Connect-to-Protect introduces first trailer harness plug protector

Oct. 23, 2018
The product enables users to shield the male end of a trailer’s harness plug when it’s not in use.

Optronics International, a manufacturer and supplier of heavy duty LED vehicle lighting, has been named master distributor for Connect-to-Protect Brand Trailer Harness Plug Protectors. The patent-pending products will be displayed to the industry for the first time in Optronics’ booth No. 3329 at the 2018 AAPEX Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. 

Connect-to-Protect Brand Trailer Harness Plug Protectors enable users to shield the male end of a trailer’s harness plug when it’s not in use. The first-of-its-kind product comes in two configurations that accommodate 95 percent of all light and medium duty harness connectors, including 4-way flat, 5-way flat and 7-way round terminal styles.

The wiring harnesses on trailers are vulnerable to corrosion and the root cause is moisture intrusion, the company says. Corrosion-causing moisture and chemicals most often find their way into a trailer’s electrical system through the connection points in its cabling. A system’s vulnerability is exacerbated by damaged terminals and long periods of unprotected exposure to the elements.

Connect-to-Protect Brand Trailer Harness Plug Protectors are designed to help guard a trailer’s electrical system by protecting the integrity of the wiring harness at its most vulnerable location, its connection point. The product’s protective female receptacles effectively seal the trailer’s connectors against damage, shielding the plug, terminals and wiring from moisture, dust, abrasion and the resulting corrosion.

Connect-to-Protect Brand Trailer Harness Plug Protectors are manufactured by Hanington Innovations Limited. The company, located in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, manufactures the product using a rugged PVC material that remains durable, flexible and resilient, even in extreme weather conditions.

“Before Connect-to-Protect Brand Trailer Harness Plug Protectors, there was no simple way to protect a trailer’s plug when not in service,” Alan McNaul, co-director of Hanington Innovations Limited, said. “Optronics is the leading supplier of lighting technology to the light- and medium duty trailer industry, and with their aftermarket network, they are the right company to help us take this innovative product to market.”

Connect-to-Protect Brand Trailer Harness Plug Protectors install on the trailer’s hitch coupler arm and not only shield the male harness plug, but keep it from dragging on the ground. Surface mounting the product is simple and fast since fasteners are included, and the only tools needed are a drill and a screwdriver. Flat versions mount with a single screw, and the round version uses four. Each screw requires a 0.125-inch pilot hole.

“This product is a practical solution to a common problem that is familiar to anyone with a light- or medium-duty trailer,” Brett Johnson, president and CEO of Optronics International, said. “It will mean a lot fewer electrical problems and a lot more uptime for this entire category of trailers.”

Connect-to-Protect Brand Trailer Harness Plug Protectors come with a three-year warranty. They are available in bulk, polypack and colorful retail packaging.

Optronics products are available in the U.S. and Canada through the company’s distribution network of more than 12,000 convenient distribution locations.

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