Do This When You Wire Your Trailer!
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- Опубліковано 2 жов 2024
- It’s important to ensure your trailer’s wiring and connectors are in tip-top shape! Making sure the right wiring and connectors will lead to the safe and reliable operation of it’s lights, batteries, brakes, turn signals, and other electrical functions. Follow along as The TrailerSmith does a clean up on this trailer’s wiring prior to installing a new floor.
Be sure to check out Texas Custom Trailers on their website.
www.txcustomtrailers.com
Links to products in this video
Heat Shrink Butt Connectors amzn.to/3PDOvfe
Butane Mini Torch amzn.to/3PHwi0l
Butane Fuel Refill amzn.to/3PYOvWV
Tool Aid Wire Strippers amzn.to/43cBoro
Klein Cutting/Crimping Tool amzn.to/3JEDmtE
1/4” Chassis Clip amzn.to/442f8BM
3/8” Chassis Clip amzn.to/3r9RQeI
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Scotch Locks are a mistake you only make once. Made that mistake putting LEDs in my tailights on my pickup. Ended up going to LED lamps with integrated resistors after fixing what the scotch locks ruined.
You'd be surprised how many folks just mash down crimp-on butt connectors with regular pliers. I've had to fix so many LE upfits because the original installer didn't have the proper crimping pliers.
bro, your comedic sarcasm is priceless. For that reason alone I subscribed. Thanks for the entertainment. Look forward to watching more of your content.
Thanks for the sub! And thanks for watching!
Ground side is the number 1 screw up, I find. Some think you ground thru the hitch ball. Best way to test wiring is to ONLY connect the umbilical and trailer is isolated from the vehicle. I prefer non-insulated connectors and terminals and use shrink wrap. You get a better look at your work that way. Most people are poor at crimping and don't use the correct tooling. If you can pull it apart, it ain't right. Can't leave out the twist and tape guys, right?
Couldn’t agree more. However, believe it or not, we have a manufacturer that has been twisting & taping since the 60s and we have the least amount of wiring issues with that manufacturer. But they do it very. I personally don’t prefer it, though.
Thanks for the comment and for watching!
Yeah, I just found the same nightmare on my boat trailer after buying it. Great video.
Oh man! Sorry to hear that!
Thanks for watching!
3M Scotchkote FD coating is designed for underground burial electrical splices . It’s expensive but works well ! I do use heat shrink connectors but always place another heat shrink tube over it . The shrink tube with adhesive !
Nice work! I also avoid using electrical tape when possible… west Texas gets so hot it ends up melting 🤦🏻♂️
Today’s forecast on beautiful Whidbey Island, Washington is cloudy this morning becoming mostly sunny, high near 66, afternoon winds SE at 6 mph. Come and see!
the wiring on that trailer makes me wonder if any of the lights works. Bottom line; I solder and do not not use butt connectors. If butt connectors work for you, then great, use them
My 67 Shelby came with those blue clips adding the high bems onto the Mustang wiring harness 😢
At about 60.the wind coming thru the grill would turn off your headlights 😢
I used butt connectors and I checked my lug nuts!👍
Yeah, buddy! That’ll do!
Thankyou retired Master GM tech. Because I mainly did brakes, steering, suspension, and anything else they could throw at me, trailer wiring I was the go to person. I hated it because of the scotch locks, poor grounds, connectors full of mud and corrosion. Most of the time I did the same as you, throw it all out and rewire. Many of the new vehicles use the LED lights which are fine, but the circuits will not allow the extra load of a trailer. If you have done a video on this problem, great. I installed an "isolation module" which put no load on vehicle circuits. Fixing the wiring on a farm truck with trailer brakes was no fun. Great Job. Don
Have not done a video on that, yet. Thanks for watching!
Just curious have you tried those self solder wire connectors that heat shrink and solder with heat? I tried them a couple years ago on a lightbar and so far so good. But it maybe luck or the fact I went over them with dielectric grease and heat shrink to make sure they were water tight.
I prefer solder and heat shrink! Guaranteed good connection unless a wire breaks. For a quick and temporary fix I may use a butt connector or wire nut just to get by till I’m able to fix it right. I also only work oh my own trailers. Occasionally someone else’s but when that’s the case solder 100%.
👍
Yep. Soldering is best, most don’t have the budget for that or the time to get it done themselves.
Actually, a quality environmental butt connector is better than solder. Vibration can cause solder joints to crack. It's why whenever we splice wire on an aircraft, it's a butt connector. Repairing an internal component like a stereo? Solder all day....
Cheap Chinese electrical tape…nooooooooo! Use Scotch brand 😊
Cheap electrical tape is a big no for us, but I always recommend that people buy what they can reasonably afford. Quality is always better, but something is better than nothing in most cases. We don't usually find the need to use a lot of electrical tape, but when we do, as seen in this video, we use 3M 1776, made in the USA.
