The trailer that I bought, has electric brakes and electric lights.

The lights worked intermittently, such as worked only once or twice.

The electric plug is a two piece job, with wires held by screws, some
wires fell out. Not good enough.

I bought a replacement molded one piece plug with 8 foot tail, and
will use it. What I want is to do a good job rewiring the trailer. I
believe that the trailer body is used as negative ground, which is not
so great when there is corrosion. So I want to be sure that I follow
"best practices" and to know what they are.

Any suggestions?

i

On Wed, 21 Sep 2011 10:51:52 -0500, Ignoramus17765
wrote:

The trailer that I bought, has electric brakes and electric lights.

The lights worked intermittently, such as worked only once or twice.

The electric plug is a two piece job, with wires held by screws, some
wires fell out. Not good enough.

I bought a replacement molded one piece plug with 8 foot tail, and
will use it. What I want is to do a good job rewiring the trailer. I
believe that the trailer body is used as negative ground, which is not
so great when there is corrosion. So I want to be sure that I follow
"best practices" and to know what they are.

Any suggestions?

If you're using the body for ground, make sure it is welded well. Run
a separate ground wire from the trailer side of the plug to the body.
If the body and frame are separate, run a ground to the frame, too.
I like to solder crimp terminals on trailers because they get so much
vibration, so I run a bit of extra wire through the crimp barrel to
solder onto the lug. Just do it quickly with a hot iron so it doesn't
wick back under the insulation and cause a premature failure.

Wire is cheap so, I usually run a ground wire all the way back. It's
an Anti-Lucas clause I've always had in dealing with electricity.
I used to weave my own harnesses, then wrap them with black tape, when
I worked at the body shop. There was lots of harness repair for me
there, too.

--
Always bear in mind that your own resolution to
succeed is more important than any one thing.
-- Abraham Lincoln

On Wed, 21 Sep 2011 10:51:52 -0500, Ignoramus17765
wrote:

The trailer that I bought, has electric brakes and electric lights.

The lights worked intermittently, such as worked only once or twice.

The electric plug is a two piece job, with wires held by screws, some
wires fell out. Not good enough.

I bought a replacement molded one piece plug with 8 foot tail, and
will use it. What I want is to do a good job rewiring the trailer. I
believe that the trailer body is used as negative ground, which is not
so great when there is corrosion. So I want to be sure that I follow
"best practices" and to know what they are.

Any suggestions?

i

i doubt there are firm rules. For me number one is put everything in
conduit, number two is no daisy chaining (run a separate wire to each
light and each brake from your central junction box at the tongue)I
also silicon seal all the crimp connections by putting the silicone in
before crimping and then wiping smooth.

I did this on the trailer I bought 22 years ago and sold last year.
Never had a failure the whole time.

Karl

On Sep 21, 12:29*pm, Karl Townsend
wrote:
On Wed, 21 Sep 2011 10:51:52 -0500, Ignoramus17765





wrote:
The trailer that I bought, has electric brakes and electric lights.

The lights worked intermittently, such as worked only once or twice.

The electric plug is a two piece job, with wires held by screws, some
wires fell out. Not good enough.

I bought a replacement molded one piece plug with 8 foot tail, and
will use it. What I want is to do a good job rewiring the trailer. I
believe that the trailer body is used as negative ground, which is not
so great when there is corrosion. So I want to be sure that I follow
"best practices" and to know what they are.

Any suggestions?

i

i doubt there are firm rules. For me number one is put everything in
conduit, number two is no daisy chaining (run a separate wire to each
light and each brake from your central junction box at the tongue)I
also silicon seal all the crimp connections by putting the silicone in
before crimping and then wiping smooth.

I did this on the trailer I bought 22 years ago and sold last year.
Never had a failure the whole time.

Karl- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I would use PVC conduit...Ig lives in the Rust Belt.

Separate ground wire to all lights.

Solder all connections.

I like to build in a breakaway extension on the tongue...for when not
if you decide to forget to unhook the lights when you unhook the
trailer and then drive away...makes fixing the damage much easier. ;)

I also have wired in a separate hot FUSED line to the back of the
trailer so one can have separate flood lights that you can plug in and
use during night time acquistions....very useful.

