Why is 10 or 12 Gauge Wire Recommended for Electric Brake Assemblies

Published 04/15/2019

Products Featured in This Question

etrailer Electric Trailer Brakes - Self-Adjusting - 10" - Left/Right Hand Assemblies - 3.5K

(2817)

$162.74

10 Gauge Wire - Blue Primary - Per Foot

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12 Gauge Wire - Black Primary - Per Foot

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Tekonsha Prodigy P3 Trailer Brake Controller - 1 to 4 Axles - Proportional

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$179.89

Mighty Cord 7-Way RV-Style Trailer Connector w/ Molded Cable - Trailer End - 6' Long

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Deka Heat Shrink Butt Connector - 16-14 Gauge - Nylon Insulation - Blue - Qty 5

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Deka Heat Shrink Butt Connector - 12-10 Gauge - Nylon Insulation - Yellow - Qty 5

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Wiring Kit for Hydrastar Electric Over Hydraulic Actuators

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Question:

The reason that 10 Gauge # 10-1-1 or 12 Gauge # 12-1-1 wire is recommended for 10" brake assemblies, like part # AKEBRK-35-SA, is because they pull more power than the lights on your trailer. I believe the green wire you are referring to carries the right turn/stop lighting functions as you can see from the attached photo of a trailer side 4-Way. The 14 and 16 gauge wires are too small for the amount of power needing to get to the brake assemblies and they could potentially get too hot, fail, or catch fire. If you only have a 4-Way on your trailer then you also need to install a 7-Way like the part # A10-7W6 or the part # 277-000141 which comes with a junction box for better wire management. The brake signal for your trailer brakes should be coming from a brake controller like the Prodigy P3 # 90195 that is mounted inside your tow vehicle cab. This brake controller allows you to control the amount of brake power that is being output and has a manual override in the event that emergency stopping is needed. I am attaching a helpful article that gives you more info about trailer wiring that you can reference as well as a video of the junction box being installed that you can check out.

asked by: Ronald R

Expert Reply:

The reason that 10 Gauge # 10-1-1 or 12 Gauge # 12-1-1 wire is recommended for 10" brake assemblies, like part # AKEBRK-35-SA, is because they pull more power than the lights on your trailer. I believe the green wire you are referring to carries the right turn/stop lighting functions as you can see from the attached photo of a trailer side 4-Way. The 14 and 16 gauge wires are too small for the amount of power needing to get to the brake assemblies and they could potentially get too hot, fail, or catch fire.

If you only have a 4-Way on your trailer then you also need to install a 7-Way like the part # A10-7W6 or the part # HS381-9000 which comes with a junction box for better wire management. The brake signal for your trailer brakes should be coming from a brake controller like the Prodigy P3 # 90195 that is mounted inside your tow vehicle cab. This brake controller allows you to control the amount of brake power that is being output and has a manual override in the event that emergency stopping is needed.

I am attaching a helpful article that gives you more info about trailer wiring that you can reference as well as a video of the junction box being installed that you can check out.

expert reply by: Jon G

click to enlarge

Ronald C.

4/15/2019

Jon G.

4/15/2019

I apologize, I did misunderstand but I can clear it up for you. Over distance there will be some power loss. The larger gauge wire allows more power to go further (safely) which is why you want to use that over the smaller 14 or 16 gauge wire. You can actually use either the 12-10 Gauge Heat Shrink Butt Connectors # DW05745-5 or the 16-14 Gauge Heat Shrink Butt Connectors # DW05744-5 as you can see from the attached videos. The larger ones make it easier to connect the larger gauge wire and you can definitely double up the wire on the brake assembly side. The smaller connectors will fit more snug around the wires on the assembly but it may be a little more difficult to get the larger wire inserted. Since these butt connectors secure by crimping them and then heating the heat shrink the wires won't move once installed properly. Soldering can be done but you lose the protection of the heat shrink. You would have to find a way to keep that connection protected from the elements if you wet that route.