Two things that I did on my trailer. I put tails that have reverse on them, for me, it makes a big difference if I'm backing at night to help me see. Secondly, I put relays so that my clearance/marker lights also work as turn indicators, which helps when you are trying to change lanes if you have traffic in the lanes next to you. Just food for thought.
Another TH-camr, Andrew Camarata used the same type of lights on his trailer build. He did add a plate to cover the 3 marker lights on the rear end, he drags the trailer thru the dirt from time to time. I liked the conduit idea for a wire chase, with all the splicing it would be cut up.
I’ve built a few trailers in my 71 years and rebuilt and re-wired many every older factory trailer I re-wired that had washers welded that way had had obvious shorts and had been taped up when I got to them. I always grounded the lights near where they were mounted so if something happened to the single ground wire you wouldn’t loose every light. As to the trailer brakes I always used 10 gauge wire to cut down on heat in the mountains
Pretty sure rear facing clearance lights are Red and front facing clearance lights are orange? Either way, trailer is coming out great. With the yellow they’ll see you coming more than a mile away!
If I’m not mistaken, in electrical terms, fall is voltage, resistance is how clogged your wires are and current is the amount of flow coming out of the pipe. Sump pumps are batteries, catch-basins are capacitors, corrugated pipes are resistors and PVC pipes are superconductors …
Shawn, as an ex aircraft engineer I’m concerned that your wiring will chafe. Can you get some rubber grommets or at least protect the wire from rubbing on the bare metal/washers? Great job otherwise as usual.
I was wondering about that Dylan. But my other trailers haven't had any issues. I think the wire is lightweight enough that there's not enough force to chafe or rub through against the washers.
Personally, I would have chosen to use cable or conduit and not only wire. OK, the colors are not matching up with cable, but the wires are more protected and less chance of getting hooked. And of course, like @Dylan Trinder said, use grommets or cable glands to feed your wire through.
I have a new-to-me equipment trailer that's a typical wiring wreck. So I returned to your excellent video for a quick refresher on how to best do it. After watching this again and comparing my shopping list to yours I realized that you may have omitted passive / reflective material in your light plan. I'm pretty sure the multi function tail lights include some reflective material but I think that's all. Can you see your trailer in the dark with a flash light or car head lights from the sides or the front? You might consider adding some 3M amber and red stickers or the good old Silver and red Conspicuity Trailer DOT-C2 Reflective Safety Tape tape so it can be seen when parked. Thanks again for the great trailer build series, it's been very educational!
I second the point about running bare wires through holes drilled in metal, including washers. You really need grommets or some type of wire loom to run through the washers and holes in the metal. I also think that the trailer brakes should have been put on a separate ground run to the breakout/junction box. Otherwise, this is a great job and teaching video. Thanks!
Yes I agree too. You can get grommet strip, which you can cut to size, to install into the holes, and just gives a bit of protection from rubbing. Something like this - www.ebay.co.uk/itm/122727165568?hash=item1c931bee80:g:9S4AAOSw3atZzsKh Another thing that can be handy to help keep cables tidy, is adhesive cable clips, it might have been handy with the clearance light cables, just to keep them tucked up in place. www.ebay.co.uk/itm/173933021203?hash=item287f374813:g:azAAAOSwG1xdA2ur
Can use a piece of silicone hose also. Cut about 2” long and split along length and wrap around wire and feed through hole then cable tie both sides to prevent it moving out of hole.
This reminds be of the time my bf and our crew of friends that always worked on cars re wired one of those vehicles all with light blue wire. It's all they had. They have at time questioned that decision. Oh the glorious 1980's.
Pretty Smart guy. I mean it. Did a fine job on that trailer. Like the yellow, almost the same yellow the railroad uses on their Utility Equipment. Must make you feel good that not only did you degree in Biology. You run your own company and pretty astute mechanic and welder. Say's a lot about your work ethic! Great Job. You got any room on that trailer for a fuel cell for your equipment? Now you need a Generator and a welder for your Dually and your set.
Shawn if you're concerned about a small gauge on the blue wire you shouldn't be splicing into the ground wire, but should've run a separate ground for each brake. This is because the same current that will be pulled via the blue will flow to ground via white.
Great video! I add to the comments about the grommets, but I wanted to caution you on that box - it's not as watertight as promised! I used it to rig together the wiring for essentially a trailer, and after a year the entire box was just one gigantic box of rust. I'm rebuilding it using stainless where possible now - perhaps consider throwing dielectric grease in there or something else to provide some sort of waterproofing.
Shawn you should have ran your wire through a split wire loom to help protect them from the elements as well as help protect them from shorting out from them vibrating and chafing against the metal. wire loom is cheap and is a good insurance policy.
I thought about that but my 15 year old trailer is wired like this and hasn't had any problems. I don't do any off road with the trailers or go OTR distances.
