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Problem with trailer TPMS/Camera dealer installed System '2017 Super Duty

34K views 38 replies 11 participants last post by  Juzplanekrazy 
#1 ·
I picked up my 2017 F350 CCLB King Ranch yesterday and I ordered it with the dealer installed trailer camera and trailer TPMS system. For some reason the kit came in a box shipped to the dealer and not with the truck and it took the service department a bit to find it.

The dealer swapped the factory delivered 7 pin over 4 pin trailer connector on the bumper for the 7 pin over 12 pin setup that is used with the remote camera and TPMS system. The printed instructions say to take the tailgate wiring harness and unplug it from the body harness and plug it into the 12 pin connector. The dealership did this and afterwords the tailgate would not unlock or open manually or via the key fob or button on the dash.

The body harness they unplugged from the tailgate was just left uncapped and unused according to the instructions but that seems wrong.

Does anyone know if there is something wrong with this kit or when you install it there is an extra Y cable needed or you have to update the computer on the truck for the tailgate to work?

The tailgate camera did continue to work which we found odd. I guess the wiring for that goes from the 12 pin connector back through the 7 pin connector or what the dealer told me about it working is wrong.

I had them move the wiring back such that the tailgate works since I don't need the trailer camera or TPMS right away. the dealer is looking into this but my guess is I will end up having to figure it out myself or with the help enthusiasts like you guys.

Thanks

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#3 ·
Hopefully your dealer is faster at responding than mine. I plunked down a substantial chunk of change with them on Tuesday and I didn't hear anything back the rest of the week. I plan to raise some hell on Monday (tomorrow) I've seen a number of videos with this trailer camera feature in use but I don't think any of them show the tailgate down etc.

I really think a Y cable is needed that plugs into the tailgate harness, the body harness and the 12 pin connector on the tailgate for this system. it was not provided in my kit.

The other excitement you may have is that Ford shipped the camera/trailer tpms kit separately from the truck so my dealer took awhile to find that.

Your kit may already be at the dealer.

Enjoy your new truck delivery and hopefully your dealer gets it all figured out and you can share it here :)
 
#4 ·
The dealer called me and said they talked to Ford accessory engineering and there is a different harness under the truck that they have to run to the 12 pin connector on the bumper. I am taking the truck in Friday to have them do it. The Ford corporate folks said the instructions are not clear at all. I will keep everyone posted and take pictures.
 
#6 ·
It would make way too much sense for the trailer camera/tpms system to also have an in bed plug for gooseneck/5th wheel towing. There is only the plug on the bumper. Here is the in bed plug. I am headed to the dealer this morning to put the truck on a lift and find the correct wiring harness for this setup. I will post pictures :)
 

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#7 ·
I stopped by the dealer and with the help of Ford Accessory engineering they learned the plug on the body harness for the 12 pin trailer camera setup is hidden above the back of the spare tire.

The mechanic was able to feel above the tire and disconnect the female plug from the plug cap that is tied to the main truck wiring. Then it can be pulled down and plugged into the back of the new 12 pin bumper plug. I tested the trailer camera and wiring that goes to the trailer and it works great. Here are a couple of pictures.

I hope this makes someone else's install a lot smoother and faster :)
 

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#9 ·
#12 ·
Where did you find this? It's exactly what I need to finish the install on my 2017 F-350. I've got a 5th wheel, and purchased the TPMS and camera, but don't want to plug the camera into the receiver hitch. I want to plug it into the trailer connector I've got in the bed.

Thanks

Pete
 
#13 ·
Where did you find this?
I think it's part of the dealer-installed 5th wheel prep kit. It comes with the underbed hardware and the adapter harness, new plug. I have one on order.
 
#15 ·
This is the web site I got in a PM from him.

https://nicholsmanufacturingandwelding.godaddysites.com/

I plan to order the plate from him and I think I will only have the 12 pin up in the bed, not on the bumper. Going forward my car trailer for long trips will be a gooseneck and I will bumper tow a boat trailer I don't need a camera or tpms for.
That's the direction I'm thinking, too, for my setup. I'm wondering if the harness that comes with the Ford TMPS/Camera kit will reach that far (doubt it). The link you have above, they have a cable that "bypasses the TPMS plug for bumper pull setup.", which makes no sense to me.
 
#18 ·
On 11/04 in this thread midway down page one I posted pictures and a description of when I took my truck back to the dealer and they found the wiring harness for the trailer camera and TPMS above my spare tire. I also created a video about the system and posted it the same day.

Tomorrow I am getting in a 30' car hauling enclosed Sundowner gooseneck so I will document the process of wiring the trailer for the camera from this kit and also setting up the tire pressure monitoring for the trailer tires.
 
#23 ·
If you damage one of the TPMS sensors for this kit or want to order more since I think the kit supports 6 sensors but only includes 4, the part number for the individual sensor/valve stem is hc3z1a189d. my local dealer wants $56 for this and they are back ordered until April. I've ordered one online that will hopefully get here sooner and it was $37 plus $7 shipping.
 
#25 · (Edited)
I watched the video when you posted it, I'm pretty sure I didn't have enough of this stuff in my head yet for that part to be meaningful. I just watched it again, and picked up all the TPMS information. I was in pure camera mentality a couple of months ago.

So what I've been thinking of as the "camera plug" is the "TPMS/Camera plug".

I want to (hopefully) KEEP the 7 over 4 jack in the bumper and have the 7 over 12 jack in the bed for fifth wheel. The straight extender cable from Nichols Manuf. will accomplish the latter, if I understand, and the rest of the parts are in the box from Ford?

