So I have been fiddling around with this small trailer I got for free
When I got it it had dry rotted 8" tires a bent tongue and no lights or fenders. I plan to make some sides for it at some point
Once I put on some cheap fenders, a new longer tongue, 13" wheels/tires and some lights I just used it for about 6 months to haul my kayak around. During that time I had some issues with the lights and ended up wiring a dedicated ground. Still never worked great. Then I switched to LED lights, better but it still occasionally wouldn't work. I then determined it was the ground pin in the 4 pin plug and also a short in one of the wires. That was the last straw
I took to the internet for ideas. Found one that suggested liquidtight electrical conduit and junction boxes. Seemed like a good idea. I tweaked it a bit.
Now I have 3/4" PVC conduit from the tongue to the frame. Where the 4 pin harness comes out of the conduit it is sealed with marine goop. At the frame there is a standard single gang weatherproof box with a blank cover. This is where each side of the trailer ties together to the main trailer plug. Behind that I put a T conduit body and then liquid tight fittings and conduit down each side of the trailer. At the clearance lights I used another T and then plugged around the wires with marine goop. After the clearance light T it's just a straight shot back to the tail lights and the end of that run of conduit is also plugged around the wire with marine goop.
Basically aside from condensation there is no way for anything to get on my wiring now. We will see how it holds up.
For the wiring I used extension cord from the junction box back. I figure the extra layer of insulation can only help. Every connection is made with heat shrink waterproof crimps and aside from the connections to the tail lights is made inside of a weatherproof box.
Anyone else have good ideas or tricks for trailer wiring ?
When I got it it had dry rotted 8" tires a bent tongue and no lights or fenders. I plan to make some sides for it at some point
Once I put on some cheap fenders, a new longer tongue, 13" wheels/tires and some lights I just used it for about 6 months to haul my kayak around. During that time I had some issues with the lights and ended up wiring a dedicated ground. Still never worked great. Then I switched to LED lights, better but it still occasionally wouldn't work. I then determined it was the ground pin in the 4 pin plug and also a short in one of the wires. That was the last straw
I took to the internet for ideas. Found one that suggested liquidtight electrical conduit and junction boxes. Seemed like a good idea. I tweaked it a bit.
Now I have 3/4" PVC conduit from the tongue to the frame. Where the 4 pin harness comes out of the conduit it is sealed with marine goop. At the frame there is a standard single gang weatherproof box with a blank cover. This is where each side of the trailer ties together to the main trailer plug. Behind that I put a T conduit body and then liquid tight fittings and conduit down each side of the trailer. At the clearance lights I used another T and then plugged around the wires with marine goop. After the clearance light T it's just a straight shot back to the tail lights and the end of that run of conduit is also plugged around the wire with marine goop.
Basically aside from condensation there is no way for anything to get on my wiring now. We will see how it holds up.
For the wiring I used extension cord from the junction box back. I figure the extra layer of insulation can only help. Every connection is made with heat shrink waterproof crimps and aside from the connections to the tail lights is made inside of a weatherproof box.
Anyone else have good ideas or tricks for trailer wiring ?