Of course most of the colours are different down under ;-) I would cut some 1" lengths of garden hose, put a slit in it and push them inside each of your washers. That will save chafing on the wires over time. We (down under) have to have a protective cover over the full length of our wires.
This is not standard US writing colors. Light trailers in the US : Yellow=left turn Green=right turn Red=aux 12v Brown=clearance White=ground Blue=brakes Black=reverse Heavy trailers(semi's) are different in that they use a separate circuit(red) in addition to the yellow/green for brake lights. Blue is aux power/ABS, and both black and brown are clearance and tail lights.
Hey Shawn. One thing that was over looked is the wire you used is copper clad aluminum. It will corrode very fast. I almost purchased the same wire bundle you listed when I rewired my trailer last year. Instead I used southwire on their spools. Made In the USA as well! From what I've seen most axle manufacturers recommend 10-12 gauge for the brakes so you don't have as much voltage drop to them. Take care and keep up the great work and videos!
Shawn, Really great job. Just one thing I would do is add some sealant to the junction box where the wires go in. Especially in the top of the box where the white wire goes through. I think you have done a brilliant job.
Super great build, I have worked with a lot of connectors and have never seen those heatable solder connections cool. I am not a fan of the metal washers to guide wire. You should put put an inline fuse on the negative side just in case anything shorts, even beyond fuse box. I see a lot of metal against wire on builds. Ziptie to washer works better.
that's funny you say that because I thought about ziptie to washer but went through the washers instead because my other trailer is wired that way. I guess I could cut the washers and reweld some for zipties if I have any problems.
Isnt it cool that wiring is just like designing a drainage system? Of course you dont worry about fall, but amps = volume of water, voltage = pressure, and wire and connections = pipe size and tees. I've enjoyed the build series. Are we going to see the deck get installed and it's maiden voyage?
hello, Great video. in your time lapse of the installation of the Bunker Indust break-away system, I can not tell where the white wire and the black wire running from the battery screw into the junction box?
My 2007 trailer is wired the same and hasn't had any problems, which is why I did it this way. Seems like it should be a problem in theory but hasn't been. I don't think the wires are heavy enough to provide the frictional resistance to rub through.
the rear marker lights on the fenders should be red. i use those lights all the time on my trailers, theyre small but are mighty bright and look very classy
hey, thanks for the awesome videos. I Remember you had a specific pitch for french drains, was it a 16th of a bubble? I cant find the video which you spoke about it. Thanks.
@@GCFD is there a rule of thumb for the depth and width ? I'm trying to collect no point water in the back yard. In heavy clay soil . And pretty muching to create a gaint catch basin .
Another great vid but forgive me if I leave all of the electricity stuff to the professionals. I spent a childhood trying to fit long thin metal things into plug holes! Not just once have I been thrown across a room! Still have the curly hair to prove it too!!! 🤣😂🤣 PS...well done though, very impressive work all round on the building of the trailer. You are definitely a man of many talents 😊
Just an FYI - Remember, a LED is a light emitting diode, and work as switches or gate keepers and as such are polarity sensitive. They block current flow in one direction and allow it to pass in the other direction.
Thanks for such a detailed video. Love it. Also very interesting how much this differs from Europe/Swedish trailers and their wiring. Love your channel, keep it up man!
Thank you for your detailed video. This was exactly what I was looking for. I’m about to wire lights, brakes, junction box, and a breakaway box myself. One question- is there anything you would had wired differently now that you’ve put on the road for some time? Just curious because I’m about to follow your video for doing mine. Thanks, Iz
As a aero structural engineer i think you need some grommets or some protection around those washers that you have welded to the frame It’s always better to be safe than sorry
I was thinking that too, but my other trailer is 15 years old with the same washers welded and hasn't been a problem. Like you said, bettter to be safe.
A very informative video! I’ve had to troubleshoot the wiring on my boat trailer before without actually knowing the reason it was wired the way it was. I learned a lot! Thanks!
A good tutorial Shawn however running a grounding wire (negative) to all light fixtures is far superior than relying on grounding at each fitting due to dissimilar metals causing electrolysis between joints.Electric brakes will work better if all the cables are run from a centre point and the same length otherwise you may find the closest brake will work better than the furthest brake especially if the company is planning on heavy loads🇳🇿🙏🙏👍
Thanks for uploading these vids, love watching your work! I suspect someone has likely already mentioned it but it would definitely be worth running the wires through rubber or plastic grommets rather than bare metal to avoid the risk of sheath damage over the years which could potentially end in a short. Out of interest can you not run negative through the frame of the trailer like it is in the chassis of the car to save a bunch of wiring?
