Adding a trailer battery for interior lights?
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Senior User
Joined: Jun 2010
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From: The Evergreen State
Adding a trailer battery for interior lights?
Ok, I've been searching the net for hours and my mind has turned to jello, hopefully you guys can help me. I recently purchased a used Enclosed snowmobile trailer and it has some accessory interior lights wired up in it that work whenever the tow-vehicle is connected AND the key is turned on. What I want to do is add a battery to the trailer so I can use the interior lights anytime I want to without needing a 'mother' tow vehicle.
When I add in the battery, can I simply splice into the positive (+) wire that supplies current for the lights and the breakaway battery & charger unit, or do I need to add in anything else?
I want the battery to be charged off the + wire when the truck is running, but I am not sure if anything else is needed. What is the reason that the breakaway system uses a charger for the break battery? Will I need to add a charger or a 1-way diode to my new system?
I am not planning to remove the factory mini-battery for the brakes, I just want to add a bigger one for my lights. Am I over-thinking this or can I just splice in my new battery and be done?
Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks!
When I add in the battery, can I simply splice into the positive (+) wire that supplies current for the lights and the breakaway battery & charger unit, or do I need to add in anything else?
I want the battery to be charged off the + wire when the truck is running, but I am not sure if anything else is needed. What is the reason that the breakaway system uses a charger for the break battery? Will I need to add a charger or a 1-way diode to my new system?
I am not planning to remove the factory mini-battery for the brakes, I just want to add a bigger one for my lights. Am I over-thinking this or can I just splice in my new battery and be done?
Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks!
Super Moderator
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 37,384
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From: Frederick, MD
giving you a bump here. I assume you want the battery for the trailer to be charging as you go down the road.
So...and since this is all just 12V..no inverter is needed.
Seems to me you could splice it into the harness and then from the battery to the trailer to put power to the lights.
Breakaway should run off the battery in a separate wire.
That should work. Don't forget a in-line fuse to prevent an overload. Put that right on the frame somewhere near the battery.
So...and since this is all just 12V..no inverter is needed.
Seems to me you could splice it into the harness and then from the battery to the trailer to put power to the lights.
Breakaway should run off the battery in a separate wire.
That should work. Don't forget a in-line fuse to prevent an overload. Put that right on the frame somewhere near the battery.
Post Fiend
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 9,176
Likes: 4
From: Western Central NV
On a seven prong plug you should have a hot wire to the plug for the battery on a trailer. On the 94 it should be hot all the time on the 02 I don't know, I'm assuming these are factory plugs. Find a picture of a seven plug wiring diagram to see which post is hot. Mine are all in my shop so I can't help right now with that. Anyway, as stated above you should need nothing but a light tester to find which wire is which. Happy hooking.
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