TMT

TMT

TMT

On Sep 21, 10:51*am, Ignoramus17765 ignoramus17...@NOSPAM.
17765.invalid wrote:
The trailer that I bought, has electric brakes and electric lights.

The lights worked intermittently, such as worked only once or twice.

The electric plug is a two piece job, with wires held by screws, some
wires fell out. Not good enough.

I bought a replacement molded one piece plug with 8 foot tail, and
will use it. What I want is to do a good job rewiring the trailer. I
believe that the trailer body is used as negative ground, which is not
so great when there is corrosion. So I want to be sure that I follow
"best practices" and to know what they are.

Any suggestions?

i

Do NOT use the vinyl covered wire sold for trailer lights!
The vinyl attacks and corrodes the copper wires inside, and will turn
into junk in a few years.
Use 16-3 SO wire, a separate wire to each light, and use one wire for
ground, and one for tail and one for the signal light.

Never use the frame for a ground. Total waste of effort. over the next
50 years..

On 2011-09-21, Karl Townsend wrote:
On Wed, 21 Sep 2011 10:51:52 -0500, Ignoramus17765
wrote:

The trailer that I bought, has electric brakes and electric lights.

The lights worked intermittently, such as worked only once or twice.

The electric plug is a two piece job, with wires held by screws, some
wires fell out. Not good enough.

I bought a replacement molded one piece plug with 8 foot tail, and
will use it. What I want is to do a good job rewiring the trailer. I
believe that the trailer body is used as negative ground, which is not
so great when there is corrosion. So I want to be sure that I follow
"best practices" and to know what they are.

Any suggestions?

i

i doubt there are firm rules. For me number one is put everything in
conduit, number two is no daisy chaining (run a separate wire to each
light and each brake from your central junction box at the tongue)I
also silicon seal all the crimp connections by putting the silicone in
before crimping and then wiping smooth.

I did this on the trailer I bought 22 years ago and sold last year.
Never had a failure the whole time.


Sounds like a great plan Karl. I will try to follow it.

Dod you use ground wires also?

i

On 2011-09-21, Larry Jaques wrote:
On Wed, 21 Sep 2011 10:51:52 -0500, Ignoramus17765
wrote:

The trailer that I bought, has electric brakes and electric lights.

The lights worked intermittently, such as worked only once or twice.

The electric plug is a two piece job, with wires held by screws, some
wires fell out. Not good enough.

I bought a replacement molded one piece plug with 8 foot tail, and
will use it. What I want is to do a good job rewiring the trailer. I
believe that the trailer body is used as negative ground, which is not
so great when there is corrosion. So I want to be sure that I follow
"best practices" and to know what they are.

Any suggestions?

If you're using the body for ground, make sure it is welded well. Run
a separate ground wire from the trailer side of the plug to the body.
If the body and frame are separate, run a ground to the frame, too.
I like to solder crimp terminals on trailers because they get so much
vibration, so I run a bit of extra wire through the crimp barrel to
solder onto the lug. Just do it quickly with a hot iron so it doesn't
wick back under the insulation and cause a premature failure.

Wire is cheap so, I usually run a ground wire all the way back. It's
an Anti-Lucas clause I've always had in dealing with electricity.
I used to weave my own harnesses, then wrap them with black tape, when
I worked at the body shop. There was lots of harness repair for me
there, too.


Yep, "anti-Lucas", I hear you ...

i

On Wed, 21 Sep 2011 13:00:28 -0500, Ignoramus17765
wrote:

On 2011-09-21, Karl Townsend wrote:
On Wed, 21 Sep 2011 10:51:52 -0500, Ignoramus17765
wrote:

The trailer that I bought, has electric brakes and electric lights.

The lights worked intermittently, such as worked only once or twice.

The electric plug is a two piece job, with wires held by screws, some
wires fell out. Not good enough.

I bought a replacement molded one piece plug with 8 foot tail, and
will use it. What I want is to do a good job rewiring the trailer. I
believe that the trailer body is used as negative ground, which is not
so great when there is corrosion. So I want to be sure that I follow
"best practices" and to know what they are.

Any suggestions?

i

i doubt there are firm rules. For me number one is put everything in
conduit, number two is no daisy chaining (run a separate wire to each
light and each brake from your central junction box at the tongue)I
also silicon seal all the crimp connections by putting the silicone in
before crimping and then wiping smooth.