I haven't had any problems with the wires rubbing through on my other trailers. I suspect it's because the wire is not heavy enough to rub hard enough. Yes, you can ground each of these lights to the trailer frame, but then you need the trailer to be grounded to the vehicle to be grounded to the battery. Here, I ground through the wiring harness and to the frame (by the frame ground in the junction box).
Running a separate ground wire is always more robust. If you see a trailer with dim lights in one location, it's like a grounding issue, and they probably have their grounds attached to the frame, rather than through a wire. Even if the connection is good to start, wear and tear, rust, and dirt will eventually cause issues with that connection. Then you'll be "that guy" with the dim trailer lights.
🇨🇱 very detailed and informative video Shawn. The angle shots were good as well which helps to see what is happening. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 looking forward to seeing it in action. 🇨🇱
thank you for your great info,,the best,,....... if you made a harness for the wires on top of the trailer first like a new car factory build..harness. once it was all together transfer it to the under side of the trailer...just saying....cheers...
Will the wires going through the holes you drilled hold up over time rubbing against the sharp edges of the holes? The 90 degree bends in the wire through the fresh drilled hold worries me, but you have experience with this stuff!
Great video! I am about to redo a similar trailer and I was thinking of running 3 junction boxes, front, axles and rear connected with 7 pair bundle, then just doing short runs from each JB to brakes, running lights, tails etc. This will be my first time doing this, am I missing something or would this work?
The last thing you want is your brakes to work separately. If you get a short on the 2 left wheels and those don’t engage and the 2 on the right are functioning correctly, there is a good chance you’ll wreck. Absolutely crazy to do it like that
I use 16ga two wire exsenshin cord with rubber cover for markers and three wire ,for tail and turn, (back) and mark the ones in the box witch is left and right ! it is faster and eziaer to home run them .
For that connector, I think you still need to mesh those wires together first before you menlt the solder just to be sure. just slide it to one side, twist or mesh wires together, slide it back and heat.
Nice job on the trailer wiring the overall build is good but I see a few red flag...... 1 why aren't the wires in a protective sleeve? 2 why u didn't use rubber bushing for each hole penetration?? Remember metal edge is sharp and the vibration can chaff the wires
I talked about that in the video. My 2007 trailer is wired just like this and has never had any problems. I wouldn't leave the wires exposed like that if you're doing off road or crazy stuff with the trailer.
LED lights are always tied to the polarity of the wires. Light Emitting Diode.... DC circuit so the current only flows in one direction and not the other.
A couple things to note: Using standard wiring colors for the function for your runs after the junction box would be a huge improvement if anyone else ever has to work on the trailer. I know I'd be pissed if say I didn't have a left turn, and was tracing the yellow wire only to find out someone used it for a different function. Protect the wires, most wire insulation won't last nearly as long exposed to UV light and the elements. Insulation should never be in a position to directly touch other surfaces that it could rub through on.
He has wired correctly as per SAE J2863. This is the correct standard for this application in his region. He does not have reversing lights so he does not need the purple wire. He did double-up the brake live signal, but it may be an idea to double-up the brake ground as well. Alternatively, use more of those self-tappers to earth the ground to the chassis as appropriate.
@@SalvoDan For a US light trailer like this it should be: Yellow: left turn Green: right turn Brown: running lights Black: reverse Blue: brakes Red: 12v+ aux White: ground
All that work I would have ran through wire loom or made race ways to cover te wires and use wire clamps instead wire ties like solider shrink but I would put another layer of black adhesive shrink over it . Great video though.
Have not watched it yet. But maybe a Orange background with a Letter "S" or "G" in Dark Blue or Black in the Middle of the Circle as your youtube, is it Logo or thumbnail would make it stand out more - be more dominant, as you and your crew normally wear Orange or Fluro Yellow shirts - stand out from the Crowd.
Hi I did a test run on my French Drain and water I put crushed rock down first then pvc corrugated then I put more rock on top then I started putting water on top of the crushed rock and then I went to the end where the discharge smooth PVC schedule 40 pipe is to wait so I can see the water and I noticed the trench started filling with water instead of coming out through the PVC pipe☹️🤦🏻♂️ did I do something wrong?
Did your pvc pipe have holes in it? The water should fill up the rock until it comes to the holes in the pipe, then water floods into the pipe and through the pipe.
Yes they do have holes and I dug that front part up just to where it connects to the solid drain pipe is and I noticed that there was not any dirt there just rock so my guess is the water was draining down the trench instead of building up to go into the pipe so I’m going to put some clay soil in front of their packet and we are good and then do a retest or maybe just pour some cement in that area and then put dirt and then do a retest
Ok thank you I’ll keep you updated and thanks for answering my question! You ever thinking of doing a podcast or a Q&A through TH-cam that would be so awesome!!!!!
