Old Load Trail dovetail trailer

[KYDan]

I recently purchased an older Load Trail trailer at an estate auction. I don't know how old it actually is and I have contacted the manufacturer about particulars, but to-date have not heard from them. I pulled the wheels and checked the bearings, then cleaned and greased them. These hubs are the older design that require removal to pack them. The question I have is the wiring. It has a 6 -way plug plug wired to it, however, there is a small 12 volt battery mounted on the side of the trailer that it wired to the hot lead (blue) and the to the emergency break away system. I have not seen anything like this before and I am sure no electrician. I want to convert it to my system for all of my other trailers which are 7-way plug systems. I have attached some images of the wiring system after removing the considerable amount of electrical tape covering it. Do any of you have any experience with this? And, can you offer some assistance? The small battery hot lead is blue and the ground is white.

 

[Diamondpilot]

The small battery is for emergency brakes. It should measure 12v and be checked once a year at a minimum. If its not good replace. The law states the battery should be sufficient to hold the brakes locked for 15 minutes minimum.

As for converting from the old 7 pin to a new 7 pin its a matter of cutting off the old and installing the new.

Go to R&Pcarriages.com Paul and his wife has a great site. You can get all you need and his help section for step by step instructions.

Chris

 

[Xfaxman]

Chris is right, good info here, shows 6 way and 7 way : Trailer Wireing

But you need to physically check the wires, just because there is a color code, doesn't mean it is wired that way.

Some guys swap the marker lights with the brakes, thinking if the trailer is stolen at night, the brakes will lock up when the Truck lights are turned on.

 

[KYDan]

Thanks for the information and the link they have solved my problems! I thought I would order from them since they had so much good, useful information. While I was checking out I discovered they offer a 7 pin connector converter to 6 pin that allows me to simply plug in the 6 pin male plug to my existing 7 pin receiver and that actually cost less than the 7 pin male plug and pigtail! I also read and saved a lot of good information about heavy trailers. I thought this trailer was a good buy and would save me from renting a trailer to haul my tractor to the dealer if or when it might be necessary and also I could use it when I rent an excavator or other equipment. This is a heavy haul trailer and evidently it has different requirements than any of my other ones. I have a 5 ton dump trailer that does not require the secondary battery as it has a manually activated breakaway brake. I don't know if that is due to the lighter rating or not. I will read more regarding this. Thanks again for your help and if you are ever in Frankfort give me a call I will buy you a cup of coffee.

 

[KYDan]

Thanks Xfaxman, I am going through everything now and cleaning it up. It had been sitting in a barn for the last few years.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Just be aware that there are two wiring methods for 6 pin connectors. So it may not just be a simple plug and play. If they do not work properly most adapters have two wires that are interchangeable by taking it apart. Read the instructions.....

Chris

 

[KYDan]

Just be aware that there are two wiring methods for 6 pin connectors. So it may not just be a simple plug and play. If they do not work properly most adapters have two wires that are interchangeable by taking it apart. Read the instructions.....

Chris

There are no instructions with this old system, however, I read some of the things to look for on the R & P website and saved all the information as PDF files. It will be easy enough to test it with a multimeter. I also ordered the 7 pin plug in tester to validate my original wiring as an additional precaution. Part of the cost of purchasing bargains is the time it takes to perform the maintenance from years of non-use and/or neglect. It is a rainy days project as I don't have a specific need for the trailer yet. I am repairing the decking now along with the other necessary items. Again, thanks everyone for the tips.