Indoor Trailer Lights

[DixieDevilDawg]

Hello all. I've been lurking around here for quite a while and decided to take the plunge and join. I'm currently working on a carry-on 6x12 cargo conversion. My trailer wiring is a standard 4 way flat. I have 2 factory installed dome lights that I would like to operate without being hooked up to my truck. I'm running both 110 & 12 v, so if I want to use my deep cycle for 12 v power, how could I hook it to the dome lights through the 4 way trailer harness? Is that possible?

[48Rob]

Hi, and welcome!

You can connect the interior dome lights to your 12 volt battery system, but doing it by connecting to the 4 way plug will also illuminate the running lights on the trailer.

You'll need to find where the lamp wires connect to the running light wires and disconnect them, then connect them to your 12 volt battery system.
It may be easier to simply disconnect the factory wires at the lamps, making sure you cap the ends so they can't touch anything, and then connect to your new wiring.

Sounds much harder than it is...

Rob

[terryjones1]

Hello all. I've been lurking around here for quite a while and decided to take the plunge and join. I'm currently working on a carry-on 6x12 cargo conversion. My trailer wiring is a standard 4 way flat. I have 2 factory installed dome lights that I would like to operate without being hooked up to my truck. I'm running both 110 & 12 v, so if I want to use my deep cycle for 12 v power, how could I hook it to the dome lights through the 4 way trailer harness? Is that possible?

The four way flat trailer connector has four wires as follows:

ground
left turn/brake light
right turn/brake light
tail light/clearance lights

you need all four wires.

You cannot hookup +12 DCV battery through a 4 wire trailer connector to your truck.
You can hookup a trailer mounted battery to your dome lights and not connect the battery to your truck.
You need at least a 5 wire connector to connect +12 DCV battery to your truck.


.

[Shadow Catcher]

Basically you need to have the trailer wiring divided into three separate circuits. And there are a number of ways you can do that, Easiest is a power center i.e. Progressive Dynamics http://www.progressivedyn.com/all_in_one_pd4000.html
All of the DC with the exception of the exterior signal/marker lights and AC are routed through it. You can accomplish the same thing using fuse boxes for the DC and circuit breakers for the AC and a converter.

[DixieDevilDawg]

Thanks guys. People here seem to be very nice and helpful to their fellow camper and that was the main reason I joined. I was hoping to get by with just buying a trailer harness and connecting one end to the battery and the other to the trailer plug itself, but I was afraid it wouldn't be that simple. Guess I'll be using a table lamp this weekend when I go camping. I'm doing my conversion in stages so I can use it as I progress.

[bobhenry]

Most of those cargo trailer lights fixtures are 5 or 6 inches in diameter. This would give you plenty of room to add a few LED lights right in the same fixture. Add a feed and a ground wire to the lights to act as off grid lighting and feed it direct from the battery. I just dropped in a standard car battery and charged it when I got home. No fancy distribution system just a fused master disconnect and an inline control switch for each light.

Simple and cheap ( just like me )

[bc toys]

Just remember we love Hope you have checked out the cargo section. I have to admit I didn't look to see if you had a build post there. Welcome from another Cargo builder I just got a 7x14 yesterday. Just can't get started on the things I want to do, cost lots and without job $$ fund are short. But as I do things to it I'll post

[DixieDevilDawg]

Sounds like a good idea Bob! Thanks! BC, yeah that section is what got me started. When I got my trailer about a month ago I wondered if anyone else had ever though about converting one to a camper. I googled it and this site popped up. After reading for 5 minutes I knew I had hit the jackpot! I'll post some pics soon. It's been raining here the past few days and I keep my trailer at my parents house due to limited space where I currently live.