@@ravneiv How often do trailers get stolen ? and why not lock trailer hitch and run cable or chain thru tires . Looking at that yellow has permanently blinded me .😂
I chose the yellow. I like the bright coloration to be seen. It's rust-o-leum John Deere Farm Tough. Trailers here do get stolen and taken down to SC where there are no titles. If you have a white cargo trailer, the best defense is wrapping it in graphics. Locks, cables, chocks, get cut. Graphics or yellow paint is too hard to remove so thieves move onto easier targets.
I would have bought the gray electric break wire and I use old extension cord as my 3 wire need and I never had any problems with use old extension cord or gray electric break wire and also wire a ground wire from the front to the back because if you don't you will have problem will it
@@GCFD yes ground whole trailer but I have had problem will that I have a ground back wire back by the light and if you want I can take a picture show you ps I have a ground by the light and whole trailer because I have always had problem with trailer ground
You should never use the wiring diagram that comes like because it's wrong for a 7 flat connector on rear of all pickups. Brown is always running lights, green is right turn and brake same color as the grass on that side, yellow is left turn and brake like the lines in the middle of the road. Those three colors don't change between trailers until you get to a semi-truck trailer.
Two things that I did on my trailer. I put tails that have reverse on them, for me, it makes a big difference if I'm backing at night to help me see. Secondly, I put relays so that my clearance/marker lights also work as turn indicators, which helps when you are trying to change lanes if you have traffic in the lanes next to you. Just food for thought.
Another TH-camr, Andrew Camarata used the same type of lights on his trailer build. He did add a plate to cover the 3 marker lights on the rear end, he drags the trailer thru the dirt from time to time. I liked the conduit idea for a wire chase, with all the splicing it would be cut up.
Yes I thought about adding a skid plate like andrew camarata did on his equipment trailer but I'm hoping to get by without it. We shall see!
Excellent wiring tutorial, can’t wait for part 5 breaking the bank at the lumber yard.
Yep! It's on the way!
I’ve built a few trailers in my 71 years and rebuilt and re-wired many every older factory trailer I re-wired that had washers welded that way had had obvious shorts and had been taped up when I got to them. I always grounded the lights near where they were mounted so if something happened to the single ground wire you wouldn’t loose every light. As to the trailer brakes I always used 10 gauge wire to cut down on heat in the mountains
Pretty sure rear facing clearance lights are Red and front facing clearance lights are orange? Either way, trailer is coming out great. With the yellow they’ll see you coming more than a mile away!
Did you check the fall of the wires to make sure the electricity will flow well?
Full bubble!
🤣🤣🤣
If I’m not mistaken, in electrical terms, fall is voltage, resistance is how clogged your wires are and current is the amount of flow coming out of the pipe. Sump pumps are batteries, catch-basins are capacitors, corrugated pipes are resistors and PVC pipes are superconductors …
Shawn, as an ex aircraft engineer I’m concerned that your wiring will chafe. Can you get some rubber grommets or at least protect the wire from rubbing on the bare metal/washers? Great job otherwise as usual.
Same. That’s what I came to say. Some rubber grommets or something protecting the wire going through all the metal holes would be a good idea IMO
I'd like to see some UV-resistant electrical-pvc covering all that wire instead of the usual split wire loom corrugated tubing.
I was wondering about that Dylan. But my other trailers haven't had any issues. I think the wire is lightweight enough that there's not enough force to chafe or rub through against the washers.
@@GCFD it's not the weight that matters but the vibration that causes relative motion between the two.
Personally, I would have chosen to use cable or conduit and not only wire. OK, the colors are not matching up with cable, but the wires are more protected and less chance of getting hooked. And of course, like @Dylan Trinder said, use grommets or cable glands to feed your wire through.
I have a new-to-me equipment trailer that's a typical wiring wreck. So I returned to your excellent video for a quick refresher on how to best do it. After watching this again and comparing my shopping list to yours I realized that you may have omitted passive / reflective material in your light plan. I'm pretty sure the multi function tail lights include some reflective material but I think that's all. Can you see your trailer in the dark with a flash light or car head lights from the sides or the front? You might consider adding some 3M amber and red stickers or the good old Silver and red Conspicuity Trailer DOT-C2 Reflective Safety Tape tape so it can be seen when parked. Thanks again for the great trailer build series, it's been very educational!
Thanks for watching! I did add the tape in Part 5 th-cam.com/video/y2xLx7wed48/w-d-xo.html
Thank you for the thorough video as you mentioned, there’s not many that follow things through the actual wiring job. Bravo, well done!
I second the point about running bare wires through holes drilled in metal, including washers. You really need grommets or some type of wire loom to run through the washers and holes in the metal. I also think that the trailer brakes should have been put on a separate ground run to the breakout/junction box. Otherwise, this is a great job and teaching video. Thanks!
Thanks Richard!
