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Fit electrics to a trailer lighting board

Posted: Wed Aug 05, 2015 7:09 pm
by taffdavies
Help needed, due to police attention need to fit electrics to attach a trailer. For the past 50 years have had no problem travelling 250 yards to the beach. Now road legal lighting required or face confiscation of boat etc. I am NO electrician and need IDIOTS GUIDE to set up wiring..AGAIN PLEASE HELP!
Taffdavies (aka Gary)

Re: Fit electrics to a trailer lighting board

Posted: Thu Aug 06, 2015 6:08 am
by peter2
Hi Gary,

don't know where you are in the world, but e.g. for Germany (and Europe I think) there are ready made boards with light and cable at Ebay for 30-40 Euro. There are sets with two lights and cable, too. For this price you can't do it yourself. http://r.ebay.com/8pi7Ti
You only need a plug on the tractor as for a car trailer.

Peter

Re: Fit electrics to a trailer lighting board

Posted: Thu Aug 06, 2015 3:02 pm
by taffdavies
Hy
I am trying to wire the tractor to accept a trailer board. In other words there is not a wire system on the tractor. I have the switch. Relays/flasher unit. fuses, and the female plug. Need diagram to match a switch with six terminals and the flasher units have two terminals. :oops:

Re: Fit electrics to a trailer lighting board

Posted: Thu Aug 06, 2015 5:12 pm
by super6954
Hi
From what I'm reading in your reply you might be trying to over complicate the system with relays. most old tractors had a switch for brake lights a switch or more for other lights a lot of fuses/suitable sized wire,. and a flasher unit. No relays. if this tractor gets wet you want it as simple as possible and the least amount of connections that can corrode :wink: .

The way an old timer told me to wire turn signals from scratch was to wire the lights so they came on each side correctly with the switch then cut the power wire and put the flasher unit in between the 2 wire ends. 1 unit works all turn signals. some had another for the hazards like the big old gm trucks in Canada.
Don't know what the switch is you have so can't really help you. other than you will have power feed in 1 wire and outputs to each side turn lights depending on the way the lever is moved. you may have 2 pairs of terminals for front and rear each side a power in and a wire for hazard light circuit or a dash mounted indicator light at a big guess, we really need to see a picture of the switch or more info, the terminals should in theory be marked with numbers, and there is a code to match them to what they do at the other end of the wire maybe you can find those to :idea: .
Regards Robert

Re: Fit electrics to a trailer lighting board

Posted: Thu Aug 06, 2015 8:15 pm
by peter2
Hi,

i found this website http://www.etrailer.com/faq-wiring.aspx explaining various kinds of connectors.
Usually each pin in the connector is wired to the corrosponding wire at the rear lights (e.g. pin for brake to one of the brake wires (which are missing at my super major), pin for left rear light to the left rear light etc.). There are no other components between the lights of the tractor and the connector.
All this under the assumption, your tractor has rear lights including flash lights etc.

Peter

Re: Fit electrics to a trailer lighting board

Posted: Thu Aug 06, 2015 11:23 pm
by Bensdexta
I'm not sure why you need a brake light on a vintage tractor - we don't go fast enough. I thought 'original features,' ie no brake lights, were accepted. Ref turning, what's wrong with hand signals?

If we carry a rotating beacon that should be enough.

And at night we need running lights.

Re: Fit electrics to a trailer lighting board

Posted: Fri Aug 07, 2015 2:55 am
by super6954
Bensdexta wrote:I'm not sure why you need a brake light on a vintage tractor - we don't go fast enough. I thought 'original features,' ie no brake lights, were accepted. Ref turning, what's wrong with hand signals?

If we carry a rotating beacon that should be enough.

And at night we need running lights.
Sounds to me like somebody with a uniforms reading a rule book to the letter, or should i say PC plodoffski is doing what he is good at when you don't need them around :lol: . could also be because of use regulations and it's not classed as vintage now i guess towing a boat on the highway. been out of the u.k for to long to know the rules now :idea: .
Regards Robert

Re: Fit electrics to a trailer lighting board

Posted: Fri Aug 07, 2015 12:43 pm
by taffdavies
All

Thanks. But pc plod insists that the boat trailer must have indicators and stop light, irrespective to age of tractor. As I said earlier, have been towing a boat over this 200 yard piece of highway for the past 50 years with no problem until last year. Then a local decided he didn't want boats in his village unless he was profiting from them :|
Gary

Re: Fit electrics to a trailer lighting board

Posted: Fri Aug 07, 2015 2:14 pm
by Bensdexta
taffdavies wrote:All

Thanks. But pc plod insists that the boat trailer must have indicators and stop light, irrespective to age of tractor. As I said earlier, have been towing a boat over this 200 yard piece of highway for the past 50 years with no problem until last year. Then a local decided he didn't want boats in his village unless he was profiting from them :|
That rules out most of the farm trailers around here!
Which part of Wales are you?

Re: Fit electrics to a trailer lighting board

Posted: Fri Aug 07, 2015 4:36 pm
by taffdavies
Gower Port Eynon to be exact. Local tried to take over slipway and car parks. His attempt was foiled so now every one pays for his misfortune. He already owns half the village (and others)
Gary