Wiring Tandem Trailer with Sens-a-Brake

[Oceanic Dave]

I am going to add new LED trailer lights to my trailer but have a few questions.

My current lights are joined right at the back of the trailer. Looks like they came with 0.5m of wiring cable only.

The new lights I have come with 9m of wiring cable and I rather wire them straight to the plug where it won't get wet.


My first question is regarding the side markers on the trailer. I have never wired a trailer with these before. Do the side markers join the trailer lights somehow or do they join at the plug?

The sens-a-brake unit will wire straight to the plug right?

Thank you.

[boehm95]

Hi mate not sure about sens-a-brake unit but for the side lights, you could probably just splice into your tail light cable. Solder and heat shrink should do the job.


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[scottar]

They are joined in the rails Dave. I modified my trailer so that everything goes to an alloy junction box mounted on the winch post - extending the clearance marker cables in the process so that they run independently to the J-box as well . The standard cable on the clearance marker is 1.5 metres (longest version that Hella make that I could find).

[scottar]

The joins aren't real well waterproofed .....or waterproofed at all really. At least they weren't on mine. Yes - the Sensabrake is best wired direct to the plug - that is the main reason I went to the J-box set up. Otherwise you end up trying to fit 5 seperate wires into the plug - bit of a shite fight.

[Oceanic Dave]

Well Hella now provide a version with 2.5M length or cable - still not enough though: http://www.hellamarine.com/en/products/boat-trailer-lighting/marker-and-clearance/side-marker-lamp.html

So I am thinking maybe i will wire some cable to the side markers and take it all the way to the top or make the join towards the back of the trailer and then feed it up as far as possible. Will take a measurement over the weekend. Had a feeling these side markers will cause a little bit of trouble!

[Spaniard_King]

Run the side lights up to the front as Scotty has suggested, join them in an appropriately rated junction box running 1 set of wires to the actual plug

big terminals on the plug are for the sensa brake, the small terminal side of the plug is for the light circuit This is all only relative if you are using a car sensa brake kit and not a standard electric brake controller

[Oceanic Dave]

Check this out!

http://ledautolamps.com/img/cms/Boat%20lamp%20kits.pdf

But pretty sure these lights don't fit on the tinka light plates. Something else to measure!

[scottar]

If they actually keep the water out they would be a good thing. History tells me to be skeptical of any connector that is supposedly waterproof. Very few are. Better to use what you have, extend the side lights to the front and do the terminations in a spot that stays dry. That way if ever you have an issue with a light, it is definitely only that light or a join in a specific cable.
113612 Using this method coupled with not dunking the trailer too deep, the joins only ever see water from the hose. They still need to be waterproofed but should never be submerged. ( If they are, you got bigger things to worry bout )

[Oceanic Dave]

Where did you get this junction box from Scott?

[scottar]

Jaycar have everthing you will need Dave.

[Fed]

Does it need side lights to comply?

[Oceanic Dave]

Yes it does!