'
1
Forums Albums Skins 1
Search Register Logon


You are logged in as a guest. Logon or register an account to access more features.
OTHER FORUMS:    Barrel Horses  -   Trucks   -   Cutting  -   Reining  -   Roping 
'
Trailer wiring ?'s

Jump to page : 1
Now viewing page 1 [25 messages per page]
Last activity 2008-05-07 11:58 AM
6 replies, 3885 views

View previous thread :: View next thread
   General Discussion -> Trailer Talk  Click to return to Barrel Talk
Refresh
Message format
 
Myaj
Reg. May 2008
Posted 2008-05-06 2:02 PM (#83292)
Subject: Trailer wiring ?'s


Member


Posts: 22

Location: SE Wisconsin
Okay, I'm confused and was wondering if anyone can give me some tips. Someone suggested I try this forum and it looks like the right place to be :).Last fall I bought a used trailer (94 CM 2 horse straight load, tack under manger). This is my first trailer, and I'm definitely not an electrician. So bear with me here.Anyways, the plunger for the emergency breakaway system was missing, as well as the battery. So as soon as you plugged in the trailer to the truck, the brakes would lock up (thinking it was broken away). I picked up a new breakaway system, first we tried replacing just the plunger.. it fit, but the brakes still lock up. So we took off the entire breakaway box, replaced with the new, the brakes still locked up.We've since discovered that the trailer was wired completely backwards (left turn and right turn were reversed, ground and brake were reversed, etc). So I cut off the old plug, rewired everything to a new plug (upgraded right away from the 6 round to the 7 RV so I don't need the adapter anymore). So that part is now wired correctly. You can tell the previous owners knew about the brake problem, as they'd tried to disconnect the brake power line, but since it was wired backwards, they disconnected the ground and the brakes still were connected (the wiring/color diagram that came with the trailer shows everything reversed, for example, it said black was brakes and blue was ground, its just the opposite).The brakes still lock up.. I don't have the little 12v battery installed though. I just moved, and its packed in a box somewhere and I can't find it at the moment. I thought this battery just is the power source to the emergency breakaway for when it breaks away from the trailer. Or does it need to be there to complete some circuit to make this work properly?If we disconnect the brake line (now that its wired properly), the brakes do unlock, and we can pull it with working lights, and no trailer brakes.Anyways, are there any suggestions on what I should be looking for to figure this out? I've been told by a few people that I would be perfectly safe just completely disconnecting the brakes entirely, since I drive a GMC 2500HD. My farrier said he'd prefer it that way, as electric brakes are just one more thing to break down on you. But anyways, if there's some way to figure this out without taking it to the shop and paying them a few hundred for something I could probably do myself for the cost of some wire, if that, I'd really appreciate the advice. I'd personally rather have the trailer brakes working. I do have the wiring diagrams that all came with the trailer, but I don't really know how to know which wire is which and a lot of the wiring looks to be run through the frame where I can't really see or get at it.If you're confused after reading all of the above, long story short, as soon as there is power to the trailer from the truck the trailer brakes engage (you can pull forward about 8" then they lock up). If its not plugged into the truck, the trailer rolls fine. My thought is that for whatever reason, its registering as "broken away", even though the breakaway box is new and the plunger is in. I could be wrong. I'm hoping adding the battery into the circuit where its supposed to be will solve this, but not really expecting that to work.For what its worth, we tried it with multiple trucks and had the same results, so its not my truck wiring/brake controller.Thanks for any help!
share Top of the page Bottom of the page
Tresvolte
Reg. Feb 2008
Posted 2008-05-06 2:28 PM (#83298 - in reply to #83292)
Subject: RE: Trailer wiring ?'s




50010010010025
Location: Where the wind comes sweepin' down the plain...

Sounds like you have your brake wire hooked up to your hot wire on your truck. If the brakes unlock when you unhook that one wire from the truck, that would be the issue.

Also, if the sticker on your trailer tells you that black is brakes and blue is ground, then that part is probably correct. Just pin position is off from your truck. Colors won't necessarily match what it says in the plug or what the truck is.

share Top of the page Bottom of the page
skippyvcu
Reg. May 2006
Posted 2008-05-06 3:06 PM (#83301 - in reply to #83292)
Subject: RE: Trailer wiring ?'s


Regular


Posts: 87
252525
Location: Williamsburg VA
On some the six way plugs for the trailer the center is the auxiliary hot wire and on others it is the brake wire.  The previous owners could have reversed the hot wire and the brake wire in the trailer wiring to match their truck plug. 
share Top of the page Bottom of the page
kid lena
Reg. Mar 2007
Posted 2008-05-06 3:31 PM (#83304 - in reply to #83292)
Subject: RE: Trailer wiring ?'s


Member


Posts: 7

Location: georgia
It sounds like someone has connected the breakaway battery charge line to the brake wire going to the electric brakes. The breakaway battery should be charged from the hot wire (+12) coming from your truck. The brake wire should be connected to the other side of the plunger wire (not the side attached to the battery) also the brake wire should not be attached to the charge wire, only the blue brake wire coming from your brake actuator. Hope this helps.
share Top of the page Bottom of the page
Myaj
Reg. May 2008
Posted 2008-05-07 2:49 AM (#83335 - in reply to #83292)
Subject: RE: Trailer wiring ?'s


Member


Posts: 22

Location: SE Wisconsin
Thank you all. Kid Lena, that sounds like my problem, but I can't tell which wire is which because they disappear inside the frame then travel back a ways, and to be honest, I'm having a heck of a time keeping this all straight, terminolgy wise. I did see something is spliced directly into the brake line, but I don't know where its coming from. I will crawl under the trailer and see if I can follow the line coming from the battery and see where that goes, that might help me out. I'll have to find a few quiet minutes to sit there with the diagram and try to follow everything I think.
share Top of the page Bottom of the page
chadsalt
Reg. Nov 2004
Posted 2008-05-07 6:43 AM (#83339 - in reply to #83292)
Subject: RE: Trailer wiring ?'s


Expert


Posts: 1416
1000100100100100
Location: sc
What everybody else basically said, X3.

One more thing, I hope your farrier knows more about horses than he does trailers......."My farrier said he'd prefer it that way, as electric brakes are just one more thing to break down on you.".....what an idiot.
share Top of the page Bottom of the page
Myaj
Reg. May 2008
Posted 2008-05-07 11:58 AM (#83388 - in reply to #83292)
Subject: RE: Trailer wiring ?'s


Member


Posts: 22

Location: SE Wisconsin
My farrier is an odd duck, I'll give you that. He was only referring to a small 2 horse like mine with a big truck, for what its worth, he said he'd never do it with a larger trailer.I'm still confused, but when it stops raining I'll see what I can find out and get back to you guys.
share Top of the page Bottom of the page
Jump to page : 1
Now viewing page 1 [25 messages per page]
Jump to forum :
Search this forum
Printer friendly version
E-mail a link to this thread
Message format
 

'
Registered to: Horse Trailer World
(Delete all cookies set by this site)