Any of you guys in the triad (GSO, WS) have trailer wiring experience? I have a 20 foot gooseneck I need some assistance with. Would pay you for your time. PM me. Thanks!
Trailer wiring?
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Burt Gummer
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You wiring the whole trailer or just the plug on the truck?
Been there, just put a new large plug a while back on a big tex gooseneck I picked up a while back. Several diagrams online i found on the trailer sites were helpful. The one that came with the connector was worthless. If I can help ask away.
OP
Its an old GN I bought to haul my pulling tractor. its drug 15 bazillion bales of hay out fields and everything is pretty gnarly on it. Ive pressure washed it, and it looks better, have matching wheels and tires for it, and I just need to put two brake lights (round LED 4") on the back and two yellow and two red running lights on it. Pretty simple. Honestly, I just want someone there that will help me make the connections and wire the plug. I can do most of the wire running. etc.
I can haul it to your house if that makes it easier and we lay around in your front yard and wire it. I dont figure it would be a big project for someone with wiring knowledge.
Or you can come here and shoot at my 300 yd range after we finish.
I can haul it to your house if that makes it easier and we lay around in your front yard and wire it. I dont figure it would be a big project for someone with wiring knowledge.
Or you can come here and shoot at my 300 yd range after we finish.
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http://www.bigtextrailers.com/pdf/info/wire_diagram.pdf
https://www.pjtrailers.com/support/docs/plugs/
I used both of the above links when I did mine I think and looked at the funtions and double checked with a test light. It had the small round connector someone had changed it to when I got it and when trying to use one of the adapters to the large plug for my truck the electric brakes would not release and found diffrence was center pin functionality so just converted it to the large connector I needed. Seems like Center pin on one is aux power and one it was emergency brake or something like that.
https://www.pjtrailers.com/support/docs/plugs/
I used both of the above links when I did mine I think and looked at the funtions and double checked with a test light. It had the small round connector someone had changed it to when I got it and when trying to use one of the adapters to the large plug for my truck the electric brakes would not release and found diffrence was center pin functionality so just converted it to the large connector I needed. Seems like Center pin on one is aux power and one it was emergency brake or something like that.
OP
I saw the two different schematics that had one as the brake, one as Aux….. Thats the kind of stuff I want to avoid. LOL.
Reason i ended up throwing the diagram from the connector I got away and getting out the test light to see what was where on truck to match it up to those diagrams with functions. The aftermarket connector was called a rv plug but same physical plug as 7 pin and it showed different colors again and caused more confusion. Lol I am no expert just had dumb luck and a brother helping that wasn't scared of blowing the main fuse since it wasn't his truck we were testing with.
No electric brakes or battery charging or backup lights makes it easy.
You don't need any of those 5, 6, or 7 way plugs.
4-wire plug, available everywhere-
White=ground. Attach to clean metal spot anywhere on the trailer(you see this one is real short, attach by hitch is fine)
Green=right brake & turn signal
Yellow=left brake & turn signal
Brown=running lights
All of the lights will have 2 wires coming out of them. One is solid in color, and the other will have a stripe. In trailer lights the striped one is + and the solid -.
Green wire goes to rt. turn signal striped wire. Solid wire from light goes to frame. Repeat with yellow and brown.
Everywhere you attach a wire to the frame the metal must be clean. This is important, grounding issues are most common on trailers.
Electrical tools needed-wire strippers, butt splices(red or blue), and something to crimp the butt splices on. Extra wire for possible lengthening. Zip ties.
It's so stupid easy even medical personnel can do it.
The hardest part of this job is actually mounting the lights. The electric is easy.
All lights will only work when the key is on in the tow vehicle.
If you don't have a 4 wire plug on your tow vehicle, you probably have a 7 wire. Get the 7 to 4 wire adapter at the Vato Zone, good to go.
Do not, repeat, do not let anyone other than a professional hack up or on any wires on the tow vehicle. This is a disaster. If you don't have any trailer plugs, take it to a trailer shop and have them put one on.
PS; Noticed the other day that Northern Tools has some nice led trailer light kits.
OP
Thats awesome. I have wired an old trailer with the cheapo 4 wire plug. The truck currently has a 7 wire in the bed. Thats helpful. Beef15 has been offering help too. You guys rock.
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I'll come supervise and provide moral support. Does that mean I can use the 300yd range?
Yep, what @Friday said will get you lit.
If you want to be easily be able to fix the brakes later I'd run 6 or 7-way cable now. Complete brake backing plates and all are often stupid cheap, think my last were under $30 per wheel.
I'm partial to P or cushion clamps for main cable running to the rear. And weatherproof/heatshrink connectors, because I hate ever having to mess with stuff after the first time.
If you want to be easily be able to fix the brakes later I'd run 6 or 7-way cable now. Complete brake backing plates and all are often stupid cheap, think my last were under $30 per wheel.
I'm partial to P or cushion clamps for main cable running to the rear. And weatherproof/heatshrink connectors, because I hate ever having to mess with stuff after the first time.
Call me crazy, but I wouldn't run that big a trailer and load without the brakes working.
Fix it proper the first time.
If you are willing to wire a 4 pin plug, what's 3 more wires ? Plus the knowledge you gain to make repairs later.
Fix it proper the first time.
If you are willing to wire a 4 pin plug, what's 3 more wires ? Plus the knowledge you gain to make repairs later.
OP
No, you bring up extremely good point. I'm laying out my decisions and having to drop a couple hundred more dollars on this situation right now, and just getting by this season for 2 more months just to make it where I can travel 15 miles up the road and back twice. I'm in sort of a piss-poor job situation right now and just trying to be frugal. But I do understand your point and the consequences if something happened. This trailer is only going to be hauled every once in awhile very infrequently.
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With LED lights, I highly recommend running a dedicated ground wire to each light. LEDs can be sensitive and will save a bunch of cussing. I learned this with boat trailer lights where we have to replace them every other year thanks to the saltwater environment.
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OP
oh yeah…. Those boys do some serious pulling up North. Im still in Little League
I lived there for a-bit. The pull they had there every year was insane. Tractors with 4 jet engines, 7 Chrysler hemi's...
One tractor had 3 Rolls Royce V16 aircraft engines, circa WW2.
The days lasted longer than 24 hours since these tractors rotated the earth backwards lol.
Where these farmers got the money for such toys is beyond me.
One tractor had 3 Rolls Royce V16 aircraft engines, circa WW2.
The days lasted longer than 24 hours since these tractors rotated the earth backwards lol.
Where these farmers got the money for such toys is beyond me.