The Silver Streak E-mail ListArchive Files[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index] Re: [SilverStreak] electrical questions
Bev, One of those sealed 12v burg alarm/deer feeder batteries works well and is conveniently portable. Use that and one of those 12v cheapy test probe lights with the alligator clip on one end and the sharp probe on the illuminating handle. Re-charge the little battery at no more than 2 amps for no more than one hour. The little battery will also audibly excite the brakes like you described. Remember to get a cheapy Greenlee GT-11 Voltage Detector or equivalent available at Depot for under $10 to check everything ac voltage everywhere, including the trailer body. Like a fat ball point pen, you can use it on anything ac including your home, appliances, and that RV park plug just before you plug in. You'd be surprised how many simple wall plugs are a 50/50 chance of being wired backward. The widest looking slot on a wall plug (duplex) is always the non-hot (neutral) side so only the narrow slot should ever be "hot". The little probe will reveal backward wired plugs with nothing to disassemble. One backward wired plug will corrupt an entire circuit as soon as an appliance is plugged in or plugged in and turned on. One backward wired wall switch leaves the light fixture dangerous even when switched off and the light not glowing. The simple little probe will reveal backward wired anything ac! People get confused with wire colors, and rightfully so! AC wiring, like in your home is: Black=Hot, White=Neutral, Bare=Ground Lug. There is NO EXCEPTION to this absolute wiring. This is for 120v and can get much different when 220V which I won't go into here. 12volt wiring was, and still is, not standardized. Sure, you have various trailer connectors that you hope follow the evolving standardized colors, but that is only good if the vehicle got wired properly. Generally in automotive which includes trailers, Black=Ground, and lot's of them! So easily confused with the absolute standards of AC wiring! White=Ground too, or it can be the powered wire! You cannot substitute and resolve anything without the little 12v handle-illuminating probe! Even the age-old 1157 stop/turn/run tail light fixtures can be a mix of any colors depending on who made what when the light fixture was produced! So when you are looking for Brown=Running Light, don't be surprised when the colors are blue, red, black or something else. A maddening non-standard exists even today! Trailers seldom are just one voltage, but a mix. Even the old 40's models often just 120V ac throughout, are a mix because there are at least trailer running lights and usually brake wiring that are 6 or 12 volts depending on the year. Often the old ones did not follow standards of ac wiring, so be very careful to avoid that shocking surprise! The only thing special about your description is that "Old Yeller Wires" didn't befall it. Seems like every car, truck, and trailer I get has had the expertise of someone with a roll of yellow wire going everywhere and to everything! I start with just cutting away every piece of wire that is added to obvious original wiring. Just get the birds-nest mess out of there. When doing wiring there are little things that will make the work better. Grease bulb sockets and bulb bases, just like on new vehicles. This stops air-moisture corrosion and keeps future problems away. Grease ground connections to the chassis-body before affixing. This will save you many headaches later from corrosion. Use a Q-Tip and grease that trailer connector to make that easier to work and keep a good connection. The quality or color of the grease can be anything including Vaseline. There are lot's of other little things that will help. Remember, don't let the smoke out! You have to keep all the smoke in the wires and appliances. You can't let the smoke out! -Eddie- Houston, TX
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