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Truck thinks my headache rack is a trailer

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PistolPeteH

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Hi folks.
I just installed a magnum headache rack with lights. The rack included a cable which plugs into the 7 pin tow connector to power the lights. Now my truck constantly thinks there’s a trailer, and it prompts me for trailer type, and has the trailer blind spot light on.
Anyone have any suggestions how to prevent this? Is there a setting I’m missing someplace in the menus? FWIW my truck is a 25 tradesman.
Thanks in advance!
 

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Obviously a computer in the truck is measuring the draw on the lights. Try creating a simple "short" trailer and see if at least that prevents bugging you every time you start up the truck. See where the blinds spot ends.
 
Hmm that’s an interesting idea. It came with the 7 pin harness, which is nice because the rack has brake, turn and reverse light. But really I probably only need brake, since the rack covers my third brake light. There is a plug already for brake light someplace?
 
PistolPeteH said:
Hmm that’s an interesting idea. It came with the 7 pin harness, which is nice because the rack has brake, turn and reverse light. But really I probably only need brake, since the rack covers my third brake light. There is a plug already for brake light someplace?
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Hm I didn’t think about blinkers.
For brake light There should be a white wire with a purple tracer terminated in a bundle under the bed above the spare tire, that’s the brake light I used for my topper.

IMG_3010.jpeg
 
Rockcrawlindude said:
Quit using the 7 pin for that.
Are they just brake and reverse?
Tap into the brake light circuit for the topper which is pre terminated above the spare tire (purple?) I can get pics
and then tap into the reverse for the reverse.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I’d absolutely hard wire that together with its own dedicated connector.
 
Does anyone have a wiring schematic to help me find reverse and turn signals to tap into?

I’m still hoping someone pops in with some setting or configuration that can help out, even completely disabling trailer BSM (I’ve towed for ever without it, I don’t need it) But I’m open to redoing the wiring. If someone can help point me toward where I need to connect.

Thanks for the help so far
 
Sounds like Ram is now using the light circuit for trailer detection instead of the brake circuit, for most applications that’s an improvement…. But not all.

You might be able to use the snowplow wiring for the running lights and turn signals and continue using the trailer wiring for reverse as reverse likely won’t enable trailer detection.
 

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I emailed magnum and they don’t have any answers. They’ve not yet confirmed “fitment” for the 25s because of the electronics changes. Obviously it fits but it comes with bugs. I’ll see how long I can tolerate this behavior. Getting brake lights from the wire under the bed is easy enough, but I’m not sure I want to get into adding relays and whatnot to use the plow connections.
 
The truck uses the camera to determine if you have a trailer. I found this out for sure when mine decided I had a trailer when someone followed me close through the gates to our gated property.
 
Dave1200 said:
The truck uses the camera to determine if you have a trailer. I found this out for sure when mine decided I had a trailer when someone followed me close through the gates to our gated property.
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That happened to me a couple of weeks ago. Vehicle behind me followed close from a stop light through a right turn and my trailer blind spot notification came up. That's different than what I get when I plug in and it asks me to select trailer type.
 
Boxerrider said:
That happened to me a couple of weeks ago. Vehicle behind me followed close from a stop light through a right turn and my trailer blind spot notification came up. That's different than what I get when I plug in and it asks me to select trailer type.
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I've pulled trailers with and without brakes. When you pull a trailer without brakes, you'll get just the blind spot notification. You'll get that weather you plug the 4 pin adapter in it not.
When you pull a trailer with brakes, you'll get the trailer type selection. If you disconnect the trailer and drive away without turning off the truck, you'll get the lost trailer brakes warning. The warning goes away when you turn the truck off and back on.
 
I have my rack still in the box..Magnum daisy chains there harness to the trailer plug. Hmm, I wonder if the problem is only with the '25 models.
 
If the truck thinks the headache rack is a trailer because it connects to the 7-way in the bed, what happens when you hook onto a trailer as well and plug into the 7-way at the hitch?
 
raoul_duke said:
If the truck thinks the headache rack is a trailer because it connects to the 7-way in the bed, what happens when you hook onto a trailer as well and plug into the 7-way at the hitch?
Click to expand...
I think only one plug or the other can be active?
I believe when I removed my bed plug it was just the face plate and you’d have to connect the wiring from the bumper to the bed to make the bed plug active.
 
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