The jury is still sort of in deliberation on the self-resetting breaker.

True, if you were to hook to someone else's crappily wired trailer that shorts out the markers, all that would happen to the breaker would be to trip, thus saving a bunch of expensive BUSS fuses.

On the other hand, if the trailer is your own, the shorted wire would keep getting intermittent current each time the breaker reset, thus giving things more opportunity to burn.

It takes a certain amount of time for the bi-metal strip to heat up enough to "break" the circuit; the more "shorted" the wire, the quicker this occurs.

I guess the best of both worlds would be to use a fuse when hooked to trailers known to be properly wired, and temporarily insert a breaker when something causes the fuse to shoot.

I use those pronged fuse-replacement breakers whenever trying to track down a short to GROUND; I simply remove the fuse and insert the breaker; once the problem is solved, I replace the fuse.


Since I got us all off subject and way out in left field anyway, I will rant a little.

Crappy wiring jobs are all too often seen on all sorts of trailers.

Long lengths of wires, some connected and others broken, can be seen hanging barely inches off the black-top from one end of the trailer to the other.

Pigtails tied in knots, cut and spliced a dozen times with big wads of black tape, all with long loose "tails" of dried out tape, and a "GROUND" wire loosely caught under the head of a rusty bolt.

Handfuls of "suit-case connectors", quik-splices, and Scotch-loks, plus a few poorly crimped connectors are in evidence.

Markers dangling along the sides, hanging only by their twisted wire connection, and brake/tail lights knocked all askew, with big holes in the lenses, some only having a little corner of red under the head of a screw.

Occassionally, someone will get all concerned and install a new set of brake/tail lights, right above or below the old broken ones which they don't remove, making the electrical connection to the old wires via "suit-case connectors".

I have seen more than one trailer with THREE sets of entirely different tail-lights and maybe one bulb burning.

I sometimes have to pull such junk and it greatly embarasses me to do so.

 

Bearkiller,
Just read your last post, and had to comment that I share your disgust at the way most trailers are wired. I can't decide what is worse, the way the manufacturer wires them, or the way the owner splices them back together at the side of the road.

My biggest pet peeve is the way most of these hitch shops will install trailer wiring to a truck. Scotchloks everywhere, sagging wires drooping onto hot tailpipes etc. You can tell a prospective customer that it will take several hours to properly install their trailer connector to their vehicle, to which the normal reply is: "The hitch shop down the street said they'll do it for $40."

 

John Q. Public that doesn't have any idea how to wire up a simple set of fog-lights just cannot comprehend the amount of time and expense it requires to do things right, which is why you will see most mechanics that are doing work for the public using a pocket-knife to strip wires, a quick twist-together, and then a big wad of black tape; the situation is thus temporarily cured, the customer is happy, and it didn't take long nor cost much.


Although they are not by a long shot the only guilty dogs in the pack, XXXXXNECK brand of TEXAS has some very quick down and dirty wiring on their new trailers; tiny 16-AWG wire with "suit-case connectors" at every splice; for what those trailers cost, I believe I could do a lot better.

For what it's worth, many generically name all quickie-type connectors as Scotch-Loks.

A genuine Scotch-Lok is used mostly in the telephone service industry and is a silicone filled plastic capsule, into which you insert up to three very small wires, then squeeze the red button, thus forcing the slotted metal blade to bite through the wire's insulation in much the same manner as a common suit-case connector; the squeezing down of the red button also forces the silicone sealant to fill the throat where the wires are inserted, therefore weather-proofing it.

For the extremely low current type work they were originally intended for, they work fine.

 

Amen brother, amen!

As far as I am concerned, scotch locks, butt connectors, and the works should be outlawed! They are for non critical work within the vehicle(would not even wish to see them there). I think all connections should be soldered and shrink wrapped, other than main connectors.

The ring connectors and spade connectors are great. Even with those I solder them. Take the crimp plastic connector off and then use the pre made connector.

