grounding a boat trailer ?

[petewv]

I am going to run 3 ground wires for my boat trailer. One ground wire for each light and a frame ground. When I splice the 3 wires to the wiring harness ground should I use heat shrink tape ? Can I just splice them together and tap the connection? What is the best way to hook the ground wires together

There is a short ground wire on the wiring harness I am NOT going to connect it to the front of the trailer , I was planning on hooking the 4 wires together and then hook the frame ground wire to the back of the trailer. Is this a good idea to hook the ground wire to the back of the trailer?

 

[briangcc]

Re: grounding a boat trailer ?

IF it were me, I'd be soldering and shrink wrapping the connection. You're in a wet environment and the last thing you need is corrosion in the wiring that could prevent the lights from functioning. Either that or a short occuring when your tape falls off the joint.


I had to add an extra ground from my trailer tongue to my tow vehicle as the wiring harness ground wasn't good enough. I used an oversized spring clip so I can remove the extra ground easily. Since adding that extra ground, I have not experienced any issues with my lights.

**Problem on my tow vehicle, and even my previous vehicle - '04 GMC Sierra, happened with U-haul car carriers as well. Manufacturers love to use the hitch/ball as the ground connection between the tow vehicle and trailer and that is poor at best.

 

[lckstckn2smknbrls]

Re: grounding a boat trailer ?

I'm a big supporter of running a white ground wire to every light. What I do is to put a ring terminal on the short white wire and attach it to the trailer tongue with a stainless steel self tapping screw. From that screw I run a white wire around the trailer to every light and back to the self tapping screw. I do it this way so if the ground wire ever breaks anywhere in the run the lights are still grounded.

 

[sublauxation]

Re: grounding a boat trailer ?

I used the crimp connectors with the heat shrink tube ends, then covered those in liquid electrical tape. In 3 years I've had no problems. I used to have a self tapping screw connecting all the grounds on the trailer tongue but it loosened up and every time I hit a bump the lights would flicker off. I finally just tied them all into the ground wire for the plug so there is nothing grounding through the trailer frame.

 

[81 Checkmate]

Re: grounding a boat trailer ?

Brianggc....I had to add an extra ground from my trailer tongue to my tow vehicle as the wiring harness ground wasn't good enough. I used an oversized spring clip so I can remove the extra ground easily. Since adding that extra ground, I have not experienced any issues with my lights.

I had the same issue last week....would not ground good thru the ball from truck to trailer. Thanks for the Nice tip ill have to that!

 

[Silverbullet555]

Re: grounding a boat trailer ?

All lights on my trailer are direct grounded. I'm not in as good as a position as if I had done a home run with the wire, but better than using the trailer frame as a ground.

 

[Outsider]

Re: grounding a boat trailer ?

The problem with grounding through the trailer frame isn't the frame, it's the connection to the tow vehicle ground. All wiring pigtails have a ground wire on both sides (white). Since I started using that wire for it's intended purpose (30 or so years now), I've not had a ground problem except when I damaged a connector. Preventive maintenance is a wonderful thing ... :joyous:

 

[04fxdwgi]

Re: grounding a boat trailer ?

Ripped all the wiring off my trailer. Installed a commercially available trailer wiring junction box on trailer frame up by the winch stand. Ran a home run from each light to the junction box and made the connections in there. Ran a ground from box to frame, although didn't need it, frame should be grounded. Then ran the harness on the connector from the truck to the junction box and made those connections (I did use a 7 pin connector from the truck's factory tow harness plug, ut can be done w/ a 4 prong flat plug too.). The white wire in the harness between the truck and the trailer is the defacto ground between the two, not the ball.

Advantages:
1. Harness has no spices in it, except at the light plug and those are soldered and sealed by sealing glue/goop in marine shrink tubing.
2. Connection box never gets near the water
3. Junction box teminals provide perfect point to test, if need be.

 

[Bob's Garage]

Re: grounding a boat trailer ?

Ripped all the wiring off my trailer. Installed a commercially available trailer wiring junction box on trailer frame up by the winch stand. Ran a home run from each light to the junction box and made the connections in there. Ran a ground from box to frame, although didn't need it, frame should be grounded. Then ran the harness on the connector from the truck to the junction box and made those connections (I did use a 7 pin connector from the truck's factory tow harness plug, ut can be done w/ a 4 prong flat plug too.). The white wire in the harness between the truck and the trailer is the defacto ground between the two, not the ball.

Advantages:
1. Harness has no spices in it, except at the light plug and those are soldered and sealed by sealing glue/goop in marine shrink tubing.
2. Connection box never gets near the water
3. Junction box terminals provide perfect point to test, if need be.

Thought I was the only one who could see the benefits of the 7 pin conversion. It also facilitates going to electric/hydraulic conversion.

It should be noted that there is a need for the trailer frame to be grounded. Most (all I have seen) trailer marker lights (side lights) are single wire, frame grounded. No solid trailer ground gives poor side lights which means failure to comply with trailer laws.

 

[batman99]

Re: grounding a boat trailer ?

For my boat trailer...

- Each light assembly has a frame ground.
- Ground wire from trailer plug goes to frame around.
- Only live (brake, signal, brake and clearance) wires are from trailer connector plug to their end points.
- Brake wring in STAR configuration - instead of traditional linear.
- ALL wires are pulled within PEX tubing and use Plastic Wire Loom around corners.
- Brake wiring is thick 10 gauge.
- Signal, brake and clearance lights are 12 gauge.\
- All joints are soldered, shrink wrap and covered with electrical tape.

This works for my trailer...

 

[04fxdwgi]

Re: grounding a boat trailer ?

Thought I was the only one who could see the benefits of the 7 pin conversion. It also facilitates going to electric/hydraulic conversion.

It should be noted that there is a need for the trailer frame to be grounded. Most (all I have seen) trailer marker lights (side lights) are single wire, frame grounded. No solid trailer ground gives poor side lights which means failure to comply with trailer laws.

Yeah, ALL equipment frames need to be grounded, wheather a lighting ground circuit is needed or not. When I upgraded all my lighting / wiring, I chose to go with sealed 2 wire LED fixtures, to eliminate bad frame ground problems down the road and get longer life from 100% sealed fixtures.

When going from drum brakes on one axle to Kodiac Disc brakes on both axles (great upgrade, by the way), I needed to go from the flat 4 pin to the flat 5 pin connector to the reverse lights (truck connector has 7 and 4 pin connectors built in) or use the 7 pin built into the truck's tow package. Needed to do this because of the need for the reverse lockout solenoid so I could back the truck / trailer up an incline. Utilizing the existing 7 pin connector was a far superior (and easier) way of doing it, instead of using an array of converter plugs. Plus, as you stated, if I ever convert to electric, or elctric over hydraulic, then I am already setup to do it (and do it right) with zero headaches.