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Trailer wiring worth a damn

WoodburyZuk

Well-known member
Joined
May 24, 2021
Member Number
3939
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253
Just like the title states. I’m looking to redo my trailer wiring. Simple 15’ car trailer with two axles, both with brakes. When I originally rebuilt everything 8ish years ago I used all NAPA stuff because it was local and I was in a pinch (poor planning).

Idk if a mouse chewed my wire, but things are funky. Rear lights don’t work. Brakes locked up randomly after I hit the brake controller.

2010 tundra. I have heard rumors that Toyota’s are wired differently from everyone else.

Support the evil empire Amazon? Or get the wire/box/plug elsewhere?

0FEF8AA3-20E4-425E-A03D-624CC10670B4.jpeg
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Get surge brakes.

When you try and run a shitty little 4-wire harness with no loom to the cheapest lights imaginable everything will work great.

By trying to make it nice you offended the trailer gods and the struck you down.
 
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I knew I’d catch heat for not shrinking them yet. Yes. I know.
arse_sidewards said:
Get surge brakes.

When you try and run a shitty little 4-wire harness with no loom to the cheapest lights imaginable everything will work great.

By trying to make it nice you offended the trailer gods and the struck you down.
Click to expand...
I ran 7 conductor all the way back. Can’t do surge brakes. I hate them, and when I back down my steep driveway I need the brake controller in hand because my truck will just get pulled by my trailer and whatever is on it. It’s hairy in the rain/snow.
 
WoodburyZuk said:
I knew I’d catch heat for not shrinking them yet. Yes. I know.

I ran 7 conductor all the way back. Can’t do surge brakes. I hate them, and when I back down my steep driveway I need the brake controller in hand because my truck will just get pulled by my trailer and whatever is on it. It’s hairy in the rain/snow.
Click to expand...

Surge brakes suck… they are for people who can’t handle doing things right the first time.

I don’t think the Tundras are wired any different. At least the 7 I’ve had we’re not.

There was a thread on the place to not be named about using extension cords….
 
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rockota said:
Surge brakes suck… they are people who can’t handle doing things right the first time.
Click to expand...

:lmao:

If you set them up well they're great. Like "no matter how much shit I put on this trailer it always brakes the exact same" great. They are used fairly universally on trailers that cost as much as a car and carry cargo that is worth more than everything you own thrice over. If cheaper electric drums were better they'd use them, at least sometimes. If the coupler was not great the rich assholes who own them would be paying people to put on electric over hydro couplers.

Now, when some Toyota owner like you comes along with a seized coupler and poorly bled system, yeah, it's not great.

rockota said:
There was a thread on the place to not be named about using extension cords….
Click to expand...
And I endorse it fully :laughing:
 
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rockota said:
Surge brakes suck… they are people who can’t handle doing things right the first time.

I don’t think the Tundras are wired any different. At least the 7 I’ve had we’re not.

There was a thread on the place to not be named about using extension cords….
Click to expand...
I’ve used extension cords happily.
 
Gbkeith said:
I’ve used extension cords happily.
Click to expand...
As have I.
Specifically, on my 22+2 deck over rebuild I ran PVC conduit the length of the trailer, then used this cord to feed the lights: Amazon.com
Really flexible, feels like a silicon jacket.
Where I wanted more strands (going from the junction box out to the 4 pin flat connectors on the back corners of the trailer) I used this: Amazon.com
IMG_20231208_155120652~2.jpg


Aaron Z
 
aczlan said:
As have I.
Specifically, on my 22+2 deck over rebuild I ran PVC conduit the length of the trailer, then used this cord to feed the lights: Amazon.com
Really flexible, feels like a silicon jacket.
Where I wanted more strands (going from the junction box out to the 4 pin flat connectors on the back corners of the trailer) I used this: Amazon.com
IMG_20231208_155120652~2.jpg


Aaron Z
Click to expand...


What's with the orange strip in the middle?
 
I do remember talk of extension cords. Old head farmers by me use them.
 
slveryotabuggy said:
What's with the orange strip in the middle?
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Centerline to make it easier to line up when pulling on (I had leftover orange after painting the landing legs and decided to make a center line).
There is another one at the front at the 2" receiver (for a winch down the road).
In the spring/summer (once it's warmer and the deck "seasons" some) I will pull it off and put some deck seal on all sides of the boards.

Aaron Z
 
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I can't keep these threads straight but my single recommendation above the norm is choose fixtures that are externally grounded via a wire which you include in your harness.
Don't ground any light to the frame, I don't care if you also ground the frame but don't rely on it at any point to carry load.
 
Bumping this up because I finally got into it yesterday with the warmer weather.

Any issues running wire through conduit so the mice stay away?? Extension cords?
 
The only time I remember reading about funky tundra wiring, was with some of the early built in trailer breaks, that would all of a sudden "not detect the trailer".

Were you going around a corner when the breaks locked up? AKA did you ever mount the break controller box or is it still draped over the steering column?
 
WoodburyZuk said:
Bumping this up because I finally got into it yesterday with the warmer weather.

Any issues running wire through conduit so the mice stay away?? Extension cords?
Click to expand...
That's how I did mine, THHN in conduit, then I used this extension cord to the lights: Amazon.com
The insulation is super flexible even when cold, feels like silicone insulated wire.
I used PVC conduit with junction boxes and gland nuts where it went out to the wire, 10 gauge wire for the brake power and the ground, 14 gauge for everything else (only because I didn't have 16 gauge at home in the right colors).
I had some of the lever Wago connectors from a salesman so I used those for all the connections.
I did run all the wires to be back of the trailer and put 4 pin plugs at both back corners so I could put a 2 pin strobe or a set of magnetic lights for a overhanging loads and I also have a magnet mount flood light for loading.
I also put a pair of 4" round LED grommet mount lights in the back for backup lights.

The "running light" wire to the back 4 pin plugs is run separately so I (eventually) can put them on their own switch and choose if I want them to run off of the battery or the running light wire.

Aaron Z
 
rattlewagon said:
The only time I remember reading about funky tundra wiring, was with some of the early built in trailer breaks, that would all of a sudden "not detect the trailer".

Were you going around a corner when the breaks locked up? AKA did you ever mount the break controller box or is it still draped over the steering column?
Click to expand...
Nothing funky happened. A mouse decided to chew into it and some of the wires were shorting out on each other. Me n Kyle put a meter on my 7 pin off the factory Toyota and determined everything is right. We’re gonna get it right… eventually
 
Watching. I've got a work trailer that I need my guys to rewire.
 
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