running lights flickering

[weegeordie]

At my last camping trip, when I connected the trailer to my vehicle, there were no running lights, brake lights or turn signals on the trailer.

Everything had been working fine when I arrived at the campsite.

A neighbour, who is a truck driver, noticed the connectors were green so he cleaned them, but still no lights.

I pulled out of my spot and, as I was driving, the lights came on, but I noticed as driving that they were flickering.

Friends have told me there must be a loose ground connection but I have no idea how to go about looking for it.

Any direction on how I can find the problem would be appreciated.

Thanks...

[weegeordie]

Oops. Almost forgot. My trailer is a 2008 Palomino P21

[Chuck_S]

Probably still the connection on the back of the truck. Saturate it and the umbilical cord contacts with spray contact cleaner (any auto parts store and do a dozen or more insert/removals. Repeat. If the lights work fill the connector with dielectric grease.

There's a ground on the truck plug and the truck is the only thing powering the running lights. Ground wires seldom just disconnect.

How are your brake lights?

-- Chuck

[weegeordie]

So you figure it's the truck, not the trailer?

I will have to dig the trailer out from where it's parked to hook it up.

The brake lights on the trailer weren't working either.

Thanks Chuck ...george

[Chuck_S]

Good luck!

No brake lights probably means no brakes either!

No lights at all could be a bad umbilical cord, bad connections at the trailer, or the outlet on the truck. Easy to check the truck with a multimeter. Ignition has to be on with my Fords for any signals to be sent to the trailer.

Amazon can have a trailer connection tester on your front porch tomorrow. Prices range from $11 and up.



If the truck is not good check fuses and relays there.

If the truck is good trace the umbilical cord back to the trailer where there should be a junction box for the connections. With the cord plugged in you can check for power here. Replacement cords are available. Don't get too long or it will drag; too short can pull out from truck.

-- Chuck

[Oaklevel]

Originally Posted by weegeordie

At my last camping trip, when I connected the trailer to my vehicle, there were no running lights, brake lights or turn signals on the trailer.

Everything had been working fine when I arrived at the campsite.

A neighbour, who is a truck driver, noticed the connectors were green so he cleaned them, but still no lights.

I pulled out of my spot and, as I was driving, the lights came on, but I noticed as driving that they were flickering.

Friends have told me there must be a loose ground connection but I have no idea how to go about looking for it.

Any direction on how I can find the problem would be appreciated.

Thanks...

As a quick fix you can run a seperate ground wire from the frame of the truck to the frame of the trailer should help the lights if they are flickering. I use beam clamps.

I have six trailers and grounds can often be an issue on either the truck or the trailer.

[weegeordie]

I bought a tester and it shows charging circuit, brakes and turn signals OK. I don't have backup lights on the trailer so I didn't bother testing that.

[Chuck_S]

Your truck's fine.

Check where the umbilical cord enters the trailer. Junction box under the front of my trailer. Inspect this electrical cord for cuts or being pulled out of the box. One step at a time. 12v test light helps here.

-- Chuck

[weegeordie]

My apologies for taking so long to follow up. I don't get much time to work on the trailer and I am a rookie when it comes to work like this.

There is no junction box on the trailer, that I can find. I will attempt to attach a couple of pictures. One picture shows the tangle of wires on the trailer. The other shows the condition of the connector.

I'm going out to get some contact cleaner and dielectric grease. Here's hoping.

[Flybob]

Is this a previously owned unit as it appears someone has switched out the original plug and in the process eliminated the junction box? The taped/shrink tube connection area is normally in the junction box. The plug looks like is has seen some wear and tear. The simplest solution is to purchase a new plug/tail piece and wire it in. If you remove one connection and make one connection at a time, it should be easy. You may want to add a junction box and make the connections in it.

[weegeordie]

I've sprayed contact cleaner in but it doesn't seem to be making much of an improvement.

Yes. I bought the trailer second hand. The previous owner was closing down a hunting camp he owned and selling off the trailers. It must have been sitting for several years.