I did this on the trailer I bought 22 years ago and sold last year.
Never had a failure the whole time.


Sounds like a great plan Karl. I will try to follow it.

Dod you use ground wires also?

i

the conduit was the ground run. Wires from each device bonded to it.
Might have been easier to use more wire.

Karl

In article ,
Karl Townsend wrote:

i doubt there are firm rules. For me number one is put everything in
conduit, number two is no daisy chaining (run a separate wire to each
light and each brake from your central junction box at the tongue)I
also silicon seal all the crimp connections by putting the silicone in
before crimping and then wiping smooth.

I did this on the trailer I bought 22 years ago and sold last year.
Never had a failure the whole time.

iggy
Sounds like a great plan Karl. I will try to follow it.

Dod you use ground wires also?

i

the conduit was the ground run. Wires from each device bonded to it.
Might have been easier to use more wire.

Karl

What Karl said, but with PVC conduit and ground wires. A tube of
dielectric grease is handy too - dab on things to keep the water out
where stuff plugs together.

--
Cats, coffee, chocolate...vices to live by
Please don't feed the trolls. Killfile and ignore them so they will go away.

On Wed, 21 Sep 2011 14:36:50 -0400, Ecnerwal
wrote:

In article ,
Karl Townsend wrote:

i doubt there are firm rules. For me number one is put everything in
conduit, number two is no daisy chaining (run a separate wire to each
light and each brake from your central junction box at the tongue)I
also silicon seal all the crimp connections by putting the silicone in
before crimping and then wiping smooth.

I did this on the trailer I bought 22 years ago and sold last year.
Never had a failure the whole time.

iggy
Sounds like a great plan Karl. I will try to follow it.

Dod you use ground wires also?

i

the conduit was the ground run. Wires from each device bonded to it.
Might have been easier to use more wire.

Karl

What Karl said, but with PVC conduit and ground wires. A tube of
dielectric grease is handy too - dab on things to keep the water out
where stuff plugs together.

that would work well if it fits the weather tight junction boxes. I
didn't mention I use rubber gas line hose as the conduit to the
brakes. It has to flex. Also silicone every place that might possibly
leak.

Karl

Karl Townsend wrote:
On Wed, 21 Sep 2011 10:51:52 -0500, Ignoramus17765
wrote:

The trailer that I bought, has electric brakes and electric lights.

The lights worked intermittently, such as worked only once or twice.

The electric plug is a two piece job, with wires held by screws, some
wires fell out. Not good enough.

I bought a replacement molded one piece plug with 8 foot tail, and
will use it. What I want is to do a good job rewiring the trailer. I
believe that the trailer body is used as negative ground, which is not
so great when there is corrosion. So I want to be sure that I follow
"best practices" and to know what they are.

Any suggestions?

i

Set down and plan out what you want for lights and if you want any
extras (like on board power for a winch or maybe a couple of detachable
work lights or deck lighting) I just rewired a 20' beavertail last month
and it now has control sockets at both ends for the winch, deck lights
at the front and dual S/B/T lamps at the rear. Plus back-up lamps. Works
MUCh better if you can run all the wires and then seal it up.

Does it have a wiring box now? If not then plan on starting there. You
want a weather-tight box that you can run conduit out of. Inside this
goes a couple terminal strips. This allows you to easily connect the
pigtail (and replace it as needed) and run wiring neater and easier.
Out of the box you will be running conduit back to the tilt pivot. Here
you add a section of flexible watertight conduit to a box on the tilt
frame. Out of that box you run conduit as needed to reach each
light/accessory. OH the conduit doesn't have to be EMT. I use different
items for different lights. For instance I like 1/4" brake line tubing
to the marker lights. Easy to find, easy to clamp and bends real nice.
Run the wires through it prior to bending as it makes it much easier.

For ALL connections you will want to either solder, coat and shrink tube
OR use heat shrink self sealing crimps WITH THE PROPER CRIMPING TOOL!!!.
ALL wires get matching grounds. I don't use the frame for a ground as
rust likes to screw around far to much. I do run a ground to the frame
just to eliminate static potential though.
I HIGHLY recommend LED marine safe lighting items. They are sealed, last
a LONG time and use much less current overall. (this can cause problems
if your tow vehicle has mechanical flasher elements so I also install an
electronic flasher and hazard unit on my vehicles.



