Constant trailer wiring issues

[Rio_Grande]

I was just wondering if everyone fights constantly to keep the lights working on their trailers?

I bought a brand new trailer 3 years ago and it is pulled no less than 4 times a week. We went with DOT numbers recently and so i am a compulsive light checker (dont want a dumb ticket) it seems like lately I am finding something once a week.

On monday I picked up an old car and noticed an ice ball had frozen around my wiring that drops to my rear LED stop/turns. It wasn't too bad and the lights were working so I would pull it home and thaw it in the shop. So the guy I bought the car must have seen me look at it and I guess in an attempt to help as i was booming down walked over and kicked the ball against the deck and poof,,, no lights on the enire trailer.

I spent 30 min till i got brake lights but when i got home backl to nothing. So I get to work on the trailer lights again tomorrow when I should be making money....

Am I alone??

 

[JLDickmon]

trailer light issues?
Judas Priest on a BIKE do I know where you're coming from...

I broke down and did complete re-wires/re-fixture/re-lamps on both the mower trailer and the horse trailer this year. I got Soooooooooo sick and tired of chasing gremlins all the time..

I get to start fresh when I go to put lights on the hay wagon this spring..

 

[iracemine]

I dont use my trailer that much bet every time I do I need to fix a light or plug. every time.

 

[Rio_Grande]

Luckily today wasn't bad, I had to repair one connection and reconnect a ground. Up and running in 15 min and 5 of that was looking for my wire strippers. Good thing too, roads were so bad a 2 hour haul turned into 4, and got the truck stuck in the drive..

 

[iracemine]

yeah last night was a bear. got stuck in my drive, then culdesac, then street. well some times 2X4 isnt so great.

 

[commanderjjones]

I guess I'm lucky. I build trailers for a living and am constantly towing something. Although they're usually NEW units and shouldn't have any issues, I also routinely find myself picking up or delivering customers' trailers that have rarely been maintained.......and are sometimes a complete P.O.S..

 

[Tbar]

I feel your pain.........last time I pulled mine I chased the wiring gremlins.

Left turn signal was out....inspected plug......replaced adapter.....replaced bulb....left turn signal started working but the right one flashed dimly at the same time. After an hour we discovered the left housing was defective......replaced housing.......everything worked fine until the return trip when the trailer brakes stopped working. Haven't had time to figure that one out yet.


Tbar

 

[BIG JOE]

I've purdy much eliminated any Wire Wiggle'n by changing out all the wire nut/tape connections with soldered joints, sealed with Shrink Wrap. A dab of sealant where wires go into fixtures seems to have helped too.

For the plugs.. I clean'm up with a cardboard fingernail file now & then.. and spray'm with a shot of WD40.. give'm a good shake/tap and wipe off the excess.

Double grounded the 7 pin plug, with another 10 gauge wire.. self-tapped into the under-body of the Bed too.

jus some pass-along ideas of fixes

Joe

 

[powerboatr]

i pretty much have resolved with trailers....
them darn lights have a mind of their own.

at least before leds the lights would get hot enough to keep ice melted

 

[iracemine]

come to think of it..... I stopped buying the regular crimps and will only buy the crimps that are self shrinking. that helped.