2005 Element DIY Powered Trailer Harness Instructions

Basically needed a male connector to plug in to the connector under the dash. I'll dig a little more to see if a T-One powered connector with the correct connector is available and thus would be plug and go, 03-04 Element and 03-04 CRV plugs would be the same but would be non-powered. Went to a salvage yard and found a 2004 CRV with a non powered trailer harness with the correct plug, but also noticed the tail light connectors for the CRV are the same connectors as the Element under dash connector. So took the whole rear tail light harness as well as the hitch harness from the CRV for $25. I could have used the CRV non powered harness but decided to err on the side of caution and use a powered convertor. Took the CRV tail light connectors and disassembled them to get the pigtails for the under seat and rear Element connectors.

Unlock connector wings (secondary locks), in order to remove pigtails, then look for a tiny tab (primary lock) to free the pigtail.

To save futzing around with the under front seat Honda connector to the rear connector of the Element you could just run the trailer side of the Reese convertor straight out to the trailer. But me being a dummy, I took the dummy female connector from under the seat as well as the male connector in the spare tire well of the Element (I'm surprised Honda put both connectors in both locations for no charge) and populated the pigtails, which is why I needed the harness from the CRV, for all the pigtails. Wired the trailer side of the Reese convertor to the under seat connector and the ground wire to the floor pan. Then wired the 4 flat connector to the connector in the back of the Element.

Plugged the powered convertor to the under dash plug and voila trailer harness working.

Not sure why Reese or Hopkins were unable to devise a hookup for the 05 Element, but the rear trailer harness connector on the 2004 CRV is the same as the connector under the 05 Element dash, so if you make sure the wiring to both connectors match, a non powered convertor from 2003-04 Element should also work, (only if you have max one bulb on each side) then bypass the under seat to rear Element connector and extend the trailer side out to the trailer. Possibly it was the non existent rear quarter panel connector that threw them off.