White Ground wire

[19611starcraft]

I’m rewiring and installing new lights on my boat trailer and i keep reading about adding a dedicated ground wire for all the lights to prevent grounding problems . can i splice in a new ground wire from my trailer plug ground and then run it to each light splicing them in then loop the long ground wire back to the plugs ground . I’m trying to stop using the trailer frame or hitch coupler for the grounds

 

[mike_i]

Yup.

 

[brodmann]

It doesn't have to be a loop. Just add to the existing white wire and run it to all of the lights. The white wire gets it's ground from the tow vehicle. No need to connect back to the white wire.

 

[19611starcraft]

It doesn't have to be a loop. Just add to the existing white wire and run it to all of the lights. The white wire gets it's ground from the tow vehicle. No need to connect back to the white wire.

It doesn't have to be a loop. Just add to the existing white wire and run it to all of the lights. The white wire gets it's ground from the tow vehicle. No need to connect back to the white wire.

Ok thanks a million that’s the kind of info i was looking for . i really want to get away with using the trailer frame or hitch as a ground . Tired of fighting light problems

 

[04fxdwgi25]

Don't know many pro guys that use the boat trailer chassis as a common ground point. Too many corrosion / connection related problems. On a camping trailer, ok, but not a boat trailer.

They do bond the ground to the trailer frame, but for the most reliable system, all the lights (and electric brakes) get their own harness ground connection.

 

[dingbat]

They do bond the ground to the trailer frame, but for the most reliable system, all the lights (and electric brakes) get their own harness ground connection.

Doubling up the number of wires and connections increases liability?
MTBF studies say otherwise

Sticking the light's ground tab under the head of a mounting screw in a thru hole installation is not a proper ground connection.

The first thing I do on any new trailer is to drill, tap and install proper ground connections at each lighting fixture.

 

[Grub54891]

I always run the white to each light. On my new caravan they already did that for me. Most reliable way to do it!

 

[roscoe]

I always run the white to each light. On my new caravan they already did that for me. Most reliable way to do it!

Correct. I have 5 ground wires connected to the harness at the coupler

Also have a flat 4 plug spliced into the harness, just in case I have a need to tow with a vehicle that doesn’t have a 7 pin plug.

 

[04fxdwgi25]

Doubling up the number of wires and connections increases liability?
MTBF studies say otherwise

Sticking the light's ground tab under the head of a mounting screw in a thru hole installation is not a proper ground connection.

The first thing I do on any new trailer is to drill, tap and install proper ground connections at each lighting fixture.

To each his own. Can you cite the MTBF study(s) you refer too?

Solder and sealing shrink work wonders.

 

[Grub54891]

I only use crimp style connectors that after they are crimped with the proper tool you shrink the plastic that they come with. West marine has them. Sealed well.
those ones that you just stick the wire in and hit with a heat gun are not a proper connection.

 

[bruceb58]

I do a ground to the frame at every light fixture. I then paint over it to basically seal it.

 

[19611starcraft]

Update for everyone i bought a 20 ft roll of 16 gauge wire first extending the white ground wire on the harness then i ran the extension wire to the two markers and tail/signal lights starting with the left side then looped it to the right side ending at the side marker light on the right . Everything works like it should and now that i didn’t use the trailer frame or hitch at all for grounding purposes but only the truck’s ground when the trailer’s plugged in to the truck hopefully i never have light problems again . I also used butt connectors that shrink when heated, heat shrink over the butt connectors then wrapped that with electrical tape

 

[mike_i]

Good job, that's what I did, other than the electrical tape. Tape won't do much good other than trap water inside. I use liquid tape over the heat shrink.

 

[bruceb58]

I also used butt connectors that shrink when heated, heat shrink over the butt connectors then wrapped that with electrical tape

No need for electrical tape