I need help trying to figure out what this cord in my truck is for...

I recently purchased this 2007 Toyota Tundra. I noticed this cord and I've been trying to figure out what it could be for. I've used Google lens with no luck. So thought I'd ask here maybe you guys have seen it before. It's located on the bed of the truck by the tailgate. Thanks for the help!

 

Looks like a power source. Definitely not factory. Guessing it’s 12v. Have you tested it? Appears to be one side of a plug, so maybe it was made to be able to disconnect, like for a removable camper shell or topper.

 

No, I have not tested it. I have a removable camper on the truck, it came with it, but I haven't seen anywhere on it where it could connect to

 

It appears to be a 2 pole gooseneck trailer/add on extension, possibly stock trailer/lift gate etc. Not sure who made it, possibly Pollak. I have a similar extension for a stock a trailer that's good up to 200 amps. I use the tundra to move a bull to different pastures.

 

I think I saw this once under the heading "short circuit"

Seriously, that is 100% not a factory thing. My guess would be it runs up to the battery. I have a sae socket in my bed for 12V constant power.

 

My guess is 12V fridge/electric cooler power source. Just see where it leads to. Probably another circuit or the fuse box. Maybe the battery. Best to just remove it all.

 

Stock as in livestock, not factory installed. The wire gauge is the clue. your little SAE connector can't pass enough voltage for a lift gate or wench or any trailer with electric brakes. Disconnect it if you don't want/need it. I use one just like that on my little gooseneck livestock trailer. The bull has to go see his girlfriends after all.

 

Maybe a wheel chair lift crane or other truck crane

 

Yes, exactly.

 

I followed the wire and it splits under the bed. I guess one wire is a ground it's bolted above the 7 blade towing connector. Then the other wire goes all the way to this short stop box then the battery (it's the thick red one.) The thinner red wire meets with it at that short stop box and that leads to other wires. So I'm not sure how I'd remove it

 

None of those red wires are factory. The smaller red wire must go to some other accessory.

Can you not just remove the larger gauge wire from that lug?

Whatever that smaller wire is doing, I doubt it is safe with 40A protection.

 

Take a picture of "the short stop box", is it under the bed? BTW the first step is to disconnect the battery. You are looking for a total of 2 wires and you have a picture of 1 of them already, the one bolted to the frame/body just above the 7 pin (blade) connector, yes it is a ground. The other wire you are looking for is just as thick as that one and is probably at the split you mentioned under the bed. It also should have a connector on the end of it (just like the one bolted to the frame) bolted to a splice block before continuing to the battery. You may be able to disconnect it there.

 

Multiple red wires coming off battery are going to be powering different things. If the thick red wire is the one you traced to battery to the plug you should be able to disconnect it and the grounded wire and remove that extension cord.

Then if you want you can start tracing the other red power wires to see where they go to try and figure out what they power.

 

I posted a picture of the "short stop box"(I'm guessing its the brand?) it connects to the battery

 

Yeah I'll go ahead and disconnect it and then figure out the other red wires

 

I enlarged the picture of the battery. Is that a black wire (or just black taped red wire) connected to the+ side of the battery under the bar holding the 40 amp fuses? If that is a black wire, it may be the one you are looking for.

 

Oh I can't believe I missed that. I'll check that out

 

Looks like it's connected to the fuse box

 

Not it, then.

 

Post a picture showing where the wire goes under from the bed. That may help.

 

I got pictures from the hole in the bed the wire goes through. Then the picture where it splits, then one wire goes into a hole in the frame. I circled where it turns from black to red.

 

That's some lazy electrical work..

 

Yeah I know haha

 

Glad you found it!
Way to go!
It looks like removing the tape, you will see how to disconnect it. I suggest removing the red wire as well, instead of trying to terminate it.

 

Sounds good