Phillippeterson, this amends and expands some of the information I gave you in PM.
 
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#26 ·
No worries. I rewatch stuff all the time to get ideas that I missed the first pass. In addition to the straight extension cable from Nichols you will need the extension box he sells or make one. The 7/12 pin connector is bigger and deeper than the in bed one that ships with our trucks. So when you get your truck you would use the 7/12pin with his box in the bed and leave the 7/4 pin in the bumper alone. He did tell me I will need to open the hole on the bed up with a hole saw to fit the extra connector back in there for the 12 pin but it will all be hidden by his new box. I will get mine this Friday hopefully and video the install.
 
#27 ·
In addition to the straight extension cable from Nichols you will need the extension box he sells or make one. The 7/12 pin connector is bigger and deeper than the in bed one that ships with our trucks. So when you get your truck you would use the 7/12pin with his box in the bed and leave the 7/4 pin in the bumper alone. He did tell me I will need to open the hole on the bed up with a hole saw to fit the extra connector back in there for the 12 pin but it will all be hidden by his new box. I will get mine this Friday hopefully and video the install.
In response to my questions to him yesterday about where I like to put my connectors, I got:


Thank you for your inquiry. Unfortunately, I don’t think thebox will fit there. The box is 7.25” H x 5.75” W x 2” D. But we can make youany length extension you need. The 7/12 pin jack is bigger than what you havein your picture and it doesn’t screw in, it has metal clips that hold it inplace and there is no where for you to put screws into it. If you would like toplace a special order on a length longer than stock let us know.

I'll be working on measurements today....
 
#28 · (Edited)
Problem with trailer TPMS/Camera dealer installed System 2017 Super Duty

I got the box and straight wiring harness last week and I installed it this weekend. Overall it works and looks great the only small complaint I have is that the top of the new metal plate doesn't cover where the bedliner is missing entirely. Not a huge deal.

Here are some of my notes and pictures from the install.

Auto part Trunk

To get the plastic box off unbolt the four screws that hold the 7pin connector to it and remove the connector from the 7pin factory plug. This way you can release the tab my middle finger is pointing to and also slide the plastic box forward in the hole to get around the groove my other finger is pointing to.

Then I basically followed the instructions he emailed to me but here are some more pictures.

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1/4" pilot drilled 5/8th up from the lower clip that he says to remove

Blue Font Symbol Logo Emblem

Drill a two inch hole saw using the pilot hole from above. I cleaned up the hole using a file and tin snips.

A new hole is then drilled for the lower mount by using his metal plate as a drilling template. I reinstalled the original clip on the bottom.

Tire Automotive tire Auto part Wheel Suspension

I moved the 7pin/12pin connector from my bumper where the dealer installed it and put the factory 7/4 back there. When you put the 7/12 into his metal box I had to use a screwdriver to make sure the metal tabs on the plug gripped the back side of the metal plate.

Metal

Once the metal plate was installed in the bed I went under the truck and took his ~3ft extension cable and routed it to the factory 12pin connector that was going to my bumper.
Tire Automotive tire Automotive exterior Auto part Bumper


Continued in next post :)
 
#31 ·
Overall it works and looks great the only small complaint I have is that the top of the new metal plate doesn't cover where the bedliner is missing entirely. Not a huge deal.
Looks like on his website, he's working on a new model that will address the factory bedliner issue.
 
#29 · (Edited)
Problem with trailer TPMS/Camera dealer installed System 2017 Super Duty

Here is the cable he supplied attached to the factory 12pin connector behind the bumper. The zip tie in the picture points to the connection.
Tire Automotive tire Auto part Automotive wheel system Suspension


Auto part Automotive exterior Bumper

The nice clean wire loom above is the harness that goes from the bumper 12pin up to the 12 pin in the bed.

This kit is easy to install and it works quite nicely. I took a test loop with my new trailer and the backup camera on the trailer worked awesome each of the ~4 times I used it.

I am working on installing the TPMS sensors in my trailer tires next and then setting that up in the truck.
 
#30 ·
Thanks for the update and pictures! I'm expecting mine tomorrow or the Wednesday.
 
#32 ·
I guess that is my luck for being an early adopter :) I called him Sunday because the valve stems he was selling are not the right profile/shape on the end that fits into the plastic tpms sensor. The Ford valve stems have flats on the adjacent sides. His valve stems have flats on 180deg opposite sides. He emailed me this evening that he isn't able to source the right valve stems to work with the Ford TPMS sensors and that he will take the valve stems back for a full refund. Great customer service but the bummer is that as of now I don't have valve stems that are meant to work with rims that have .625 valve stem holes.

I am researching solutions to this if anyone has any ideas.
 
#34 ·
Great video. Thanks for posting.
 
#35 ·
I got the correct valve stems from Nichols Welding and got them installed in my trailer tires yesterday. Today I made this video of setting up the trailer TPMS in my truck. It's pretty easy to setup. I will see how reliable it is tomorrow-Wednesday when I make a trip from home in CT to Virginia and back.

 
#36 ·
I got my mounting box and extension cables from Nichols Welding, really great stuff. Got the 5th wheel prep kit installed last weekend (always fun to take a power drill with a hole saw to a new truck!), that went well. Got all of the jacks mounted where I wanted, will send pictures soon. Hooked up the camera to the jack and saw the image fine, first time.

Just have to find time to mount all the stuff on the trailer now....
 
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