7 pin connector and trailer ground question

[italianub]

Hey all!

I just installed all my wiring and I had a question to make sure I did things correctly. The 7 pin connector goes into a junction box near the a frame, one of the wires is 'ground' and this wire I screwed into the frame from the junction box using an o-ring connector, the 7 pin ground wire goes into the junction box then a wire goes from there into the frame. The tail lights (they come with side marker lights) also have a ground for each and I screwed those into the frame as well.

The electric brakes (timbren 3500lb brakes) have a ground, this was screwed into the frame. Am I missing anything? My electrician friend told me there is 'ground' and 'grounding' wire, but I'm honestly confused about what that even means, so now I'm worried I did something wrong. I'll be able to test stuff tomorrow (been raining all day and I need to turn the trailer around in my garage before I can plug it in), but before I plug anything in, I'd like to see if anyone here can verify my work that was stated above.

Thanks all!

[tony.latham]

My electrician friend told me there is 'ground' and 'grounding' wire,

A ground wire is just that, instead of grounding to the frame, a negative wire is run to each light.

..and I screwed those into the frame as well.

That will work, but make sure you clean the paint from under the eye-ring and dip the screw and fitting in dielectric grease before re-setting it or corrosion will cause connection to fail. I also dip each wire in dielectric before I crimp a fitting on.

You can buy a tube at any automotive parts shop.

Tony

[italianub]

That will work, but make sure you clean the paint from under the eye-ring and dip the screw and fitting in dielectric grease before re-setting it or corrosion will cause connection to fail. I also dip each wire in dielectric before I crimp a fitting on.

You can buy a tube at any automotive parts shop.

Tony

I did both of these things! Cleaned up the primer/bed liner from around the screw hole and used dielectric grease on all the fittings. I did not dip the wire in before crimping but it's all sealed up with heat shrink fittings.

Thank you!

Here's a little video of my frame. Tony- you might notice I took your advice about using the adhesive backed zip tie holders for the loom too!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kjoRLz ... p=drivesdk

[tony.latham]

Tony- you might notice I took your advice about using the adhesive backed ....

Easy-peasy and they'll stay put.

Nice job on the frame. It kinda looks familiar. What's the purpose of the first 1" tubing cross member?

Tony

[italianub]

Nice job on the frame. It kinda looks familiar. What's the purpose of the first 1" tubing cross member?

Tony

Hehe... you noticed that did you? Wellllll, I originally had the 1x1 on there before realizing that the a-frame center beam wouldn't be able to weld to it since it's not 3" deep! So we put in the 2x3 after realizing our mistake. So it's an extra support I guess

Been thinking of some way to utilize it but so far nothing comes to mind.

[tony.latham]

Nice job on the frame. It kinda looks familiar. What's the purpose of the first 1" tubing cross member?

Tony

Hehe... you noticed that did you? Wellllll, I originally had the 1x1 on there before realizing that the a-frame center beam wouldn't be able to weld to it since it's not 3" deep! So we put in the 2x3 after realizing our mistake. So it's an extra support I guess

Been thinking of some way to utilize it but so far nothing comes to mind.

When somebody asks, tell them it’s the gas vessel for the freon actuator.

Tony

[swoody126]

IMHO each 12VDC electrical device/light/whatever should have it's own ground wire

trouble shooting 12VDC issues WHEN they occur is much easier when you KNOW you have a good ground wire running to the device

been there dunn that and have way too many t-shirts to show for it

sw

[italianub]

IMHO each 12VDC electrical device/light/whatever should have it's own ground wire

Yeah I finished the trailer wiring (well, still need to add side-marker lights) and each light is grounded individually.

Fun part - I crimped all the wires, installed them in the junction box with the 7-pin connector wires, got everything all wired up on the trailer only to find out the wiring diagram on the plug didn't match my truck....

I spent about an hour completely redoing my junction box wiring but got everything to work in the end.

When somebody asks, tell them it’s the gas vessel for the freon actuator.

hah! good call

[bdosborn]

Hey all!

My electrician friend told me there is 'ground' and 'grounding' wire, but I'm honestly confused about what that even means, so now I'm worried I did something wrong.

Your electrician friend is talking about the green wire in an AC extension cord for shore power when he refers to grounding. You've "grounded" your DC system correctly.
Bruce

[JadyFoley]

From what you've described, it seems like you've connected all the ground wires properly by screwing them into the frame. That's usually the way to go to ensure a solid ground connection. As for the distinction between 'ground' and 'grounding' wire, it can get a bit confusing, but basically, 'ground' refers to the physical connection to the frame or earth, while 'grounding' wire is the wire that provides this connection.
Since you'll be testing everything soon, it's a good idea to double-check your connections before plugging anything in. Once you've done that, you should be good to go! And if you ever need any more advice or help, don't hesitate to ask. Oh, and speaking of which, if you're looking for quality O rings for your project, you should check out this O Ring Manufacturer. They've got some great products that might be just what you need.

[tony.latham]

That's usually the way to go...

Second post. Bot much???

Tony

[Tom&Shelly]

2 posts, both hawking off topic stuff.

Tom

[troubleScottie]

The big issue is are the ground points connected.

With the large metal frames of automobiles and other vehicles, and to some extent more so with a uni-body construction, all points on the frame are really connected to each other. Clear paint, insulation, whatever to bare metal and you are good. Even the screw itself may be sufficient.

With many trailers, this is not the same. Obviously a welded frame should have continuity to all other parts of the frame. However frames that are screwed together or assembled from multiple sub assemblies, this is not necessarily true. Even metal side panels or roofs may or may not be electrically attached to the frame.

Trying to save time or money by not running a separate grounding wire seems to be poor design. Chasing down one ground fault will easily cost more than the extra wire and time to install.