Trailer electrical issue
 

Converted my trailer to straight electric brakes. I have a junction box mounted near the tongue, with the 7 pin harness going into it. Then i have all the wiring from trailer lights/brakes going to it. Everything is hooked up and wired to its corresponding terminals.

First off, the electric brakes are weak. They are all brand new, and adjusted properly. When i turn park lamps on, the trailer running lights do not go on. If i use turn signals, hazards, or brake lights, the brake lights work, but all the marker lights blink too. Step on the brake, and the entire lighting system lights up on the trailer.

Any ideas? Before the electric brake install, trailer lights worked fine. The entire trailer is LED lights, so i am wondering if its some weird grounding issue, with the brakes and how LED's are polarity sensitive? Alll the trailer wiring is new, and in good shape. I have the junction box ground terminal grounded to trailer frame. All the lights, breakaway box, and brake grounds are on the same ground terminal.

Enhance the ground between the truck and the trailer and see if that helps, use a jumper cable and go from the frame of the truck to the trailer ground and see if that works.

Also, forgot to mention. When i was backing the boat down the ramp, all of a sudden the brakes began working better, like something made a connection. Drove the empty trailer back to the storage place, and the brakes on front axle were working, and would lock up (front axle only) if i turned the gain up on the controller. Lights still the same though. Also tried a different truck to make sure it wasnt a issue with mine, and still the same, so i know its on the trailer side.

I will try running a jumper to the truck from trailer ground. I wired the brakes to where they ground to the junction box, instead of the frame near each brake assembly. I wonder if thats causing some sort of issue since the wire that connects the ground terminal of the box to the frame of the trailer is small, like a 14 gauge. Then again, cant see why that would keep the marker lights from illuminating, since they dont draw much current.

I bought a pigtail from Champion Trailer Parts, and the wires/colors were not in the right configuration. I had to ohm out each wire from the 7 wire round to the open end of the pigtail, and make my connections to my EoH setup ignoring the colors.

Don't get confused when looking at the schematic of the plug wiring......looking into the plug vs looking into the recepticle view. Mirror image

Found light problem. Took the trailer side plug apart (plug that plugs into truck) and found the marker light brown wire off its terminal and touching one of the turn signal terminals. Lights working good now. As for the brakes, they seem to be working fine now, so leaving it alone!! :drink:

Update. Lights all working fine. Brakes, not so much. Empty trailer, gain turned up all the way, will lock front axle tires. Loaded trailer, gain turned up all the way, barely feel engagement. They are engaging, but no where near what trailer brakes should be. All 4 magnets hum when brake depressed. Back trailer into water, as soon as they get submerged...wham! They grab like crazy.

Check for proper brake shoe adjustment.

keep an eye on the ground Thunder , we pulled a good ground right off the truck instead of depending on the hitch & pintle

+1 always ground trailer to truck ground. dont use the ball or pintle. you never know if you are getting a good clean connection. esp for people who use grease on them. doubt i could get a good ground through my ball due to all the grease.

The white wire is usually the ground wire. Run a ground wire from the plug directly to the wheel magnets. And a ground from the plug to the frame. Do this also on the truck!
Also check the brake shoes and adjustment. No rust on the drums for the magnets to contact to. It will be very hard to keep the drums from rusting but try to flush as much as possible and never store wet.

Sounds like a ground. I'd write more of a response, but would be repeating what others have already said.