Caddy for Trailer Connector

[Toolmaker51]

1) Start with a 2 piece drill sleeve; [those slick packages for new cutting tools] large enough for connector attached to vehicle side
2) Slot female side to accept 4 or 7 wire bundle.
3) Insert free [un-spliced] end up through tube and out the slot.
4) Retract connector inside female side and insert male; this combination resists dirt surprisingly well.


Some tubes aren't injection molded, but roto-molded; they have some taper and fit too loosely after sectioning. So the twist lock feature can work, I bonded 1/3rd of the section removed to male side, opposite of the locking lugs. That was sufficient for them to engage.
5) With a pair of tubes, make a duplicate male for the trailer side, handily encasing the whole shebang.
6) The same idea works with plastic prescription containers......

Would have been my tag; "Trailering, 12v Electrical Housing, Shameless jab at YT vids; where decent text suffices..."

[hemmjo]

It is amazing how well one can express an idea with a couple of photos and a few carefully chosen words. It is so much more effective than a video with mind numbing rambling or even worse, BAD background music.

[Frank S]

First off, what a great repurpose of a a bit of packaging material.
Just one thought though, had you reversed the cups and used the one with the hanger hole in it you could have added a lanyard to that or hard mounted it somewhere near by then when not being capped over the connector it would not be at risk of being lost. If mounted to the tongue of the trailer this would also serve to keep the cord from hanging or dragging should the trailer be moved without being fully connected.
Lastly thanks for not joining the cinematographer crowd, it seems to me with those guys it is more about them making movies than about making tools. A vid of how the tool is used is often nice and sometimes a bit of the build but I agree with the previous poster about the music and rambling

[mklotz]

It is amazing how well one can express an idea with a couple of photos and a few carefully chosen words. It is so much more effective than a video with mind numbing rambling or even worse, BAD background music.

Hear, hear!

[Toolmaker51]

Thanks guys, I appreciate it. It was as much about the idea, and obviously the little Jab.
Frank S is right about reversing the male side, I'd puzzled that coming up with the remedy. I have a magnetic hook for female end, and felt open end down offered some water or dirt resistance. When towing, a box holds spare bulbs, keys, hitch pins etc, and now that plug cover. It's a car, so not often called upon for towing, but does well enough as option when weight isn't issue. Also near twice the mileage compared to my F150....which I didn't have yet retrieving 36" stomp shear (18" gap, even heavier!) and full Gorton 265 Cutter Grinder.
Choosing vehicles is my newly developed science; all about load, round trip distance & location/ terrian, is dog riding along, weather, what is needed to unload.

[DIYer]

Thanks Toolmaker51! We've added your Trailer Connector Caddy to our Electrical category,
as well as to your builder page: Toolmaker51's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:

Trailer Connector Caddy by Toolmaker51

tags: safety, electrical