I've got a 2003 Silverado 1500LD that I'm getting ready to wire
for a trailer. Owner's manual states there's a plug that I can
just connect an adapter to. Shows it tucked up under the bumper.
It's not there. There's a harness of sorts with plugs that go to
the tail light assemblies and the license plate lights, but
nowhere in any of them do I see where I can plug an external
harness into.
Am I missing something or is the truck just missing what I thought
I had?

"scrape" <scrapeNOTHANKS@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:2l6jd4hemnb1useatlv4isud947otj3ki6@4ax.com...
> I've got a 2003 Silverado 1500LD that I'm getting ready to wire
> for a trailer. Owner's manual states there's a plug that I can
> just connect an adapter to. Shows it tucked up under the bumper.
> It's not there. There's a harness of sorts with plugs that go to
> the tail light assemblies and the license plate lights, but
> nowhere in any of them do I see where I can plug an external
> harness into.
> Am I missing something or is the truck just missing what I thought
> I had?

You will only have the plug if the truck came with the trailering package,
in which case it would already be "wired". The adapter is to change from
the Chevy standard 7 pin plug (Round) to the more common 4-pin (Flat). The
"adaptor" wouldn't be under the bumper, the 7-pin outlet would be, covered
by a spring loaded door.

If the truck has a pre-installed connector towards the rear where all the
tail/brake/blinker wires come together, you can buy a "splitter harness" to
run wires to the trailer. The other option is cut and/or splice into each
wire and create your own harness, but this can create other electrical
problems.

John

On Wed, 24 Sep 2008 07:04:59 -0400, scrape
<scrapeNOTHANKS@earthlink.net> wrote:

>On Tue, 23 Sep 2008 22:16:03 -0500, "John"
><john.hartshorn@yahoo.com.spamfilter> wrote:
>
>>"scrape" <scrapeNOTHANKS@earthlink.net> wrote in message
>>news:2l6jd4hemnb1useatlv4isud947otj3ki6@4ax.com. ..
>>> I've got a 2003 Silverado 1500LD that I'm getting ready to wire
>>> for a trailer. Owner's manual states there's a plug that I can
>>> just connect an adapter to. Shows it tucked up under the bumper.
>>> It's not there. There's a harness of sorts with plugs that go to
>>> the tail light assemblies and the license plate lights, but
>>> nowhere in any of them do I see where I can plug an external
>>> harness into.
>>> Am I missing something or is the truck just missing what I thought
>>> I had?
>>
>>You will only have the plug if the truck came with the trailering package,
>>in which case it would already be "wired". The adapter is to change from
>>the Chevy standard 7 pin plug (Round) to the more common 4-pin (Flat). The
>>"adaptor" wouldn't be under the bumper, the 7-pin outlet would be, covered
>>by a spring loaded door.
>
>Here's what I'm talking about (from the Owner's Manual - page
>4-90):
>
> Basic Trailer Wiring
> All regular, extended, crew cab pickups have a six wire trailer
>towing harness. The six-wire harness is located at the rear of
>the vehicle and is tied to the vehicle's frame. The harness
>requies the installation of a triler-wiring harness connector,
>which is available through your dealer.
>
>With a diagram of a harness being split off one of the leads that
>goes to the license plate lamp.
>
>I'm not talking about the plug already being wired in at the
>bumper, just a connector that I can plug whatever adapter into.

Additionally, the manual also indicates that there is a
Heavy-Duty Trailer Wiring Package and a Camper/Fifth Wheel Trailer
Wiring Harness Package. My confusion stems from the fact that it
seems to indicate that "all" will have the Basic if not one of the
two more elaborate ones.



>
>>If the truck has a pre-installed connector towards the rear where all the
>>tail/brake/blinker wires come together, you can buy a "splitter harness" to
>>run wires to the trailer.
>
>That's what I'm looking for, but can't find.
>
>>The other option is cut and/or splice into each
>>wire and create your own harness, but this can create other electrical
>>problems.
>
>Well, that's probably what I'm going to be left with as I need to
>pull a trailer with lights (no brakes).

On Wed, 24 Sep 2008 07:08:08 -0400, scrape
<scrapeNOTHANKS@earthlink.net> wrote:

>On Wed, 24 Sep 2008 07:04:59 -0400, scrape
><scrapeNOTHANKS@earthlink.net> wrote:
>
>>On Tue, 23 Sep 2008 22:16:03 -0500, "John"
>><john.hartshorn@yahoo.com.spamfilter> wrote:

>>>You will only have the plug if the truck came with the trailering package,
>>>in which case it would already be "wired". The adapter is to change from
>>>the Chevy standard 7 pin plug (Round) to the more common 4-pin (Flat). The
>>>"adaptor" wouldn't be under the bumper, the 7-pin outlet would be, covered
>>>by a spring loaded door.
>>
>>Here's what I'm talking about (from the Owner's Manual - page
>>4-90):
>>
>> Basic Trailer Wiring
>> All regular, extended, crew cab pickups have a six wire trailer
>>towing harness. The six-wire harness is located at the rear of
>>the vehicle and is tied to the vehicle's frame. The harness
>>requies the installation of a triler-wiring harness connector,
>>which is available through your dealer.
>>
>>With a diagram of a harness being split off one of the leads that
>>goes to the license plate lamp.

