Ideal Ground??

wvtradbow

Observer
I have the lights finally installed on my build an I'm ready for the wiring ...I'm looking for the "perfect" ground if there is such a thing..Every trailer I've ever wired,in about a year I've lost the ground either due to rust or loose connection...Where is the best place for the ground..I can actually put this one inside since I will have roof or on the tongue like in the past but not real keen on that again..
 
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Titanpat57

Expedition Leader
Any metal surface...shined up good. I really like to use a nut with a star washer connected...then spray everything you can reach with a couple coats of clear lacquer to prevent corrosion.
 

R Thomas

Observer
Your local electrical supply / department have a corrosion inhibitor that you can apply between the joint. It is required for use in commercial and industrial applications. It comes in a tube and is applied between the surfaces and in crimped joints.

I am next to the Gulf of Mexico and have to deal with salt spray. Everything is painted and electrical joints have corrosion inhibitor.

Sent from my SM-T330NU using Tapatalk
 

Mickey Bitsko

Adventurer
I have the lights finally installed on my build an I'm ready for the wiring ...I'm looking for the "perfect" ground if there is such a thing..Every trailer I've ever wired,in about a year I've lost the ground either due to rust or loose connection...Where is the best place for the ground..I can actually put this one inside since I will have roof or on the tongue like in the past but not real keen on that again..

I would think the BEST place should be accessible, If it EVER becomes a problem , make it easy to check/replace
Mickey
 

Robert Bills

Explorer
I think that checking ground connections at least once a year is just one of the joys of trailer ownership and part of routine maintenance. A good connection to bare metal using a star washer and a bit of dielectric grease is really the best you can do as far as the wiring itself is concerned.

However, many trailer light issues have nothing to do with the trailer light sockets or a ground connection on the trailer itself. Instead, the issue can be traced to a poor ground connection between tow rig and trailer. A pin on the tow rig socket and a pin on the trailer plug are dedicated for this ground connection, so test that connection FIRST when troubleshooting a problem. Then check the ground between your 4-pin/7-pin socket to the frame of your tow rig. Finally, test the grounds in your trailer wiring.

I carry a piece of 8 gauge wire with heavy duty clips on each end for the express purpose of ensuring a proper ground between tow rig and trailer if/when trailer lights fail mid-trip (usually in the middle of the night in bad weather or if I am in a hurry to get someplace). It has resolved 90% of my trailer light issues and allowed me to get to my destination where the issue could be resolved permanently in greater comfort.
 

Semi-Hex

Enfant Terrible
You could always bring your grounds back to a buss bar and then connect it back to your battery. Every light or fixture would be simple to check if there is a problem.
 

wvtradbow

Observer
So maybe ground each light individually,then the main ground to the frame or run all the light grounds to 1 single mainground.The buss bar sounds interesting but I wasn't thinking of that for the trailer lights just the assessories..
 

Semi-Hex

Enfant Terrible
My trailer came with 13 grounding points that the manufacturer just added on where ever there were lights. When I did my solar setup, I ran all of my grounds back to my buss bar, then one big wire to the battery. It is nice and neat and when a ground on my trailer goes out, I just solder and shrink-wrap a new wire to it and run it back to the buss bar too. I also have my buss bar grounded to my trailer just in case I didn't cover everything. It looks nice and neat so you don't have to wonder what is what.
 

wvtradbow

Observer
Let me see if I basically understand what you did…You ran all your "running lights"ground to a buss bar,then grounded your buss bar to the frame and also the auxiliary battery negative terminal ??? Then you can also ground your accessories to the same buss bar??
 

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