From our industry contacts, this is a common problem regardless of the brand of vehicle end connector. The socket in Pro Plug has been designed and tested to be compatible with many 7 way connectors and molded pigtails on the market, the terminals in the Pro Plug socket will be stiff for the first few insertions though. Unfortunately there seems to be many subtle variations in trailer pigtails, especially the style with the connector end molded onto the cord that may make them difficult to plug in, see Fig. #1. The recommended style of cord connector end for proper electrical connection and latch alignment to prevent accidental pullout on any installation is shown in Fig. #2. Any connector being plugged in should have clean, corrosion free, aligned and lightly greased terminals.
My trailer's pigtail connector doesn't plug all the way into Pro Plug?
Figure #1. A molded onto the cord style connector.
Figure #2. Recommended cord end.
Does Pro Plug have circuitry to prevent feedback from a towed vehicle that is connected through it?
No, appropriate anti-feedback devices need to be installed at the location where the potential feedback is created, ie: where the connection to the towed vehicle wiring is made.
After installing a Pro Plug the indicator on the dash warns of a problem with the trailer brakes with no trailer connected.
The brake (BRK) LED in Pro Plug draws enough current that the body computer in the pickup senses that there a fault in the wiring. This is easily remedied by turning the TEST screw counter clockwise 1/4 turn which will turn off the LED, the battery charge (BAT) circuit and backup light (BUP) circuit LEDs will also be turned off.
Can I get replacement parts without replacing the whole unit?
Yes, unlike most connectors on the market, Pro Plug can in most cases be serviced with replacement parts, just call or email for assistance.
What is used to mount Pro Plug ?
Pro Plug utilizes a 3M VHB (Very High Bond) urethane adhesive foam pad on it’s back surface. It is very important that the pad and clean flat mounting surface be warmed to the touch for proper adhesion. When properly installed on most smooth surfaces, the VHB will be able to hold over a 1/2 a ton.
Will the adhesive used on Pro Plug adhere to a spray-in bedliner
We have not tested the VHB adhesive on spray-in bed liner as there seems to be a varying degree of texture among them. The VHB adhesive will adhere to the higher spots of the bed liner surface, the trick is warming the VHB pad and the bed surface with a heat gun to soften the pad to conform to more of the surface irregularities. After placing Pro Plug, hold as much pressure as possible by hand for a minute to form the bond. Additionally, we can ship an extra pad (NC) that can be heated and applied to the bed first with pressure from the end of a screw driver handle to push into the pores, then peel its protective cover and apply the Pro Plug Connector VHB to VHB. The surface area of the VHB will hold over a 1000 lbs. if there is full contact, if you get 50% of that, it should be plenty for an in-bed application.
Are the LEDs in Pro Plug on all of the time or just for testing?
The there are 6 LEDs in Pro Plug, the Running lights, Left turn signal, and Right turn signal LEDs are on when those lights are used on the towing vehicle. The other 3 LEDs, Backup, Brake, and Battery have the ability to be turned off after testing as to minimize battery drain on vehicles that are not in use for long periods of time and insure correct brake control operation.
