Adding Interior Lights to Trailer and Keep Battery Charged

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Question:

Could you give a a step by step on the wire hookup? . I’m assuming that I will the wires about 12 inches back from the plug that goes to the back of my truck and hook up one wire to each prong on the junction box. So at this point I will have 2 wires on each prong one from the trailer to the junction box and one from the Jbox to the plug that goes to the truck. Ok so if that’s right so far now I would have to run some wire from the Knox to the new battery then to the switch then to the light then back to the battery. Could you just gone me the hook up instructions thanks

asked by: George

0

Expert Reply:

The best way to get interior lights in your trailer is to have a dedicated 12 volt battery, and battery box like # 329-HM318BKS mounted to the trailer. This gives you the power needed while you're not hooked to your truck.

For lights I recommend LEDs because they require much less power, and last longer than incandescent bulbs. Which lights I recommend depends on how many you want to add and the way you want to mount them. You'll need wire # 12-1-1 and ring terminals # 44-5310A for each light. For a switch you can use Pollak Heavy-Duty Toggle Switch # PK34571.

The new battery can be hooked into the 7 way on your trailer using a junction box # 38656, and then when you're hooked up it will provide a maintenance charge. This however will not completely charge a dead battery. If you plan on being unhooked for an extended period, or your trailer battery is depleted I recommend using a battery charger like CTEK MULTI US 7002 12-Volt Universal Battery Charger # CTEK56353.

I linked the parts mentioned above, a few videos as well as our selection of LED interior trailer lights for you to check out.

expert reply by: Robert C

0

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George D.

1/1/0001

Could you give a a step by step on the wire hookup? . I’m assuming that I will the wires about 12 inches back from the plug that goes to the back of my truck and hook up one wire to each prong on the junction box. So at this point I will have 2 wires on each prong one from the trailer to the junction box and one from the Jbox to the plug that goes to the truck. Ok so if that’s right so far now I would have to run some wire from the Knox to the new battery then to the switch then to the light then back to the battery. Could you just gone me the hook up instructions thanks

Reply

Robert C.

2/19/2020

I can definitely help you out with the wiring. There isn't a set of instructions since there are numerous ways to install the lights and battery and routing will be different on each trailer. You are correct, you mount your junction box towards the front of the trailer with 1 set of wires going to the plug (that hooks into your truck). The other set of wires (connected in the junction box) would go out to the corresponding lights, and brakes. Then you run a wire from the 12V pin in the junction box to the positive post on the new battery. The lights can be mounted and grounded to the trailer, and the power wire runs to the switch, and then from the switch to the 12V post in the junction box. I attached a photo of a trailer wiring diagram for you to reference.

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Answer 1

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 2

You could drill into the Bulldog #BD028463 and make it a bolt-on but that's not really ideal. We don't have the exact match in a bolt-on model. We do have part #BD44150WH301 for a bolt-on Bulldog coupler. It has a higher rating but the price…

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Answer 3

Thank you for sending the photo! While I have a solution for you, the Blaylock Total-Encasement Coupler Lock, part #BLTL-23 will not work. I is designed to fit Bulldog Collar-Lok style couplers that use a 2-5/16" ball, like #BD028463 for…

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Answer 4

Since the trailer connector on your 2013 Ford F-150 is no longer sending power to the turn signal circuits on your trailer you will need to replace fuse #73. This 20-amp fuse is located in the engine bay fuse box and is what sends power to the…

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Answer 5

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Answer 6

In order to charge an on-board trailer battery you'd need to have a seven way connection on both the vehicle and trailer, this would contain the necessary circuits to pass a charge from the vehicle battery to the trailer battery. If you don't…

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Answer 7

I recommend a 12 volt car battery rather than a breakaway battery because you may end up needing the larger battery down the road. What you will do is attach a battery box (see link for options) to the trailer frame. From the trailer side 7-Way…

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Answer 8

Yes, the Aluminum Hi-Spec Series 6 Trailer Wheel part #AM20455B will work great on a Alcom 16' Box Trailer. If you want you can reuse the current tires or you can pick up some new ones with your new wheels, the Karrier ST205/75R15 Radial Trailer…

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Answer 9

The first thing you will need is a battery and a battery box. The wiring for the light will need to be connected directly to this battery via a switch that you can get at a hardware store if the light does not already have a switch. Or you can…

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Answer 10

Typically 4-way wiring consists of 18 and 16 gauge wires. For a 4-way that has all 16 gauge wire you would want the Wesbar 4-Pole Flat Connector #W787264. The part #HM38138 uses 18 gauge for all wires but the white that uses 16 gauge.

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Answer 11

The Excel RV Tankless On-Demand Water Heater -with Electric Ignition, #EX93FR has an ignitor that is powered from the 2 D-cell batteries. That is the only power source, not an alternate.

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Answer 12

The Excel RV Tankless Water Heater #EX93FR does not hook up to your battery bank or shore power for power. It is gas powered and uses 2 D-sized batteries to provide the power needed for the electric ignition. So, there is no wattage needed to use the…

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Adding Interior Lights to Trailer and Keep Battery Charged

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