This is because the hot wheels are literally doing all the braking and it will cause excessive wear to those brakes.Īll our Tow Pro brake controller wiring guides are online, so make sure you have a good look before setting off. If your trailer is wired as above, you will notice one wheel or one side getting very hot and the other wheels staying very cool. If that wire runs to one wheel, then the other, then the other and the other as demonstrated above, it creates that twisting feeling under braking. This often makes the trailer feel like it's twisting when you brake.Įlectric brake wiring: trailer wiring diagramĪ brake controller has only one output wire. Uneven braking occurs when the length of the wire between each of the magnet connections adds resistance and therefore creates a difference in braking performance at each wheel. There are two ways to do trailer brake wiring, the right way and the wrong way. Make sure the wires under the trailer are run through good quality conduit and secured better than Alcatraz, no hanging wires anywhere! Also very important is to never, ever use scotch locks to join wires! Just don’t do it, they’re not designed for this type of application and will cause issues on the road. The best preventative for this type of damage is to become OCD neat with your trailer wiring. This is trailer wiring 101, and something to know any time you hit the road.Īsk any auto electrician, a very common trailer wiring fault is usually caused by the family pet thinking it’s a chew toy! Any sort of tear in the wire harness presents the potential of a short to earth - which is not good. Damaged wires can also be caused by rocks and anything else you may come across on the road, especially if you’re doing some hardcore off road driving. Trailer plugs are cheap and extremely easy to swap out, all you need is a screwdriver and the ability to remember where the wires went. If the pins look like they’re rusted, have green copper corrosion or are bent beyond repair, just replace the plug. If they are carefully bend them back into position. Once it’s all washed out, connect and disconnect the plug 3-4 times to further improve the connection.ĭoing this simple clean will ensure the trailer doesn’t lose connection while you drive, this is especially important as the trailer plug is also supplying power to the brakes on the trailer and you don’t want to lose those! Whilst you’re there checking the trailer plug, grab a small flat head screwdriver and make sure the pins aren’t bent out of place or pinched on either plug. Make sure you do the same to the trailer plug and socket on the tow vehicle too, just to be sure. Shoot on down to the local auto accessory store and grab yourself a can of WD-40 and proceed to blast the plug, this will clear out anything that’ll add resistance to the trailer connection. The pins inside the plug can have dirt and god knows what caked inside, maybe even spiders, so it pays to give those connector pins a freshen up! It's ok, we understand, but the trusty trailer plug that brings the beast to life can be susceptible to corrosion from the weather thrown at it during the down time. Unless you’re a grey nomad off living the dream, chances are your trusty home away from home sits in the one spot, lifeless for more than half the year. Always take the time to look over our REDARC wiring guides before making any drastic changes.ĥ common issues with trailer wiring Corrosion If you’re anything like us here at REDARC, you’re excited to drag the caravan or camper trailer out of hibernation and shoot off somewhere to enjoy some quality time with friends and family.īut before you embark on your epic trip, there are a few quick and easy trailer wiring checks you can do to ensure you don’t run into any hiccups on the black top. Pump the brakes! It’s spring and that means one thing… It’s touring time!
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |