2000 Trailer Hitch

[sanjosesteve]

Help! my XJ has a factory Mopar hitch installed, but no wiring. Never needed to tow a trailer all these years till now. Called the dealer to find they don't make the wire kit for my application anymore. Any ideas on wher I can find one? Even a used one? My hitch has a round cut-out and some screw holes where some kind of jack or cover plate attached. Would like to get that so it all looks OEM. Don't want to see the wires just stuffed in the little metal rectangle or dangling under the bumper. Searched e-bay but came up short. Is there another place I should try?
Tired of piling "the extras" sky high on the roof when taking the kids camping. This time I want to borrow a small trailer so now need the wire kit. Any help much appreciated. Thanks, -Steve

[Rob Mayercik]

Don't know where you'd be able to get a Chrysler one, but there are aftermarket kits available. Most places that sell hitches should have them.

Keep in mind that there are several different connector types available. My "hoppy" brand wiring kit has a T connector that goes between the body harness and the left tail light harness, and goes to a "4 flat" connector, which may be the most common for small trailers.

Rob

[XJINGA]

I have a 2000 Sport and U-Haul had the T-connector that snapped right into the jeep wiring harness located behind the panel where the spare tire mount is inside. I dropped the wires down and out through the fender. Mine had a hole close to the bumper which had a plastic cover over it, easily removed with needle nose pliers, just big enough to put the 4-pin plug through and pull it over to the hitch. I zipped tied the wire up along the bumper on the inside and all you see is the connector hanging down next to the hitch.

[jeepsrock]

I find it starnge that the factory installed hitch doesnt have wiring ? Did you check down there really good ?

If not you can go to any place that sells hitch equipment and find a universal or specialized conenctor for the cherokee. The specialized one will connect right into factory wiring, the universal one whihc is what i have requires splicing but is cheaper and does the same thing ( i got this from wallmart).

pete

[2000XJSPORT]

Well the part you are in need of if it is a factory hitch is (Harness OEM 56009832) and (Plug OEM 56038366AB). Now Jeep is no longer making this part, but if you have your dealership do a larger search in the US. You might find one. I have done this many times with my dealership in locating XJ parts. You can also try Moparpartz.com. They are good too.

[stewie]

my factory hitch had some good rust on it and, like you, didnt have the factory wireing. so i took the hitch off and cut off the little box that would hold the factory wire plug and repainted the hitch. about 3 months later, i needed to tow a small trailer so i went to C+H auto parts and got a T type connector that went to 4 flat. i just tuck it under the spare tire when not in use and run it out from the cargo area when needed. the wires are plenty long for that.

hth
stewie

[Matthew Currie]

You might try someplace like U-haul, and see if they still offer the wiring harness. They typically use a 4-in-line harness that fits most trailers, and wire it inside the cargo area with a pigtail long enough to stick out the back when you need it. Both my last two XJ's came with U-haul hitches wired this way. I ditched the hitches, but the wiring is fine, and I have always preferred to do it that way anyway to avoid corrosion.

[sanjosesteve]

Thanks for all the input. Will go to the local dealer and have him search the 2 part numbers. Failing that, I'll make a trip to U-Haul. Thanks everyone! -SF

[stewgod]

MY OWN STORY: I spent 5 hours at a U-Haul trying to get trailer wiring done on my 2000 XJ Classic. At first they said my year Jeep didn't require the Power Module. So they wired in the harness and it didn't work. So then they decided to wire up a Power Module, claiming that my Jeep was made late in the 2000 year, and it was basically a 2001. The Power Module didn't make a difference, still no worky. Now it's after 4pm and I'm to leave for a 400 mile trip. SO I went to the local Chrysler Jeep dealership and found a mechanic. He told me that the only way to get trailer wiring to work on a Cherokee was to buy a $135 Factory wiring kit. Go figure... Went on my 400 miler w/ no trailer lights. Now, after reading this post, it seems the dealership doesn't even have ultra expensive harnesses for sale?!?!
Ahhhhhh!!!http://www.naxja.org/forum/images/smilies/confused.gif

[nylyon]

Go to your local autoparts store and but the Hoppy adapter. It will cost you about 20 bucks. You can then get one of these:
http://www.etrailer.com/mm5/graphics/00000001/rn/37185_tn.jpg
so you don't have wires all over the place. On my 01, all the wires you need for the 7-way plug are already behind the spare tire including the brake wire, reverse, and 12v power lead, you just need to splice everything in. It will then work and look better than the factory wiring, since the factory doesn't have the 4-way plug without an adapter.

[casm]

It will then work and look better than the factory wiring, since the factory doesn't have the 4-way plug without an adapter.

Not quite sure what it is you're saying here - I have a 2000 with the tow package and it has the 4-way plug; AFAIK the wiring's original. Strangely enough, though, it didn't come with the box - the plug's just dangling loose (well, wrapped around the bar).

[GSequoia]

Your wiring is not OEM casm. As far as I know the only towing provisions offered by the factory in 2000 was Class III (in the early days we had a non class III dealer installed dead weight hitch option) with the seven blade round connector. I just looked in my parts book for 2000 and that's the only one I saw...

By the way - still havne't dealt with that axle, this JV stuff is getting in th eway ;)

[casm]

Your wiring is not OEM casm. As far as I know the only towing provisions offered by the factory in 2000 was Class III (in the early days we had a non class III dealer installed dead weight hitch option) with the seven blade round connector. I just looked in my parts book for 2000 and that's the only one I saw...

Weird. The hitch has the Mopar sticker on it and the tow package is on the option sheet, so I assumed it was factory. Guess it was wired in after it left.

By the way - still havne't dealt with that axle, this JV stuff is getting in th eway ;)

No worries - I still don't actually have anywhere to store it yet, so that's not a bad thing :)

[nylyon]

The factory tow wiring is a 7-way plug mounted on the left side of the receiver. They provided an adapter to reduce the 7-way to 4-way, at least on the 97+ as far as I kow. Doesn't sound like Jeep would leave the trailer wiring hanging like that.

[GSequoia]

I'd bet that if it has the Mopar sticker on the receiver but no wiring box it was either a dealer installed item (using an off the shelf aftermarket hitch) or the sticker was applied by a Mopar nut.

[nylyon]

Thought I had a picture with the plug, but imagine the plug above in this hitch:

http://home.comcast.net/~lyon.family1/hitch.jpg

It fits and works perfectly