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Southeast Iowa | I was never able to really depend on any of my trailers; either hiway or farm; having the lights work right when I plugged them in until I began soldering all of the wiring whenever I did any new systems or repaired older ones. THAT was the real key to it. THEN I made a setup that is a plastic tool box, with a small, 12V gel-type battery in it, with six switches, a circuit breaker, an ammeter, and a 7-pole Berg connector on the outside of the box. I have a few adapters tossed in there too, so I can use my "diagnostic box" on other types of connectors like the popular stock trailer six-pole, and the newer 7-pole RV pattern. TALK ABOUT A TIME SAVER!!! No more climbing in and out of the cab, or blowing fuses trying to find a problem. I plug the trailer into the box, start flipping switches and just watch the ammeter. The ammeter saves me walking around to see if the lights came on or if I have a short somewhere. I can also tell by the meter if electric brakes are working. I should have had this box in 1956, but, well, better late than never. You can actually buy a setup like the one I made, maybe not quite as elaborate as mine, but still a great diagnostic tool. When I go to work on a semi, I always take a replacement semitrailer cable with me and unplug everything right from the front of the trailer. You'd be surprised at how many semitrailer problems go away as soon as I plug in my temporary cable; eliminating the truck-tractor and whatever is wrong on the back of it. Before I had my box I wasted a lot of time working on trailers when I should have already been down the road and getting the work done. | |
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Wired up some lights on a goosneck today
