OT Trailer wiring on the fly! Options

[Unobtanium-inc]

So anyone who has used a trailer has probably had trailer wiring issues, always away from home. And getting that ticket for no lights is no fun, ask me, I've had a few. So at some point on my latest trip the trailer wiring popped out of it's socket and got dragged for 200 miles. So here I am hundreds of miles from home, it's snowing and I need to drive at night. What to do? I got to Wal-Mart and buy two of those light switch lights that are supposed to go in closets, zip tie them to the trailer and wrap them in red tape! Macgyver would be so proud. I got the load loaded and headed home.

[BK911]

Sometimes ya gotsta do wut ya gotsta do.
Nice job.

[GaroldShaffer]

So anyone who has used a trailer has probably had trailer wiring issues, always away from home. And getting that ticket for no lights is no fun, ask me, I've had a few. So at some point on my latest trip the trailer wiring popped out of it's socket and got dragged for 200 miles. So here I am hundreds of miles from home, it's snowing and I need to drive at night. What to do? I got to Wal-Mart and buy two of those light switch lights that are supposed to go in closets, zip tie them to the trailer and wrap them in red tape! Macgyver would be so proud. I got the load loaded and headed home.

BTDT - That is why I now carry a spare set of those magnet mount 4 wire lights as back up. Kind of hard to get them to stick to your aluminum trailer, but work well on my steel trailer.

[Unobtanium-inc]

So anyone who has used a trailer has probably had trailer wiring issues, always away from home. And getting that ticket for no lights is no fun, ask me, I've had a few. So at some point on my latest trip the trailer wiring popped out of it's socket and got dragged for 200 miles. So here I am hundreds of miles from home, it's snowing and I need to drive at night. What to do? I got to Wal-Mart and buy two of those light switch lights that are supposed to go in closets, zip tie them to the trailer and wrap them in red tape! Macgyver would be so proud. I got the load loaded and headed home.

BTDT - That is why I now carry a spare set of those magnet mount 4 wire lights as back up. Kind of hard to get them to stick to your aluminum trailer, but work well on my steel trailer.

I carried those for years but stopped when I switched to the aluminum trailer. But they did save me a few times years ago.

[sixnotfour]

my plugs stays in but exploding tires tend find some wires ...
plus one on the mag lights..can always stick on the car

[Tom_T]

So anyone who has used a trailer has probably had trailer wiring issues, always away from home. And getting that ticket for no lights is no fun, ask me, I've had a few. So at some point on my latest trip the trailer wiring popped out of it's socket and got dragged for 200 miles. So here I am hundreds of miles from home, it's snowing and I need to drive at night. What to do? I got to Wal-Mart and buy two of those light switch lights that are supposed to go in closets, zip tie them to the trailer and wrap them in red tape! Macgyver would be so proud. I got the load loaded and headed home.

BTDT - That is why I now carry a spare set of those magnet mount 4 wire lights as back up. Kind of hard to get them to stick to your aluminum trailer, but work well on my steel trailer.

I carried those for years but stopped when I switched to the aluminum trailer. But they did save me a few times years ago.

Man, that's Deja Vu all over again! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/huh.gif)

The exact same thing happened to me when I brought home our vintage 1960 Avion T20 trailer (like Airstream) from Albuquerque - so I got the magnetic lights & some 4-pin extension wire from Walmart. I now keep them in the Avion, but will need a set for our new Puck.

The Avion has a 4" square tube steel bumper - so no problem with them sticking. However - you could still zip-tie those magnetic lights to your aluminum trailer.

Your "hack" was a good quick fix, but here in CA yoou'd still get ticketed for no turn signals & brake lights. Ergo the magnetic ones are a better choice.

Another thing to have in anyone's towing Go-Bag is a replacement 7-pin (or 4-pin) socket with 7-pin wiring diagram, electrical tape & appropriate tools to do a on-the-road replacement.

For those parts - eTrailer is a good online source (wiring diagrams & How-to's also online), or Wallymart, local FLAPS or RV stores.

Cheers! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)
Tom
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