into the TWO separate connectors under the bed by the spare tire on a 2016 ford super duty. If you wanted to add a 5th wheel plug to your bed you would cut the side of the bed and install this for a factory plug-in for 5th wheel. You can PM me for any further negotiation.

[a_flyfisher]

K-mac and CuriousGeorge - thanks to both of you for your replies especially as they relate to Northern Lites specifically. It sounds like it should be okay.

I was thinking today that I might get a couple of those removable 3-M hooks to put on the inside wall of my truck bed to hold the power cord out of the way if I use the plug that's located behind the wheel well. I've used them in my drift boat to hold my fishing net out of the way against the side of my boat and they work great.

[CuriousGeorge]

a_flyfisher wrote:

Do you know whether the Northern Lite plug type/size is the same size one as the Ford dealer will be putting in?

Just took delivery recently of my 2017 Northern Lite. Ford female sockets (bumper and in-bed) are standard RV 7-pin receptacles on our 2012 Ford F450. The male to male cord provided by Northern Lite reaches both as the dealer plugged ours into the bumper socket when we arrived.
Hope this helps you. Feel free to PM me.

[harley4275]

Just wondering here , but the Lance I had ,had a small door on the drivers side just in front of the wheel well. Couldnt you just open that door and while laying on the actual camper floor , plug in the wire?
Mine had a long enough wire to plug in the rear bumper plug.Plus i did not have the fifth wheel / TC plug in the box.

[K_Mac]

My F 350 , and my 10-2 ( both 2013 ) have same plugs as you will. NL supplies a double female cord that will reach both plugs on your set-up, in bed, and below bumper. As said, I hang cord over the side of bed till I lower TC. With the bump out in the rear it tight's to plug in after lowered but still doable.

[towpro]

My camper came with a cable with one end, that would be the camper end. you can put what ever connector you want on the truck side.

[a_flyfisher]

scout4trout wrote:
It's a coincidence that I just saw this post today, because I got a call from the Ford dealer this morning that our new F250 has arrived and he asked about putting the plug in the bed. Since they also sell Northern-lites which is what we're getting (but now there), I asked him to check where the cord was on the camper, and he did and advised that the plug should go in front of the wheel well. I don't understand why the Ford camper package doesn't come with the plug in the bed. Unfortunately, there was a slight problem with the Northern-lite on order for us in Colorado and we now have to wait for another unit which hopefully will arrive by mid-March. We are supposed to put 1,000 miles on the new truck before hauling anyway, so now we won't be rushed.

Do you know whether the Northern Lite plug type/size is the same size one as the Ford dealer will be putting in? Don't know why it wouldn't be. (Seems from what is said here that the Lance camper plug is different.). Although I don't have access to my truck now, as it is in MT now, and I'm in PA for the winter, I'm pretty sure mine is the standard 7-pin plug, which Ford installed when I bought the truck New in 2011.

[Buzzcut1]

scout4trout wrote:
I don't understand why the Ford camper package doesn't come with the plug in the bed. .

perhaps it is because not every TC is wired up with the same plug/pin combo...For Example: Lance has its own 6 pin plug with a different wire size for power, it des not mate up with your standard trailer plug.

[scout4trout]

It's a coincidence that I just saw this post today, because I got a call from the Ford dealer this morning that our new F250 has arrived and he asked about putting the plug in the bed. Since they also sell Northern-lites which is what we're getting (but now there), I asked him to check where the cord was on the camper, and he did and advised that the plug should go in front of the wheel well. I don't understand why the Ford camper package doesn't come with the plug in the bed. Unfortunately, there was a slight problem with the Northern-lite on order for us in Colorado and we now have to wait for another unit which hopefully will arrive by mid-March. We are supposed to put 1,000 miles on the new truck before hauling anyway, so now we won't be rushed.

[Gaetan]

I have a NL and I would think that the plug behind the wheel will intefire with the camper
because the NL is wider behind the wheel, I have mine located in front.
But you can always reache the rear truck plug
Gaetan

[dakonthemountai]

My truck also came with the fiver plug in the rear. I had to rewire it to match my Lance plug and make an extension for the cord. I didn't want another hole in my truck bed. The only issue I have with it is getting to it to plug it in when I take the camper off and not letting it get stuck between the wheel well bumps and the camper. It's not hard if I remember to do it at the right time during loading and since I've only taken the camper off the truck a few times for truck maintenance, etc. it's really a non-issue.


Dak

[TxGearhead]

I think about the issue of having to re-seat the plug. I would have to raise the camper to reach the in-bed plug. I have plenty of cord so I have been using the plug on the rear bumper. The Bigfoot floor is level front to back so the rear plug is easy to reach. Since I have a Ram, I have to think about draining the truck batteries, so unplugging could be required unless I complicate my life further with a switch of some kind.
Since my cord is long I put a simple overhand loop in it using a cable tie. After plugging into the camper I leave the cord out until the camper is on the bed. Then throw the loop in front of the wheel well and feed the cord back to the bumper. I use a couple of cable ties to secure it behind the bumper.
If you can reach it, use the existing plug in the bed. I wouldn't go drilling more holes.

[a_flyfisher]

CuriousGeorge wrote:
I own a 2017 Northern Lite 10-2 EX SE CD sitting on a 2012 Ford F450 SuperDuty. In-bed connection is a reach from underneath the patio; but doable. Wife and I unplug at the Northern Lite end (we use about a 6' jumper) and lay it over the front of the LR fender of the dually.
I think, for safety sake, I am going to use a long piece of bungee cord so I can ensure the cord doesn't fall under a tire. I do like laying it on the fender so I don't set the camper on it.

Willing to send you pictures. Honestly, my dealer supplied the jumper. I see no reason to move your connection in the bed. Good luck!

Thanks for your reply. It sounds like your set up will be pretty similar to what I'll have.

I had an f450 before trading it in on the f350. The f450 was one of the most comfortable, best driving trucks I've ever had, except the mpg was horrible (it was a 2008).

If I need to get an extension for the cord that still seems cheaper and cleaner than putting in a second plug.