eletric brakes wiring question.

[Kays Supply]

I just got my trailer back from the shop. They gave me a handful of rubbed and pinched wires. I had them sleeve the wires front to back. They also ran the wires outside the axle this time as they had rubbed to ground all inside the axles. I know I should have done it myself, I am trying to get 12 months work done starting 5 months late, rain rain rain rain.

 

[mapmaker]

I had a camper once that had electric brakes, It developed a bad ground in the turn signals. The path the electrons found to ground was to go through the brakes. When I went to make a turn the brakes would pulse with the turn signals. It turned out to be a bad ground in the connector on the trailer side. Big surprise the first time I went to make a turn.

 

[skipmarcy]

I always solder my trailer connections and use heat shrink tubing - in the vehicle and on the trailer itself - Scotch-Lok connectors should be outlawed !!! I also agree about using just the trailer frame for grounding, it's a big mistake - I do ground the trailer frame to the wiring harness, just don't rely on it alone, run grounds thru your 7-way connectors too. For my brake controller I run 12 ga. wire straight to the battery for both positive and ground, using a 30a circuit breaker on the positive lead right at the battery. Alot of trailer builders usually just blow holes thru the crossmembers with a torch to run the wires thru - a nice jagged hole to rub the wires. I just ordered and received my new trailer and I specifically told them to just tape the wires up to the crossmembers so I could drive it home, no holes cut into my crossmembers. I also ordered it without a deck so it was much easier to do all the wiring first. I used poly split looming for my wiring protection. There isn't a polarity on the brake magnets - they are simply electromagnets and work either way.

 

[gemini5362]

skipmarcy if I could add one comment to your post. I dont know what year they started doing it but some of the newer trucks. ( my 2005 and 2006 silverado) have wiring made in the wireing harness for brake controllers. They have a wiring harness that goes to the brake controller. On my trucks I have a seperate set of fuses that power my trailer wiring. I would recommend using that for my brake controller rather than going straight to the battery.

 

[Oldmax]

I always run Ground back to the Battery, With a white wire don't depend on frame to ground lights or brakes. it only takes a little wire and can save a lot of problems later on.