Yes I agree too. You can get grommet strip, which you can cut to size, to install into the holes, and just gives a bit of protection from rubbing. Something like this - www.ebay.co.uk/itm/122727165568?hash=item1c931bee80:g:9S4AAOSw3atZzsKh
Another thing that can be handy to help keep cables tidy, is adhesive cable clips, it might have been handy with the clearance light cables, just to keep them tucked up in place.
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/173933021203?hash=item287f374813:g:azAAAOSwG1xdA2ur
Can use a piece of silicone hose also. Cut about 2” long and split along length and wrap around wire and feed through hole then cable tie both sides to prevent it moving out of hole.
There’s several ways it can be done.
Great video! Thanks! Have a great day and be safe!
Thank you!
This reminds be of the time my bf and our crew of friends that always worked on cars re wired one of those vehicles all with light blue wire. It's all they had. They have at time questioned that decision. Oh the glorious 1980's.
👍
Nice job! Those heat shrink connectors are the best. I use them on my boats, and cover them with another layer of adhesive lined heat shrink tubing.
I like the too. How are yours holding up?
This video help me understand how to wire up my car hauler trailer which was hard for me because I have no wiring experience whatsoever. Thank you!!
Pretty Smart guy. I mean it. Did a fine job on that trailer. Like the yellow, almost the same yellow the railroad uses on their Utility Equipment. Must make you feel good that not only did you degree in Biology. You run your own company and pretty astute mechanic and welder. Say's a lot about your work ethic! Great Job. You got any room on that trailer for a fuel cell for your equipment? Now you need a Generator and a welder for your Dually and your set.
Thank you Robert!
Shawn if you're concerned about a small gauge on the blue wire you shouldn't be splicing into the ground wire, but should've run a separate ground for each brake.
This is because the same current that will be pulled via the blue will flow to ground via white.
I am planning to splice in a ground near each axle connection and ground to the frame. Should that solve my problem?
I also now understand how my RV tow vehicle brake away/lights work. Thanks.
It is pretty interesting Jeffrey. I'm glad I wired it up so I understand how things work a little better.
This one is going into my saved list. I can feel I will need some day. Thanks
👍 Thank you John!
Great video! I add to the comments about the grommets, but I wanted to caution you on that box - it's not as watertight as promised! I used it to rig together the wiring for essentially a trailer, and after a year the entire box was just one gigantic box of rust. I'm rebuilding it using stainless where possible now - perhaps consider throwing dielectric grease in there or something else to provide some sort of waterproofing.
Thanks for sharing! I will do that right away!
Thank you so much! Planning on upgrading boat trailer soon and wanted to start what a great job you did explaining everything!
Thank you! I hope you have good luck with your trailer project! - Shawn
I’m at this stage in a trailer rebuild and this video was helpful. Thanks!
Shawn you should have ran your wire through a split wire loom to help protect them from the elements as well as help protect them from shorting out from them vibrating and chafing against the metal. wire loom is cheap and is a good insurance policy.
I thought about that but my 15 year old trailer is wired like this and hasn't had any problems. I don't do any off road with the trailers or go OTR distances.
Of course most of the colours are different down under ;-) I would cut some 1" lengths of garden hose, put a slit in it and push them inside each of your washers. That will save chafing on the wires over time. We (down under) have to have a protective cover over the full length of our wires.
Good idea!
This is not standard US writing colors.
Light trailers in the US :
Yellow=left turn
Green=right turn
Red=aux 12v
Brown=clearance
White=ground
Blue=brakes
Black=reverse
Heavy trailers(semi's) are different in that they use a separate circuit(red) in addition to the yellow/green for brake lights. Blue is aux power/ABS, and both black and brown are clearance and tail lights.
Hey Shawn. One thing that was over looked is the wire you used is copper clad aluminum. It will corrode very fast. I almost purchased the same wire bundle you listed when I rewired my trailer last year. Instead I used southwire on their spools. Made In the USA as well!
From what I've seen most axle manufacturers recommend 10-12 gauge for the brakes so you don't have as much voltage drop to them.
Take care and keep up the great work and videos!
👍
Hey Shawn, Would suggest do some split loom on the wires will clean up things and help protect the wires a little more.
Good idea! I hate working with that stuff though (:
Shawn, on my trailer I used PVC pipe as conduit with self tapping screws to fasten the PVC to the frame. BTW,PVC pipe makes a good curtain rod!
PVC never stops giving.
Shawn, Really great job. Just one thing I would do is add some sealant to the junction box where the wires go in. Especially in the top of the box where the white wire goes through. I think you have done a brilliant job.
Great idea! I will do that to help seal it up.