--
Steve W.

On Wed, 21 Sep 2011 10:51:52 -0500, Ignoramus17765
wrote:

The trailer that I bought, has electric brakes and electric lights.

The lights worked intermittently, such as worked only once or twice.

The electric plug is a two piece job, with wires held by screws, some
wires fell out. Not good enough.

I bought a replacement molded one piece plug with 8 foot tail, and
will use it. What I want is to do a good job rewiring the trailer. I
believe that the trailer body is used as negative ground, which is not
so great when there is corrosion. So I want to be sure that I follow
"best practices" and to know what they are.

Any suggestions?

i

Stick on a liquid tight box with a pair of liquid tight couplers for
your splice box, then cover everything that water can get into..with
silicone caulk. Above the "bouncing rock line"

Wire wheel under each light fixture and install new bolts, studs or
screws for the grounds. Make sure all wireing is secure using BLACK tie
wraps of a decent size.

Autozone and most other autoparts stores sell flat 4 or 6 wire cable if
you want to go that far. Ive not seen yours..so I cant say if its
necessary to pull new wire or not. Id guess its not..but..shrug.

Oh..and be sure to put at least 2x the wire length you need to hook up
to your truck, then fold neatly out of the way and secure. Someday you
will have to again replace the plug...so its nice to have enough wire
tucked away on the frame so you dont have to rewire the whole thing
again.

Gunner


Gunner

"In the history of mankind, there have always been men and women who's goal
in life is to take down nations. We have just elected such a man to run our
country." - David Lloyyd (2008)

On Sep 21, 6:54*pm, "Steve W." wrote:
Karl Townsend wrote:
On Wed, 21 Sep 2011 10:51:52 -0500, Ignoramus17765
wrote:

The trailer that I bought, has electric brakes and electric lights.

The lights worked intermittently, such as worked only once or twice.

The electric plug is a two piece job, with wires held by screws, some
wires fell out. Not good enough.

I bought a replacement molded one piece plug with 8 foot tail, and
will use it. What I want is to do a good job rewiring the trailer. I
believe that the trailer body is used as negative ground, which is not
so great when there is corrosion. So I want to be sure that I follow
"best practices" and to know what they are.

Any suggestions?

i

Set down and plan out what you want for lights and if you want any
extras (like on board power for a winch or maybe a couple of detachable
work lights or deck lighting) I just rewired a 20' beavertail last month
and it now has control sockets at both ends for the winch, deck lights
at the front and dual S/B/T lamps at the rear. Plus back-up lamps. Works
MUCh better if you can run all the wires and then seal it up.

Does it have a wiring box now? If not then plan on starting there. You
want a weather-tight box that you can run conduit out of. Inside this
goes a couple terminal strips. This allows you to easily connect the
pigtail (and replace it as needed) and run wiring neater and easier.
Out of the box you will be running conduit back to the tilt pivot. Here
you add a section of flexible watertight conduit to a box on the tilt
frame. Out of that box you run conduit as needed to reach each
light/accessory. OH the conduit doesn't have to be EMT. I use different
items for different lights. For instance I like 1/4" brake line tubing
to the marker lights. Easy to find, easy to clamp and bends real nice.
Run the wires through it prior to bending as it makes it much easier.

For ALL connections you will want to either solder, coat and shrink tube
OR use heat shrink self sealing crimps WITH THE PROPER CRIMPING TOOL!!!.
ALL wires get matching grounds. I don't use the frame for a ground as
rust likes to screw around far to much. I do run a ground to the frame
just to eliminate static potential though.
I HIGHLY recommend LED marine safe lighting items. They are sealed, last
a LONG time and use much less current overall. (this can cause problems
if your tow vehicle has mechanical flasher elements so I also install an
electronic flasher and hazard unit on my vehicles.

--
Steve W.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Good ideas Steve.

TMT

Gunner Asch wrote:

Stick on a liquid tight box with a pair of liquid tight couplers for
your splice box, then cover everything that water can get into..with
silicone caulk. Above the "bouncing rock line"

Wire wheel under each light fixture and install new bolts, studs or
screws for the grounds. Make sure all wireing is secure using BLACK tie
wraps of a decent size.

