Round 7-pin to flat 5-pin adapter for towing EZ-Loader

[baz]

Subject: Round 7-pin to flat 5-pin adapter for towing EZ-Loader

I've recently had a new tow hitch installed on my car. It came with a round 7-pin socket. My EZ-Loader factory trailer has a flat 5-pin plug. I'm told I will need a 7-pin to 5-pin adapter. I believe I've found one and want to ask others here if they see this adapter being AOK.

As part of the hitch installation the towbar is equipped with a Trailer Stability Assist-technology (TSA) and interacts with my car's DSTC-system (Dynamic Stability and Traction Control). The idea is if the trailer starts to sway back and forth at speeds in excess of 30 mph (50 km/h), TSA can brake one or more of the car's wheels to regain stability and maintain control.

My question here is... With using only 5 pins of the round 7-pins will my car's TSA feature be inoperative ?

Here's the 7-pin to 5-pin adapter I'm thinking of buying.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...rue&ref_=ox_sc_act_title_2&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

 

[SGIDAVE]

Subject: Round 7-pin to flat 5-pin adapter for towing EZ-Loader

I've recently had a new tow hitch installed on my car. It came with a round 7-pin socket. My EZ-Loader factory trailer has a flat 5-pin plug. I'm told I will need a 7-pin to 5-pin adapter. I believe I've found one and want to ask others here if they see this adapter being AOK.

As part of the hitch installation the towbar is equipped with a Trailer Stability Assist-technology (TSA) and interacts with my car's DSTC-system (Dynamic Stability and Traction Control). The idea is if the trailer starts to sway back and forth at speeds in excess of 30 mph (50 km/h), TSA can brake one or more of the car's wheels to regain stability and maintain control.

My question here is... With using only 5 pins of the round 7-pins will my car's TSA feature be inoperative ?

Here's the 7-pin to 5-pin adapter I'm thinking of buying.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...rue&ref_=ox_sc_act_title_2&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Hello Barry,

My understanding of TSA is that it is an ADDITIONAL function of the Stability Control in your Volvo. The hitch wiring has nothing to do with it, so you CAN use any 5-to-7 pin converter you wish.

Of note, I know someone with a Mercedes GL which has the factory installed 7 pin trailer connector. When towing an LED-equipped trailer, the dash would display multiple "lights nonfunctional" alerts for the trailer. Apparently, the LED trailer lights don't use enough electricity or something such that the tow vehicle thought the lights where burned out. The solution is to use a "special" adaptor with a resistor built in that fools the tow vehicle and eliminates the "lights out" alert.
An adapter like this.

I don't know if your Volvo is like the GL in this regard.

Are you getting to use your 21EC a lot?

dave

 

[baz]

Thanks Dave.... that 7-pin to 5-pin looks more like I should use as the one I found had the means for a 4-pin as well which for me is unnecessary.

Yes, I think you're correct about the pins not being associated with my Volvo's DSTC feature. Part of the Volvo's Towbar + Hitch is a TSA module that's wired up along with the hitch install. This module must somehow detect lateral forces on the Towbar and send signals to the DSTC to perform braking adjustments on the Volvo's wheels. It all very techie stuff IMO.

We had been towing with our 2012 XC70 T6 wagon but the R21EC + Trailer was really pushing up and possible was above the towing limits for the XC70 which according to the manual was 3500 lbs. In Europe the same car is allowed to tow more like 4500 lbs.... USA regs vs. EU regs I suppose.

Well we got such a large Tax refund (joking of course here) we traded in the XC70 for a spanking new 2016 XC90 T6 that is spec-ed for towing 5000 lbs. This is now our towing rig, amongst its other duties. The nice thing about this XC90 is that the towbar with its 2" ball sits right at 21" above ground level. On the XC70 which sits lower I had to add a riser bar to get the 21"/22" clearance.... it was a monster looking item and weighed a ton.

Yes.... been out on the boat several times over winter time. It's a great boat to tool around in. One day we were out and came across a powered floating sauna rig. At first didn't know what the heck it was, so circled around it several times and saw inside it through a steamed up window some naked people who simply laughed at us. We gave them a thumbs up and subsequently found it was a new product that could be rented. It's use is for divers to get rid of their cold bodies.... (ha ha I thought). Apparently the sauna was being fired up with an onboard log stove, and yes, the weird looking thing had a funnel with a wisp of smoke rising up from it. I think it must be a product of some high-price techie who was promoting it using unspent pay. :roll:

Thanks for the adapter ref. 🙂

 

[Captain Nice]

Afternoon Barry,

Glad you moved to a larger vehicle to tow your 21. I'll have to admit I shuddered a bit reading an earlier post indicating you were using an XC70. When I was shopping for a new tow vehicle (F-150), I found the limiting factor was GVWR (combined weight of truck, fuel, passengers, cargo and trailer tongue weight). While the truck is rated for nearly #12,000 towing, the GVWR is #7000. My 21, on factory EZ Loader single axle trailer, full fuel tank but no water and minimal gear is only #4300 (#400 tongue weight/#3900 axle weight), a far cry from #12,000. However, on a recent trip with the truck fueled, loaded and with four passengers, my GVW was a little over #6500, not far from the #7000 GVWR. If nothing else, I hope this post will enlighten those curious about the real-world weight of the current 21 + trailer, data I don't recall seeing much of here.

Regards,
CN

 

[baz]

CN: Yes, we feel safer now. 🙂 New2016 R-21EC + New 2016 Volvo XC90 T6 == same cost as a well equipped R-25SC. :lol: :roll: