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Thread: Lights on the trailer

  1. #1
    Member
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    Apr 2010
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    US
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    Lights on the trailer

    Can you give me some reasons and fixes why our back-up and brake lights are not working on our trailer. They seem to be wired correctly (like the diagram showed). The lights are working on the truck just not the trailer.

  2. #2
    Senior Member
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    Aug 2004
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    Tombstone, AZ
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    Not enough info. What kind of truck what kind of trailer.

    Most newer trucks have the trailer lights on separate circuits which mean separate fuses. Sometimes they are in the fuse box under the dash and sometimes in the fuse box under the hood. Thus the truck lights could work and the trailer not.

  3. #3
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
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    144
    Quote Originally Posted by pinkie View Post
    Can you give me some reasons and fixes why our back-up and brake lights are not working on our trailer. They seem to be wired correctly (like the diagram showed). The lights are working on the truck just not the trailer.
    My trailer light problems almost always stem from corrosion. The sockets that hold the lights, the connector at the hitch, or some other connection gets oxidized from sitting in a humid environment. If your trailer is like mine it sits for weeks or months and when you go to use it the lights won't work properly. Ground connections can really cause some strang issue's when they are not good.
    I would check and clean the connector where the trailer wires connect to the truck first. Try and get those brass connection shiny, particulary the ground and see if that doesn't help. If that doesn't work get a test light and volt meter and get busy.

  4. #4
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
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    17
    I have a custom-built utility trailer. I think the trailer builder was a better welder and painter than an electrician. I hitched the new trailer to my truck in blinding bright sunlight. It was really too bright to check the trailer's lights. So, I pulled the trailer about 100 miles to my home. There I discovered some trailer lights were working and others were not working. I forget which particular lights.

    I knew the truck side of the connector was wired properly and working. So, I started tracing wiring with my trusty multimeter at the trailer side of the connector. I discovered the electrician had "split the pair" to use an old telephone term. That means one conductor of the two conductor cable went to the proper place and the other conductor went to the wrong place.

    I repaired the split pair and the lights have worked since. The wiring error did not affect the electric trailer brakes.

    Hope this helps!

  5. #5
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    May 2011
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    14
    Jake- May I ask what manufacturer you chose for your trailer and what dealer you used? I am needing an at least 12 footer and don't know if the bigger brands are worth the extra money. Do you know anything about trailesplus

  6. #6
    Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Location
    TN
    Posts
    83
    BlueGrassBoy, My co=worker just bought a 8X24 enclosed Cyclone brand trailer online in GA paid I think 3600$ new. He looked locally but all were $4500 +. Course he had pick it up but was cheaper doin that then getting one local. If you're in KY you might research this one. It was fairfield GA or something like that something field, GA. Hope this helps,
    Have a blessed day,

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