The trailer lights were out, so I got out the voltmeter. The car side was good – 12V. The trailer is aluminum, but the coupler, I think, is galvanized steel. The ground was attached with a screw to the coupler. I found out if I removed the ground from the coupler, and touched it to the aluminum part of the trailer – circuit complete – lights on.
What’s weird is it was all working before – ground to coupler, coupler to aluminum trailer, trailer to light fixture, so what changed?
im assuming you had the trailer actually resting on ball of the truck? in absence of a ground wire, the lights circuit will use the ground of the tow vehicle frame, but the trailer must be properly hitched to the vehicle.
Proline 201WA
Aloha 24ft pontoon (LooneyToon)
Old Town stern with 7.5 johnson
Previously it worked hitched or not, but now current doesn’t travel from the aluminum trailer to the galvanized coupler. I’ll have to check to see if current will travel from one side of the galvanized coupler to the other. I read somewhere about scraping the surface of the galvanized steel to get an electrical connection.
if the ground wire is in good working condition, then it will work either way. i was trying to eliminate the ground wire connection as an issue
Proline 201WA
Aloha 24ft pontoon (LooneyToon)
Old Town stern with 7.5 johnson
The galvanizing is probably doing kind of like paint & preventing the current from flowing thru. The galv may have started to oxidize some & that is why it did work but now does not.
I would not scrape / grind off any galv because you will just introduce a spot for rust to start.
Maybe just ground it to the alum part of the trailer if at all possible.
quote:This would be my best guess also.
Originally posted by areeldragThe galvanizing is probably doing kind of like paint & preventing the current from flowing thru. The galv may have started to oxidize some & that is why it did work but now does not.
I would not scrape / grind off any galv because you will just introduce a spot for rust to start.
Maybe just ground it to the alum part of the trailer if at all possible.
Thanks, y’all. I was able to fix it by connecting the ground to the aluminum part of the trailer. Soldered the ground wire to a washer and put it under one of the trailer jack bolts.
It sounds like the galvanized coating can oxidize to a point where it doesn’t conduct, and possibly there’s some plain old rust working on it, too.
VAB3 - Not meaning to hijack this thread but the initials intrigued me as I am a junior ( VAB,Jr ) and my son is a third ( VAB3 ).
Interesting.
Victor
SAKATUMI TRAE
19’ SEA PRO CC / 150 HP YAMAHA
I am the 3rd. We have the same initials?! Pleasure to meet you.
I would inspect the ground at your vehicle receptacle as well as the ground at the trailer plug. something tells me there is a bad connection there. The vehicle receptacle should be the proper ground to complete your circuit.
WE THAT HAPPEN OFTEN. YOU GET A SMALL AMOUNT OF CORROSION BETWEEN THE HITCH COUPLER AND THE FRAME. IT IS DISSIMILAR METALS, AND ITS BOLTED ON.
YOU THEN SUBMERGE HALF OF THE TRAILER IN SALTWATER, AND PASS ELECTRICITY THROUGH IT. YOU HAVE JUST CREATED THE PERFECT STORM FOR CORROSION.
DO YOURSELF A HUGE FAVOR, AND RUN A GROUND WIRE FROM THE FRONT ALL THE WAY TO THE REAR LIGHTS, BOTH OF THEM.
YOUR TRAILER WILL THANK YOU IN THE LONG RUN
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IF I RESPOND IN ALL CAPS, ITS NOT ON PURPOSE, AND I AM NOT YELLING
1000 % WHAT CHRIS SAID ^^^^^^^^^^^^
George McDonald
US Navy Seabees,Retired,
MAD, Charleston Chapter
[http://www.militaryappreciationday.org
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VAB3 - Sent you instant message thru this site.
Have a good day sir.
Victor
SAKATUMI TRAE
19’ SEA PRO CC // 150 HP YAMAHA