Can Ground Wire for Trailer Lights be Connected to Main Ground Wire

Updated 10/16/2018 | Published 10/14/2018

Products Featured in This Question

Self-Tapping Screw - 1/4" -14 x 3/4" Long - Zinc

(79)

$1.66

Ring Terminal -16-14 Gauge - 1/4" Ring ID - Qty. 1

(75)

$1.18

Question:

Does the grounding wire have to be connected to the utility bed or can a direct wire be added from the light ground white wire to the white ground wire from the trailer connecter that is typically attached to the utility trailers tongue. We have had grounding issues on a folding utility bed and it seems we can just attach the two white grounding wires to each other directly.

asked by: Emily

Helpful Expert Reply:

You can connect the ground wire from your light to the main ground circuit on your utility trailer, but we typically recommend using a ring terminal like part # DW05702-1 and matching self-tapping screw # FA1131822 to ground it to your trailer frame as this is typically a better connection.

If you are having ground issues then it may be that your ground isn't securely connected to a clean, bare-metal surface. If you make sure the frame is clean before connecting ground then you should be fine.

expert reply by: Jon G