Rewiring trailer adapter

[mswanson]

I seem to have a short somewhere in my trailer wiring as it keeps blowing fuses in my truck. There seems to be no rhyme or reason, left turn, right turn, running light fuses all have blown at hook up or when traveling down the road, but only often enough to annoy me. Nothing repeatable.

I was going to take a stab at this problem by first rewiring the 4-way flat wiring harness as it's possible there is a short in there. My truck takes the typical 7 - way blade connection.

So my question is, does anyone know of a wiring harness that has the 7 - way blade connection to the truck with only 4 wires coming out? It would be nice to eliminate the 7 to 4 adapter as it's just one other thing to go wrong.

If I have to go through the pain of rewiring the entire trailer, does anyone have any recommendations for a quality wiring kit and lights (LED?)?

Its a shorelandr for a 16' lund.

Thanks!

[Modog]

Do you mean like this?
http://www.boatersworld.com/product/..._source=google

[Shellback]

You could just go to NAPA and buy a 7 blade female plug and wire it onto your trailer harness. No adapter needed. The only problem with that is you would only be able to tow with a vehicle that had a 7 blade receptacle. I don't think they have an adapter 7 blade male to 4 pin female. I started using dialectric grease on my trailer plug and adapter, since then I haven't had a problem at the connector. As far as your short, I'd just buy a LED light set with the wiring harness and replace everything. If you have a wire with the insulation worn off inside the trailer frame, you'll have to pull the wires anyhow.

[mswanson]

Modog, no, I already have one of those. and ;like I mentioned, i figured why have an adapter if I could hard wire my 4-wire trailer wiring to a 7 pin. Maybe my 4-way is old, but it always seems to be coming out of the 7-way.

So I can just solder the left,right,run, ground to the 7-way adapter and be good? I don't need to worry about the other leads not being connected?

If I'm going to rewire, Is the typical 14 gauge good enough? There are places on my trailer where there is access to the wire runs (ie. the wire doesn't just enter in at the trailer tongue and then exit at the lights). I suppose this is to aid in pulling through the wire, etc. Does this make sense?

Is it wise to have some kind of wire loom/tubing in those bare areas? I suppose I can see rock or something else nicking that exposed wire.

[Shellback]

The NAPA plug probably will have screws to lock the wires in, no need to do anything with the unused terminals. Ideally, you could contain the wires in a loom within the frame. Here's a link for material. the braided stuff is nice. https://www.wirecare.com/wc_product_company.asp

[reagd]

Originally Posted by mswanson

Modog, no, I already have one of those. and ;like I mentioned, i figured why have an adapter if I could hard wire my 4-wire trailer wiring to a 7 pin. Maybe my 4-way is old, but it always seems to be coming out of the 7-way.

So I can just solder the left,right,run, ground to the 7-way adapter and be good? I don't need to worry about the other leads not being connected?

If I'm going to rewire, Is the typical 14 gauge good enough? There are places on my trailer where there is access to the wire runs (ie. the wire doesn't just enter in at the trailer tongue and then exit at the lights). I suppose this is to aid in pulling through the wire, etc. Does this make sense?

Is it wise to have some kind of wire mr gasket split loom tubing in those bare areas? I suppose I can see rock or something else nicking that exposed wire.

I need a diagram Does anyone have a diagram for that kind of rewiring? I am willing to try it. I have the whole time this weekend.

[ffishman]

If it were me, I would start from scratch, and rewire the whole trailer. Its not that hard to do. The easiest way is to go to each light, disconnect the wires and tie on a very long piece of string. Do this to all of them. When ready, slowly pull out the harness. carefully retie the strings to the new harness. Then pull the strings to get the new wires in place. Either get some friends to help or do it yourself pulling a little on each one, until they are in place. This way you will know for sure the wires are in perfect shape.

[Hot Runr Guy]

Originally Posted by reagd

I need a diagram Does anyone have a diagram for that kind of rewiring? I am willing to try it. I have the whole time this weekend.

does this help?
http://www.championtrailers.com/4%20...ring%20dia.pdf

HRG

[REW]

MS,
Rather than using an adapter at your truck, but still keeping your trailer to be able to be used with other vehicles - wire in a 4 flat plug onto your truck.

Very simple to splice the 4 necessary wires off the back of the 7 way truck connector.

Then, pick up a good wiring harness, with all new LED tail and clearance lights and pull the new harness into your trailer. If there are issues at places where the wire goes through holes, be sure to install grommets, so that there is no chance of cutting the wire.

Take care
REW

[rbsangler]

Originally Posted by ffishman

If it were me, I would start from scratch, and rewire the whole trailer. Its not that hard to do. The easiest way is to go to each light, disconnect the wires and tie on a very long piece of string. Do this to all of them. When ready, slowly pull out the harness. carefully retie the strings to the new harness. Then pull the strings to get the new wires in place. Either get some friends to help or do it yourself pulling a little on each one, until they are in place. This way you will know for sure the wires are in perfect shape.

Ffishman, you are correct! This is the best and proper way to install a new wiring harness. Works for welded tubing and any other. Each string comes back out where it went in. i had an annoying short, just as the orriginal poster did, I ended up doing just as you describe, I used "better' wire and no problems since. Evidently, where the mnfgr torched through the tubing from one to the other, the "extremely thin" insulation wore through. Imagine that! And of coarse, that short was happening at really erratic times, hared to narrow down. Good Luck.