Autozone and most other autoparts stores sell flat 4 or 6 wire cable if
you want to go that far. Ive not seen yours..so I cant say if its
necessary to pull new wire or not. Id guess its not..but..shrug.


I prefer TFFN to the flat wires. I wrap them in Scotch 66 tape to
keep them together, and add some extra protection.


Oh..and be sure to put at least 2x the wire length you need to hook up
to your truck, then fold neatly out of the way and secure. Someday you
will have to again replace the plug...so its nice to have enough wire
tucked away on the frame so you dont have to rewire the whole thing
again.


I like to use one of the three or four foot extensions so I can
replace it in a hurry, or remove it and conceal the trailer's connector
when I have to leave it somewhere. It's less likely to be stolen if
they think it's defective.

I used 3/8" CPVC pipe to each of the lights on my last trailer, along
with a PVC waterproof electrical boxes & covers. I used 1/2" Schedule
40 conduit between the boxes, and reducers for the CPVC. One box near
the tongue, and the other at the rear, under the frame and out of sight.

--
You can't have a sense of humor, if you have no sense.

On 9/21/2011 6:24 PM, Karl Townsend wrote:
On Wed, 21 Sep 2011 14:36:50 -0400, Ecnerwal
wrote:

In ,
Karl wrote:

i doubt there are firm rules. For me number one is put everything in
conduit, number two is no daisy chaining (run a separate wire to each
light and each brake from your central junction box at the tongue)I
also silicon seal all the crimp connections by putting the silicone in
before crimping and then wiping smooth.

I did this on the trailer I bought 22 years ago and sold last year.
Never had a failure the whole time.

iggy
Sounds like a great plan Karl. I will try to follow it.

Dod you use ground wires also?

i

the conduit was the ground run. Wires from each device bonded to it.
Might have been easier to use more wire.

Karl

What Karl said, but with PVC conduit and ground wires. A tube of
dielectric grease is handy too - dab on things to keep the water out
where stuff plugs together.

that would work well if it fits the weather tight junction boxes. I
didn't mention I use rubber gas line hose as the conduit to the
brakes. It has to flex. Also silicone every place that might possibly
leak.

Karl



Karl, I've become somewhat skeptical of silicone.
There are so many things that are do much better without the downsides.

YMMV, of course.

But I refuse to automatically slather silicone goo on things anymore.

On Fri, 23 Sep 2011 20:04:24 -0500, Richard
wrote:

On 9/21/2011 6:24 PM, Karl Townsend wrote:
On Wed, 21 Sep 2011 14:36:50 -0400, Ecnerwal
wrote:

In ,
Karl wrote:

i doubt there are firm rules. For me number one is put everything in
conduit, number two is no daisy chaining (run a separate wire to each
light and each brake from your central junction box at the tongue)I
also silicon seal all the crimp connections by putting the silicone in
before crimping and then wiping smooth.

I did this on the trailer I bought 22 years ago and sold last year.
Never had a failure the whole time.

iggy
Sounds like a great plan Karl. I will try to follow it.

Dod you use ground wires also?

i

the conduit was the ground run. Wires from each device bonded to it.
Might have been easier to use more wire.

Karl

What Karl said, but with PVC conduit and ground wires. A tube of
dielectric grease is handy too - dab on things to keep the water out
where stuff plugs together.

that would work well if it fits the weather tight junction boxes. I
didn't mention I use rubber gas line hose as the conduit to the
brakes. It has to flex. Also silicone every place that might possibly
leak.

Karl



Karl, I've become somewhat skeptical of silicone.
There are so many things that are do much better without the downsides.

YMMV, of course.

But I refuse to automatically slather silicone goo on things anymore.


Especially the acetic acid catalyzed stuff, corrodes metal all to
hell.

Drive-on boat trailers for salt water service are a special case, I
guess. At the first sign of trouble, I just pull all new wire and
replace the lights, so for that case a simpler installation is better.
Still, I've gotten 10 years with the original setup, don't know about
the new led's. They might be even better. By then, I'm usually
replacing springs and/or axles anyway.

