Wires Get Hot and Smell Wired to 12v Battery to Power Interior Light in Enclosed Trailer

Question

Question:

Im trying to add a 12V battery to my enclosed trailer to run interior light when not connected to truck. Im trying to do this with out tapping into my existing wiring harness. Ive got it to work bu the wires are getting hot and smelling. Is this a grounding issue? Should I run the negative wire from battery to metal framing?

asked by: Jim S

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Expert Reply:

Yes you want to ground the 12v battery to a clean bare metal surface on the trailer frame when using a spare battery to power an interior light. You want to make sure the battery is good and all of your spliced connections are connected properly. Check any of the wiring for damaged or frayed wiring. If you are using a smaller gauge wire, I recommend a 12 gauge wire like part # 12-1-1 if you are powering a lot of lights or the lights draw a lot of power.

expert reply by: Heather A

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Answer 1

Trailer wiring generally uses 16 gauge wire, part #16-1-1. However, with a long trailer like yours you may want to go with a larger like 14 gauge #DW07550-1 or even 12 gauge #12-1-1. Each size is sold by the foot. You will need to have the lights at…

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Answer 2

It sounds like you are speaking of the wires for the brake magnets. If this is correct, you will need to connect one of the wires to the brake controller output wire on your trailer connector and the other wire will need to be grounded to a clean…

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Answer 3

A 4-Way trailer connector has the basic lighting functions only; running lights, left turn signal and brake lights, right turn signal and brake lights, and ground. A 7-Way has these functions and a 12 volt circuit, a circuit for electric trailer…

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Answer 4

The difference between the Class II and Class III hitches has to do with their Gross Trailer Weight (GTW), their Tongue Weight (TW), and their Hitch Receiver Size. Class II trailer hitch receivers have a 1-1/4 inch receiver and can be rated up to…

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Answer 5

That's a very good question, we tend to be extra cautious and say to use 10 gauge wire because that would be more than enough. When you get into longer trailers that will end up using a lot of wire the heavier gauge wire becomes more necessary.…

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Answer 6

If your trailer has 7 wires running all the way back to the brakes, then yes, you can tap into the existing wiring. Each of your new brakes will have two wires for the brake magnet. One wire is for 12 volt power to the brake magnets and the other…

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Answer 7

The OEM prep package consists of 4 "pucks" in the bed of the truck that will allow you to drop in puck style hitches for easy installation and removal, that gives you a completely clear bed when not in use. The B&W Companion OEM 5th…

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Answer 8

The only difference between 7-Way Utility and 7-Way RV is the color of the wires. The pin outs are the exact same so either would work just fine with the other. If you check out the picture I attached you'll see that the functions are all the…

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Answer 9

First you will need to remove the old hydraulic equipment. Remove the surge coupler or actuator, remove all the lines, and finally remove the brake assemblies. If you have 10 inch diameter hub and drums, you may need to replace those as well. If you…

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Answer 10

The best way to power the interior lights in your trailer is with its own independent battery. You will not want to use the breakaway battery. The breakaway battery is only designed to operate the breakaway and will drain extremely quickly,…

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Answer 11

Hey Zach, congrats on the new trailer! You can either look at the info sticker near the tongue of the trailer to find the weight ratings of each axle or, if you can't find that, there is a sticker in the middle of each axle showing what the…

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Wires Get Hot and Smell Wired to 12v Battery to Power Interior Light in Enclosed Trailer

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