 

As bad as I hate to, I must admit that there have been a few RARE occassions, when I was working on some not-so-important low-amperage wire, behind the dash, way up in behind and above everything, where I am lucky to even see it, let alone get a soldering-gun at it, that I have used crimped butt-connectors; but, I have really good crimpers and I always saturate both wire-ends with Vaseline.

I don't sleep well those nights, though.



I am more likely to use four-feet too much wire, drag it out in the daylight to make the connections, and then fold or coil the excess.

 

I have a 93 Ram 350 and the wife has a 98 Durango. I'm on the 3rd headlight switch on the Ram and 2 on the Durango.Ram switch is a parts store replaceable. The Durango is a dealer. BUT Switches are simular. Durango on a mounting bracket, but you can use the Ram switch and give up interior light control. went to the bone yard and picked up an extra bracket for the Durango to have a switch ready to go. Lot easier to swap out though then the Ram.

 

Bear-- I talk nasty about auto makers every time i have to dim my lites,and drivers are always giving turn signals!!! when they dim. I'm with you " PUT IT BACK ON THE FLOOR" It ain't broke don't screw it up!!!!

 

AMEN !!!

Don't get me started on column-mounted dimmers; the most dangerous design change of all time.

The only reason so much stuff is column-mounted is so that some little non-union factory can pre-wire/pre-assemble all of it in the column, and all the union-workers have to do is plug-and-play.


Dash-mounted switch-keys, floor-mounted dimmers, dash-mounted wipers, external strap-on signals, ALL had to be independently installed and wired; the manufacturers save millions every year by putting it all in the column.

 

Come on guys --

With the dimmer on the floor drivers have to use their left foot and then they can't rest it on the brake pedal while they're doing 85 down the hiway

 

I'm on my 4th 1st gen, where is this "HOT junction-stud you speak of?
I've wired many a truck/trailer combo and have not found such an item on a fist gen.
Please enlighten me as this may help cure future power needs.

 

I second that, I sold my 78' F-150 to buy my 91' cummins and I really really really miss the solid feel and click of the dash switches.

 

Like all good things, the HOT junction stud is something that you will have to install yourself.

Instead of stacking wads of wires onto the HOT battery terminal, you install a junction-point on the fender, or anywhere convenient, to which all future additions are connected.

This HOT junction connects to the battery HOT via a sizable cable.

Various designs are available from vehicle-electric supply catalogs.

Just as good and free is to use an old Ford-type starter-solenoid as it already has two insulated/isolated studs.

Just screw it to the fender, run a cable to it from battery-HOT, and a jumper-wire that ties the two studs electrically.

If you so desire, you can relocate the charge-wire from the alternator, the grid-heater wires, and the starter-relay wire onto this new HOT junction, thus the only two wires attached at the battery will be the big cable going to the starter and the cable to the HOT junction.


On our trucks, I have two HOT junctions mounted under the hood --- one on each side/fender, one mounted inside the cab, and one at the rear, for a total of at least four.

Does it make sense now ??

 

Here is an excellent HOT junction stud :

http://www.delcity.net/store/NEW-!-8...k/p_790101.a_1


Connect a few of these to the HOT stud and all future electrical additions will be much simplified :

http://www.delcity.net/store/6-gang-/p_10960.a_1


Have fun.

 

Thanks, I thought it was something "factory" I had never seen.
I've actually got an 8 place accessory fuse panel mounted to the right of the accelerator pedal on the HVAC box.

 

That is exactly where I have them mounted in our Dodge fleet.

It is an excellent, easily accessible, electrically isolated, yet un-obtrusive location.

The factory fuse-block would have been well-served to have been located there, instead of dangling under the column.


I routed a HOT cable to a HOT stud at that location, to which I connected an always-HOT fuse-block, plus a second fuse-block that is KEY-ON=HOT.


I have already relocated several of the factory circuits that had melted into oblivion onto these much superior blocks.

A few more circuits relocated and that cheapy factory fuse-block will be completely eliminated.