Rewiring Trailer, do I need 6 or 7 strand wire?

[SCOOBY14B]

I've got an equipment trailer I am rewiring. It has electric brakes, but no breakaway controller. Basically brakes, stop, turn, tail/marker, and ground I guess.

Do I need 6 or 7 strand wire?

Thanks

 

[Willl]

Easier to do 7 now than to add in another one later.

 

[Ductape]

Agreed. Much easier to do 7 wire and have an extra circuit or two you can use later, than to do six and try to add one. I'd also use a standard 7 way RV style plug, common to most newer trailers.

 

[GATC35]

My local trailer parts place actually sells the 7 conductor wire by the foot. They buy it by the 250 ft spool. The turn signal and brake light strands are 16 ga, the brakes and aux. wires are 12 ga, and the charge wire is 10 ga.

I see you are in Georgia. I don't know how far you are from Fayetteville. "Trailers for Less" is where I buy all my stuff from. Good folks to deal with.

Trailers For Less: Largest Inventory & Best Variety!

I'm not affilated with "Trailers for Less" in any way. Just recommending a good bunch of folks to deal with.

 

[Diamondpilot]

You should really look at your local trialer laws. In my state it says any trailer over 3,500# must have brakes, does not say how many so a lot of tandems just have them on one axle, but it does state you must have a break-away with 15 minutes of battery reserve to hold the brake in case of a disconnect. I would spend the $40 and put on a break-away.

Chris

 

[RobertN]

It is easier to just put in the 7 wire, than it is to add it later. And, makes a cleaner installation.

My flatbed 7000lb trailer was 7 wire from the factory, at least 7 wire connector... It does not use the aux line/backup light. I'm not even sure it uses the charge line for the breakaway... So I think it is really 5 wire...

If you are rewiring, add the breakaway. It is cheap, and will help control a loose trailer. Hope it never happens. I saw a boat on a trailer pass a guy once... Scary. Fortunately, for the owner and the other motorist, the whole thing verred right, in to a field. No real damage done. Two years later though, that field was(is) townhouses...

Don't know what happened. There was a sharp crown on the road at the intersection where it came loose. I do not know if the hitch was loose, coupler not locked, nor is he even had safety chains. I bet he did shortly after his $10,000 boat passed him

 

[George2615]

I agree with the others that you should wire it with 7 wire cable and add the breakaway switch. As DP said most states require the breakaway switch on the trailer.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

I usually use extension cord. It's a whole lot cheaper than 7 stranded trailer wiire, and It's double insulated. I'll use two colors of extension cord so that I can keep them straight. I'll run the ground as a separate wire since I can ground it somewhere on the tongue.

 

[denmansoft]

My trailer store has the 7 way plug and 8 feet of cable all ready to go for a trailer ($36). This keeps everything that is exposed in the hitch area sealed and fewer problems. Dirt and moisture out here on the wet coast is the death of electrical circuits!

 

[shakin]

farmer there is different ratings for wire as temp for the outer jacket. uv resistance also the duplex wire is cheaper now but what about later.