Masterful work, thanks for sharing. Found the breakaway brake thing to be particularly interesting
Thank you! 👍
Super great build, I have worked with a lot of connectors and have never seen those heatable solder connections cool. I am not a fan of the metal washers to guide wire. You should put put an inline fuse on the negative side just in case anything shorts, even beyond fuse box. I see a lot of metal against wire on builds. Ziptie to washer works better.
that's funny you say that because I thought about ziptie to washer but went through the washers instead because my other trailer is wired that way. I guess I could cut the washers and reweld some for zipties if I have any problems.
Isnt it cool that wiring is just like designing a drainage system? Of course you dont worry about fall, but amps = volume of water, voltage = pressure, and wire and connections = pipe size and tees. I've enjoyed the build series.
Are we going to see the deck get installed and it's maiden voyage?
Yes and Yes Dave! I'm working on the next installment. This has turned into a much bigger project (the video series) than I was expecting.
hello,
Great video. in your time lapse of the installation of the Bunker Indust break-away system, I can not tell where the white wire and the black wire running from the battery screw into the junction box?
Dylan is right, grommets are needed or over time the washers will rub the wires until they short
My 2007 trailer is wired the same and hasn't had any problems, which is why I did it this way. Seems like it should be a problem in theory but hasn't been. I don't think the wires are heavy enough to provide the frictional resistance to rub through.
the rear marker lights on the fenders should be red. i use those lights all the time on my trailers, theyre small but are mighty bright and look very classy
Thank you! They also don't get smashed like the ones that stick out do.
Good Stuff! Some great Tips and Tricks to wiring a trailer.
Thank you Joe!
good job on this trailer stuff we love it. You have lots of skills that are great to see.
Thank you!
Running the brake wires independently, how did that work out?
Did you cut the wires the same length for the brakes?
Great video. Really enjoyed the trailer series.
Thank you! More on the way!
hey, thanks for the awesome videos. I Remember you had a specific pitch for french drains, was it a 16th of a bubble? I cant find the video which you spoke about it. Thanks.
Yes the french drain pipe needs to be fairly level. The reason is the water flooding up in the trench will be level.
@@GCFD is there a rule of thumb for the depth and width ? I'm trying to collect no point water in the back yard. In heavy clay soil . And pretty muching to create a gaint catch basin .
mighty fine video. love the detail.
Thank you D!
Another great vid but forgive me if I leave all of the electricity stuff to the professionals. I spent a childhood trying to fit long thin metal things into plug holes! Not just once have I been thrown across a room! Still have the curly hair to prove it too!!! 🤣😂🤣
PS...well done though, very impressive work all round on the building of the trailer. You are definitely a man of many talents 😊
Thank you Tracy. I'm glad you learned to stop playing with the plugs.
Good Friday morning to you sir from Wellington Somerset in the UK
Good morning!
Real bright guy.
thank you!
Just an FYI - Remember, a LED is a light emitting diode, and work as switches or gate keepers and as such are polarity sensitive. They block current flow in one direction and allow it to pass in the other direction.
Yes I remembered that when I watched the clip. I was thinking of fans at the time. 👍
Nice job Shawn, keep up the great work.
Thank you Nick!
Thanks for such a detailed video. Love it. Also very interesting how much this differs from Europe/Swedish trailers and their wiring. Love your channel, keep it up man!
Thanks for watching! - Shawn
from the Netherlands thanks for the video Shawn
Thank you!
Thank you for your detailed video. This was exactly what I was looking for. I’m about to wire lights, brakes, junction box, and a breakaway box myself.
One question- is there anything you would had wired differently now that you’ve put on the road for some time? Just curious because I’m about to follow your video for doing mine.
Thanks,
Iz
As a aero structural engineer i think you need some grommets or some protection around those washers that you have welded to the frame
It’s always better to be safe than sorry
I was thinking that too, but my other trailer is 15 years old with the same washers welded and hasn't been a problem. Like you said, bettter to be safe.
Great teaching video Shawn, very informative.
Thank you!
I am enjoying this build series.
Thank you! I need to hurry up and finish the series.....
Would it have been easier to run a marker and ground wire on both sides of the trailer and use a butt connector at each light??
You could do it that way for sure. Or ground with a self tapper at each point.
A very informative video! I’ve had to troubleshoot the wiring on my boat trailer before without actually knowing the reason it was wired the way it was. I learned a lot! Thanks!
Thank you Jack!
A good tutorial Shawn however running a grounding wire (negative) to all light fixtures is far superior than relying on grounding at each fitting due to dissimilar metals causing electrolysis between joints.Electric brakes will work better if all the cables are run from a centre point and the same length otherwise you may find the closest brake will work better than the furthest brake especially if the company is planning on heavy loads🇳🇿🙏🙏👍
Great tips! thank you!
Thanks for uploading these vids, love watching your work!
I suspect someone has likely already mentioned it but it would definitely be worth running the wires through rubber or plastic grommets rather than bare metal to avoid the risk of sheath damage over the years which could potentially end in a short.
