Hopkins Towing Solutions 47185 Multi-Tow 4 Flat to 7 Blade and 4 Flat Adapter

Labeled like new, but was obviously broken.

First of all, THIS PRODUCT CONTAINS A MOUNTING BRACKET! For the first time ever, I didnt read reviews here before purchasing and bought a separate mounting bracket which Amazon lists as frequently purchased together. On the flip side though, I doubled up the brackets to make them a bit more sturdy. The bracket will bend backwards from the force of pushing the 7 pin plug in otherwise. The adapter itself is made of a thick plastic so corrosion shouldnt be an issue. Both covers work well and should keep out the elements though dielectric grease should be used as well. The wires are heavy (enough) gauge and have good jackets to them and the included crimp connectors are a nice bonus, though I always recommend soldering them. My only complaint is the cheap screws that come with it. Everything needed to mount it is included but its very soft steel and strips with little effort. Do yourself a favor and pick up some nice stainless screws at least for where it mounts to the vehicle.

Used it to add a 7 pin connection to 2008 Ford Expedition that came w/ the 4 pin connection. Mine had electric brake pre-wired, but no power line (black). I was able to make holes on the 4 pin connector holder and attach this adapter using nut/bolt. The wires behind the 7 pin connection touch the spare tire a bit, but I was able to install everything w/o much trouble. Looks professional, and so far no issues connecting/hauling a travel trailer.

My Explorer came with the standard 4 flat wire attachment. However, all wires necessary to complete the 7 pin connector are pulled right under the right rear tail light. I was able to tap into 2 of the additional 3 wires needed at this location. NOTE: I also put on a 2 receiver which required the removal of the rear bumper. This greatly simplified access to these wires, which terminate into a junction/connector. Even though Ford provides all the connections, the blue wire for the trailer controller appeared to be only 14-16AWG (unmarked) although it is fused for 30A. Since multiple internet sources recommended 12AWG minimum, I chose not to use the blue wire provided but to run a separate 12AWG line up to the battery and fuse it for 40A (circuit breaker actually). I actually ran a duplex (2wire) cable just in case. The two that I deemed useable were the orange (B+, aux power) which I soldered to the Black wire from the 7 pin; it(along with RT and LT) are fused at 40A which should be sufficient. I also used the Black w/green stripe (Reverse, BU) which I soldered to the Purple wire from the 7 pin. It is fused for 20A so shouldnt be any problems there either. I really like the way the manufacturer sealed this item, and maintaining the option of using either 4 or 7 pins is really nice.

It great looks good and the plug seems to be hermetically sealed on the backside to prevent any moisture or water to get into the plug great product. the only thing that IO didnt like was the bracket that it comes with. Seamed flimsy to me and I didnt have any good place to mount it. So I just=cut a hole in my bumper and mounted the plug Looks great and mounted solid..

The Hopkins Multi-tow adapter was perfect for my inventory of trailers. The kit comes with a bracket, mounting screws and the adapter with instructions. Adapter is made in Mexico. The 4 wire plug-in is hooded to keep debris out when you plug into your vehicles existing OEM 4 wire trailer adapter. My purchase was to replace an existing Hopkins adapter on a used vehicle, so I got a good idea how durable it was after being hit, bent and hit again. I gave it 5 stars because it is that good and Amazons price cant be beat. My only wish would be they make a thicker bracket because the constant stress of plugging in and unplugging bends the bracket. I saw this weakness on the previous Hopkins adapter, so I made my own bracket out of 3/16ths steel for this installation.

Pretty good

Worked great for over a year until the round cover broke off. There arent a lot of choices with the 7 and 4 prong plug ins. I bought it again. Will be very careful. I have a different brand one on my pickup. Its 25 years old. Hasnt broken. They dont make things to last anymore.

The number on packaging says 47185 but no bracket was included like some of the pictures show. As such, there is no way to mount it. It is useless without a bracket to mount unless you already have one or figure out which one to buy separately. As of Jan 2023, if you look at the photos for the product, you will see two different product packaging with the same 47185 item #. On one of them, the label makes it clear that the bracket is included. The other packaging does NOT indicate the mounting bracket is included. It seems I received the one without that didnt clearly list the mounting bracket as included. Since this item has been sold for years, Im assuming something changed over the years. Whether I received an old version, or a newer version of the 47185, I cant be sure. Either way, be aware there is a risk you are going to receive no mounting bracket. If you dont need the mounting bracket then this wont matter. However, I did and Im sure many/most do. If they sold the bracket separately for a few bucks, I probably would have just gone ahead and ordered the bracket. However, that doesnt appear to be the case, so I dont really know what they expect you to do.

The 4-pin is not an add-on like other adapters. It is part of the adapter assembly. The wiring is accessibly, but firmly potted into the plug. Installed on a Subaru Outback with 4-pin factory hitch wiring. I had to pound the bracket flat and drill holes in braket to install, but it all worked out. It hangs a bit low for me, but I suspect it will be fine. Wiring all checked out fine with tester.