One practice I try to follow is to unplug the lights before backing
in. The other is to try to remember to plug them back in before
hitting the road. That one's harder.

Pete Keillor

On Sat, 24 Sep 2011 08:03:36 -0500, Pete Keillor
wrote:


One practice I try to follow is to unplug the lights before backing
in. The other is to try to remember to plug them back in before
hitting the road. That one's harder.

Pete Keillor

I had the same problem when racing sailboats..so used a spare pin to
ground a wire from a green LED on the dash. When there was no
trailer..no light. When the trailer was plugged in..the green light
showed. It would flicker and blink if the ground connection OF the
trailer was bad so it was a secondary indication of what the rest of my
lights are doing.

Gunner

"In the history of mankind, there have always been men and women who's goal
in life is to take down nations. We have just elected such a man to run our
country." - David Lloyyd (2008)

On 9/24/2011 12:03 PM, Gunner Asch wrote:
On Sat, 24 Sep 2011 08:03:36 -0500, Pete Keillor
wrote:


One practice I try to follow is to unplug the lights before backing
in. The other is to try to remember to plug them back in before
hitting the road. That one's harder.

Pete Keillor

I had the same problem when racing sailboats..so used a spare pin to
ground a wire from a green LED on the dash. When there was no
trailer..no light. When the trailer was plugged in..the green light
showed. It would flicker and blink if the ground connection OF the
trailer was bad so it was a secondary indication of what the rest of my
lights are doing.

Gunner

"In the history of mankind, there have always been men and women who's goal
in life is to take down nations. We have just elected such a man to run our
country." - David Lloyyd (2008)


What seems to work for me - so far - is a "Remove before flight" flag at
the wiring connector. When removed from the harness I stick on the
truck's dash board...

So far, so good.

But I like the LED idea a lot. May add that for a belt and suspenders
approach.

On Sat, 24 Sep 2011 12:37:43 -0500, Richard
wrote:

On 9/24/2011 12:03 PM, Gunner Asch wrote:
On Sat, 24 Sep 2011 08:03:36 -0500, Pete Keillor
wrote:


One practice I try to follow is to unplug the lights before backing
in. The other is to try to remember to plug them back in before
hitting the road. That one's harder.

Pete Keillor

I had the same problem when racing sailboats..so used a spare pin to
ground a wire from a green LED on the dash. When there was no
trailer..no light. When the trailer was plugged in..the green light
showed. It would flicker and blink if the ground connection OF the
trailer was bad so it was a secondary indication of what the rest of my
lights are doing.

Gunner

"In the history of mankind, there have always been men and women who's goal
in life is to take down nations. We have just elected such a man to run our
country." - David Lloyyd (2008)


What seems to work for me - so far - is a "Remove before flight" flag at
the wiring connector. When removed from the harness I stick on the
truck's dash board...

So far, so good.

But I like the LED idea a lot. May add that for a belt and suspenders
approach.

Yep, that's a good idea.

On Sat, 24 Sep 2011 12:37:43 -0500, Richard
wrote:

On 9/24/2011 12:03 PM, Gunner Asch wrote:
On Sat, 24 Sep 2011 08:03:36 -0500, Pete Keillor
wrote:


One practice I try to follow is to unplug the lights before backing
in. The other is to try to remember to plug them back in before
hitting the road. That one's harder.

Pete Keillor

I had the same problem when racing sailboats..so used a spare pin to
ground a wire from a green LED on the dash. When there was no
trailer..no light. When the trailer was plugged in..the green light
showed. It would flicker and blink if the ground connection OF the
trailer was bad so it was a secondary indication of what the rest of my
lights are doing.

Gunner

"In the history of mankind, there have always been men and women who's goal
in life is to take down nations. We have just elected such a man to run our
country." - David Lloyyd (2008)


What seems to work for me - so far - is a "Remove before flight" flag at
the wiring connector. When removed from the harness I stick on the
truck's dash board...

So far, so good.

But I like the LED idea a lot. May add that for a belt and suspenders
approach.

Its simple and very easy to set one up. Might cost ya $5 total and an
hour or so.

Gunner

"In the history of mankind, there have always been men and women who's goal
in life is to take down nations. We have just elected such a man to run our
country." - David Lloyyd (2008)