@@TheTrailerSmith
3M stands for: Money-Money-Money
110+ heat index today in Texas
Yes! We are in Texas, too! 🥵🥵
If you must use electrical tape ANYWHERE on a car, truck, or trailer, use the self-bonding silicone type. Once it is on, it's waterproof until you take it off. Also, when you do remove it, there is no adhesive residue to worry about. The vinyl tape is a useless as a screen door on a submarine.
Personally I run everything in 1/2" EMT, solder and shrink all connections. Yes it's more labor intensive but pays off in the long run. Solder and shrink only for all brake connections.
Tape pro tip. The back wrap trick. First wrap of tape sticky side up. When you get to the other end of your connection spin the tape 180 deg. Wrap back over that connection overlapping the first wrap on both ends. You should have sticky side of the first layer to sticky side of second layer of tape. This way when you cut off the tape it doesn't leave that sticky residue on the wires and it seals just as well.
If you just need to hold a wire in place. A quarter size dab of silicone. Push the wire into the silicone and tape on either side. Let dry and now your wire is out of the way. And its completely removeable from both wire and frame. Usually handy for marker light wiring.
Great points! Thanks for watching!
Triple thumbs up on that process. the road salts they use on the roads in KommieRado goes right through tape and crimp on connections. Have you used any harness tape? It has no adhesive and sticks to itself and not the wires allowing you to bend the bundle however you need it.
Another good conduit is pex tubing..
@@SegoMan Yes, 3M 130c tape works good for that.
You run conduit for trailer lights? You're a different kind of crazy buddy
Wich gauge wire is recomented for electric brake?
And for lights ,thanks?
There isn't any electrical reason to run two wires to the brakes. Run a single 12ga wire, then extend the other wire from the magnet. Put a marine grade eyelet on the wire and just bolt it to the frame. It's best to use the two wire system on a trailer with a bolt together frame. One wire system reduces the length of the wire by half.
Phoenix Aridzona has the record temps most of the times., not the humidity. They got these magnet type wire holders. I epoxy them into place. Then a small zip tie holds the wire in place, They run about a buck each with the epoxy, installs in less then one minute.
Phoenix temps are no joke! We have 3M adhesive back that holds up most of the time, but we usually end up using high quality silicone as an added insurance on them. Thanks for watching!
Just saying 85° at 9:30 in Florida this morning is bad. Guess I’ll jump in the river or ocean.
That’s rough! Stay cool, my friend!
Go with heavy jacket wire cable
If your budget allows, absolutely! For your single strand just use a high quality copper insulated cable like we do.
Just an idea here take it or leave it. I welded washers on my u-bolts by the brake so I can tie the brake wire to it .
Scotch blocks are only good for a few years. You'll have to find and re-do them eventually.
Great point! If you are able to get a few years out of them, you’re doing better than me. That’s why I advise AGAINST using Scotch Locks.
Thanks for watching!
I have used them connecters twice in 50 yrs. Once before I knew better and once hooking back up lamps on a yard only snowplow.
They use those cheap connectors on boat trailers also! Horrible. We use shrink connectors.
Yes, they do! I really really don’t like them at all!
I have used inline crimp connectors and found they can cut into the wiring and the crimp and in no time the wire breaks off. Suggestions please?
About to refloor my trailer for the second time and redo the wiring while there this round and thought why not use the crimp connectors on it, to me that seems to be better
about 100 in the tx panhandle today,how about solder and heat shrink
Its only 75% here in Pennsylvania. With Rain on the way!!!
That sounds like a dream!
Does anyone use wire loom and grommets?
I would say that the majority of manufacturers don't use wire loom or grommets. We use grommets, wire loom, and we solder upon customer request. This also depends on the customer's budget, as well. Thanks for watching!
I do I ordered the grommets in a kit various sizes. I worked aircraft for years, and the grommets were used for electrical, and hydraulic lines. That or what they call chicken track epoxied into place,
rewire they whole dang trailer, labor is always more expensive than parts
use a terry cloth sweatband. it will help
Funny you say that! I usually wear one when I’m working. But on camera it doesn’t look the best. 🤣
you are a boss BTW. super helpful. Trailer repair is expensive and costantly overcharge their customers unless you find the right one
Those axles brake wires go connected to the light wires?
Trailer brakes will connect to the brake wire in your 7 wire harness. Which is a blue wire. Other brake wire is your ground wire. A junction box makes wiring alot easier. Brown wire is your running lights.
@@tomahawksteak6672 About the time you think you got the color code figured out you buy a molded plug & cable and they have their own colors LoL
You are on target! And use butt connectors crimping them with the proper crimping tool and then use heat shrink tubing with dia electric grease inside the connections. Scotch locks are guarantee troublemakers down the road.
For sure! Thank you for watching!
That is my way too. Helps keep the salt out.