Out of interest can you not run negative through the frame of the trailer like it is in the chassis of the car to save a bunch of wiring?
I haven't had any problems with the wires rubbing through on my other trailers. I suspect it's because the wire is not heavy enough to rub hard enough. Yes, you can ground each of these lights to the trailer frame, but then you need the trailer to be grounded to the vehicle to be grounded to the battery. Here, I ground through the wiring harness and to the frame (by the frame ground in the junction box).
@@GCFD Thanks to the prompt response. Can't wait for the next vids :)
Running a separate ground wire is always more robust. If you see a trailer with dim lights in one location, it's like a grounding issue, and they probably have their grounds attached to the frame, rather than through a wire. Even if the connection is good to start, wear and tear, rust, and dirt will eventually cause issues with that connection. Then you'll be "that guy" with the dim trailer lights.
Absolutely great video. So glad it worked in the end.
Is there a pt 5 coming for the bed install.
Hope so
Cheers
Lee from the UK 🇬🇧
Yes part 5 is on the way!
Is it ok to use a junction box on a boat trailer that would be regularly submerged in salt water?
🇨🇱 very detailed and informative video Shawn. The angle shots were good as well which helps to see what is happening. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 looking forward to seeing it in action. 🇨🇱
Thank you!
Nice work as always!
Thank you!
thank you for your great info,,the best,,....... if you made a harness for the wires on top of the trailer first like a new car factory build..harness. once it was all together transfer it to the under side of the trailer...just saying....cheers...
Will the wires going through the holes you drilled hold up over time rubbing against the sharp edges of the holes? The 90 degree bends in the wire through the fresh drilled hold worries me, but you have experience with this stuff!
I did file down the holes after I drilled them to smooth things out. I hope it's not a problem.
Do I have to have a battery box, or whats the advantage or disadvantage
Great video! I am about to redo a similar trailer and I was thinking of running 3 junction boxes, front, axles and rear connected with 7 pair bundle, then just doing short runs from each JB to brakes, running lights, tails etc. This will be my first time doing this, am I missing something or would this work?
Where did you get the bit you used for the back 3 holes
The last thing you want is your brakes to work separately. If you get a short on the 2 left wheels and those don’t engage and the 2 on the right are functioning correctly, there is a good chance you’ll wreck. Absolutely crazy to do it like that
Awesome video!I really needed
Thank you Randy! I hope you have good luck with your trailer - Shawn
I look forward to your videos more than an episode of Grey’s anatomy now 🤣
Haha thank you!
About wires rubbing on washers : just cable tie wires through the washers to prevent any movement. A quick fix. Cheers
that's a great idea Steve! I'm going to do that for sure.
Shawn did I miss you installing the license plate illumination?
Great work!
Thank you Steve!
This is amazing. Thanks for the vid
Thank you!
Amazing job
I use 16ga two wire exsenshin cord with rubber cover for markers and three wire ,for tail and turn, (back) and mark the ones in the box witch is left and right ! it is faster and eziaer to home run them .
👍
For that connector, I think you still need to mesh those wires together first before you menlt the solder just to be sure. just slide it to one side, twist or mesh wires together, slide it back and heat.
👍
Nice job on the trailer wiring the overall build is good but I see a few red flag...... 1 why aren't the wires in a protective sleeve? 2 why u didn't use rubber bushing for each hole penetration?? Remember metal edge is sharp and the vibration can chaff the wires
I talked about that in the video. My 2007 trailer is wired just like this and has never had any problems. I wouldn't leave the wires exposed like that if you're doing off road or crazy stuff with the trailer.
Shawn those melt on connector are crap, the low temp solder is weak and brittle and will fail from vibration.
I will keep an eye on them. So far they are working on my other repairs I've used. Thanks!
you should have used another separate ground wire for the brakes to balance the electrical load
I was thinking that while I was making the video. I may splice in a ring terminal near the brakes and self tapper to the frame.
Excellent video 💡🔋⚡️
thank you!
Awesome video man I have to do this same thing 👋👍👏
Do it!
LED lights are always tied to the polarity of the wires. Light Emitting Diode.... DC circuit so the current only flows in one direction and not the other.
Good to know! When I was watching the video I realized I was thinking of Fans when I said that. Oh well.
How come you left half of it yellow and half primer
It's all yellow now.
Every trailer I've ever dealt with had brown wire for running lights. The green was for right turn and stop.
A couple things to note:
Using standard wiring colors for the function for your runs after the junction box would be a huge improvement if anyone else ever has to work on the trailer. I know I'd be pissed if say I didn't have a left turn, and was tracing the yellow wire only to find out someone used it for a different function.
Protect the wires, most wire insulation won't last nearly as long exposed to UV light and the elements. Insulation should never be in a position to directly touch other surfaces that it could rub through on.
