Should 12 Volt Power from a Trailer Battery to Interior Lights be Circuit Protected

Updated 05/01/2014 | Published 04/29/2014

Question:

I am going to rewire my 2003 enclosed trailer and I just ordered from etrailer a new 7-way RV style plug, break away kit, junction box, interior lights and wire. I Read the QA for adding a Battery to a snowmobile trailer for interior lights and that helped a lot. Would I need to add a fuse or limiter for the battery/lights/switch? Do you have a wiring diagram for this?

asked by: Daniel P

Helpful Expert Reply:

Having a fuse or circuit breaker in line to the interior light wiring or any 12 volt accessory is not going to hurt anything and would add extra protection to other electrical items on the trailer and vehicle. You will just want to avoid using a fuse or circuit breaker that is rated way higher than what the accessory actually draws. For example if the interior lights draw 10 amps you would not use a 20 amp fuse because in a short circuit situation the fuse would not blow to protect the circuit until the draw reached over 20 amps.

I have linked a couple of videos for junction box installations. I have also included some helpful links on break away kits and trailer wiring in general.

expert reply by: Michael H