Installing 2-Wire Lighted License Plate Bracket on Trailer

Updated 08/30/2017 | Published 08/29/2017

Question:

I bought a lighted license plate bracket and mounted it to my trailer frame. The 2 wires on the bracket are black and white. The trailer has standard 4 wires - white, green, yellow and brown. The white wire for the trailer is ground and is attached to the tongue near the hitch. So I figure the black wire from the bracket goes to brown for running lights. There is no trailer white wire available at the rear of the frame, should I just ground the brackets white wire to the trailer frame? Or do I need to do anything with it? thanks Gary

asked by: Gary

Helpful Expert Reply:

When wiring a 2-wire license plate bracket, such as the Optronics LED # LPL55CB, you are correct that the white wire will be for ground and the black wire is used for the running lights. The white wire from the bracket should be attached to a clean, bare metal surface on the trailer frame for a secure ground.

As you mentioned, the brown wire on your trailer is most likely the correct wire to tap into for the black wire on the bracket, but you will want to verify this by testing the wires for function. Wire colors can be a good starting point, but they are not always the most accurate method for determining their function, as trailer manufacturers will sometimes use different colors or a previous owner may have installed aftermarket wiring. You can test the wires using your vehicle's 12V battery and a jumper wire.

expert reply by: Chris R