He has wired correctly as per SAE J2863. This is the correct standard for this application in his region. He does not have reversing lights so he does not need the purple wire.
He did double-up the brake live signal, but it may be an idea to double-up the brake ground as well. Alternatively, use more of those self-tappers to earth the ground to the chassis as appropriate.
@@SalvoDan
The color coding is nowhere near correct for US trailers.
@@SalvoDan
For a US light trailer like this it should be:
Yellow: left turn
Green: right turn
Brown: running lights
Black: reverse
Blue: brakes
Red: 12v+ aux
White: ground
All that work I would have ran through wire loom or made race ways to cover te wires and use wire clamps instead wire ties like solider shrink but I would put another layer of black adhesive shrink over it . Great video though.
Have not watched it yet. But maybe a Orange background with a Letter "S" or "G" in Dark Blue or Black in the Middle of the Circle as your youtube, is it Logo or thumbnail would make it stand out more - be more dominant, as you and your crew normally wear Orange or Fluro Yellow shirts - stand out from the Crowd.
Good idea! We just got some Blue shirts so will be transitioning to them.
Use marine grade tinned wire on everything outdoors for corrosion protection made that mistake before
I'm down here in NC with no road or sea salt and very little corrosion.
EXCELLENT VIDEO thx
Hi I did a test run on my French Drain and water I put crushed rock down first then pvc corrugated then I put more rock on top then I started putting water on top of the crushed rock and then I went to the end where the discharge smooth PVC schedule 40 pipe is to wait so I can see the water and I noticed the trench started filling with water instead of coming out through the PVC pipe☹️🤦🏻♂️ did I do something wrong?
Did your pvc pipe have holes in it? The water should fill up the rock until it comes to the holes in the pipe, then water floods into the pipe and through the pipe.
Yes they do have holes and I dug that front part up just to where it connects to the solid drain pipe is and I noticed that there was not any dirt there just rock so my guess is the water was draining down the trench instead of building up to go into the pipe so I’m going to put some clay soil in front of their packet and we are good and then do a retest or maybe just pour some cement in that area and then put dirt and then do a retest
@@rfl35 you want to really compact that dirt so you form a trench that fills up with water. I like your idea for solving it. You should be good.
Ok thank you I’ll keep you updated and thanks for answering my question! You ever thinking of doing a podcast or a Q&A through TH-cam that would be so awesome!!!!!
@@rfl35 I don’t know how to do that but it sounds like a good idea.
The battery should charge all the time as long as the trailer is plugged into the truck. The charge wire is not key on only it's always on.
On my truck it's key on only.
@@GCFD that's odd I have the same truck and the charge wire is always hot
Thank you!
Awesome video 👏👍
Thank you!
WHAT no backup lights, I sure love them on my trailer.
Hi. Good. Job,thank for share with mi. Can you please help me with cable size. Please. Thanks
D
Nice Job Thumbs up :)
Thank you Frank!
I was going say the same thing with the rubber grommet use.
That darn yellow paint job hurts the eyes! Curious why you picked such a color?
He said in the painting video it functions as anti theft, because it would be more unique
@@ravneiv How often do trailers get stolen ? and why not lock trailer hitch and run cable or chain thru tires . Looking at that yellow has permanently blinded me .😂
@@saltygreek3870 I don't know personally. I have a buddy that had two trailers stolen. His new has the locking hitch and a hidden GPS tracker.
I chose the yellow. I like the bright coloration to be seen. It's rust-o-leum John Deere Farm Tough. Trailers here do get stolen and taken down to SC where there are no titles. If you have a white cargo trailer, the best defense is wrapping it in graphics. Locks, cables, chocks, get cut. Graphics or yellow paint is too hard to remove so thieves move onto easier targets.
I like the yellow makes it easy for some fool driver not to miss it on the road.
I would have bought the gray electric break wire and I use old extension cord as my 3 wire need and I never had any problems with use old extension cord or gray electric break wire and also wire a ground wire from the front to the back because if you don't you will have problem will it
I don't understand how the ground is not throughout the whole trailer with me tapping directly into the frame.
@@GCFD yes ground whole trailer but I have had problem will that I have a ground back wire back by the light and if you want I can take a picture show you
ps I have a ground by the light and whole trailer because I have always had problem with trailer ground
if you have a way I can send a picture of how I did it
Thank you sir 🙏
Something I need to do have all new lights plus my trailer is blowing fuses
You should never use the wiring diagram that comes like because it's wrong for a 7 flat connector on rear of all pickups. Brown is always running lights, green is right turn and brake same color as the grass on that side, yellow is left turn and brake like the lines in the middle of the road. Those three colors don't change between trailers until you get to a semi-truck trailer.
Hi Preston - I used the 7 round standard not 7 flat. It's the RV standard as well.
Cheers
👍 Laurie