AHA moment:

Went out and looked again, this time with daylight instead of a
flashlight. The connector is there - tied to the frame above the
spare tire, not near the bumper where I had been looking.

scrape wrote:
> On Wed, 24 Sep 2008 07:08:08 -0400, scrape
> <scrapeNOTHANKS@earthlink.net> wrote:
>
>> On Wed, 24 Sep 2008 07:04:59 -0400, scrape
>> <scrapeNOTHANKS@earthlink.net> wrote:
>>
>>> On Tue, 23 Sep 2008 22:16:03 -0500, "John"
>>> <john.hartshorn@yahoo.com.spamfilter> wrote:
>
>>>> You will only have the plug if the truck came with the trailering
>>>> package, in which case it would already be "wired". The adapter
>>>> is to change from the Chevy standard 7 pin plug (Round) to the
>>>> more common 4-pin (Flat). The "adaptor" wouldn't be under the
>>>> bumper, the 7-pin outlet would be, covered by a spring loaded door.
>>>
>>> Here's what I'm talking about (from the Owner's Manual - page
>>> 4-90):
>>>
>>> Basic Trailer Wiring
>>> All regular, extended, crew cab pickups have a six wire trailer
>>> towing harness. The six-wire harness is located at the rear of
>>> the vehicle and is tied to the vehicle's frame. The harness
>>> requies the installation of a triler-wiring harness connector,
>>> which is available through your dealer.
>>>
>>> With a diagram of a harness being split off one of the leads that
>>> goes to the license plate lamp.
>
> AHA moment:
>
> Went out and looked again, this time with daylight instead of a
> flashlight. The connector is there - tied to the frame above the
> spare tire, not near the bumper where I had been looking.

I got in late but my 99 model also has a harness wired for a fifth wheel on
the driver's side about where the cab meets the bed. There's no connector,
but the wiring harness is there.

On Thu, 25 Sep 2008 10:35:12 -0500, "George" <nospam@invalid.net>
wrote:

>scrape wrote:
>> On Wed, 24 Sep 2008 07:08:08 -0400, scrape
>> <scrapeNOTHANKS@earthlink.net> wrote:
>>
>>> On Wed, 24 Sep 2008 07:04:59 -0400, scrape
>>> <scrapeNOTHANKS@earthlink.net> wrote:
>>>
>>>> On Tue, 23 Sep 2008 22:16:03 -0500, "John"
>>>> <john.hartshorn@yahoo.com.spamfilter> wrote:
>>
>>>>> You will only have the plug if the truck came with the trailering
>>>>> package, in which case it would already be "wired". The adapter
>>>>> is to change from the Chevy standard 7 pin plug (Round) to the
>>>>> more common 4-pin (Flat). The "adaptor" wouldn't be under the
>>>>> bumper, the 7-pin outlet would be, covered by a spring loaded door.
>>>>
>>>> Here's what I'm talking about (from the Owner's Manual - page
>>>> 4-90):
>>>>
>>>> Basic Trailer Wiring
>>>> All regular, extended, crew cab pickups have a six wire trailer
>>>> towing harness. The six-wire harness is located at the rear of
>>>> the vehicle and is tied to the vehicle's frame. The harness
>>>> requies the installation of a triler-wiring harness connector,
>>>> which is available through your dealer.
>>>>
>>>> With a diagram of a harness being split off one of the leads that
>>>> goes to the license plate lamp.
>>
>> AHA moment:
>>
>> Went out and looked again, this time with daylight instead of a
>> flashlight. The connector is there - tied to the frame above the
>> spare tire, not near the bumper where I had been looking.
>
>I got in late but my 99 model also has a harness wired for a fifth wheel on
>the driver's side about where the cab meets the bed. There's no connector,
>but the wiring harness is there.

This one's wired for a round, 7 pin connector with blade style
connectors. The center one is empty on mine as it's for electric
brakes, which my truck is not wired for. I got a $20 adapter for
a local shop that gives me standard 4 pin and 7 pin connectors at
the back of the truck.

On Thu, 25 Sep 2008 16:22:33 -0700 (PDT), JBJaguar
<devildog943@att.net> wrote:

>On Sep 23, 8:43*pm, scrape <scrapeNOTHA...@earthlink.net> wrote:
>> I've got a 2003 Silverado 1500LD that I'm getting ready to wire
>> for a trailer. *Owner's manual states there's a plug that I can
>> just connect an adapter to. *Shows it tucked up under the bumper.
>> It's not there. *There's a harness of sorts with plugs that go to
>> the tail light assemblies and the license plate lights, but
>> nowhere in any of them do I see where I can plug an external
>> harness into.
>> Am I missing something or is the truck just missing what I thought
>> I had?
>
>No, you just haven't found it yet. My '03 Silverado did not come with
>any 'towing' package, but it does (as I understand all later models
>do) have the prewired harness plug at the center rear under the bed-
>just forward of the bumper. When I added a class III hitch receiver
>and trailer wiring plug, the adapter harness from that simply plugged
>into the factory connector. Hope this helps you out.


I looked more closely the following morning when I had daylight
(instead of a flashlight) and found exactly what you described.

Thanks.