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I installed a new Painless wiring kit in my '75 F250 hi-boy. Now I need to install a trailer plug. I'm interested in any cool ideas for how to do that without using the old wire splice connectors that never really work that well.
I thought about mounting a junction box up inside the frame rail and splicing the harness wiring and trailer wiring all in that.
Something like this.
Wow, that sure looks pretty clean! When I did mine, I simply soldered into the lights (brakes, turn, running) at the bulb socket. I haven't got a brake controller yet, but that'll just b on solid wire going back.
Agree those splice connectors are not so hot. I just strip off about 3/4" of insulation from the tail light wires and solder on a suitable length extension for the trailer. Tape it up with high end electric tape and wire tie it up so it is safe. Very reliable and durable.
Ya, it looks nice and clean, and it'll be really easy for you to keep track of which wire is which, and then I you ever want to take off the bed, that'll make it real easy! I should look into something like that.
I agree soldered connections are durable, but splicing into a brand new wiring harness is really hard for an OCD person like me. Lol
The idea of a tidy clean connection point that can be removed if necessary is easier for my mind to wrap around. Not saying it's necessarily better. The box in my previous post is actually meant for the trailer side so you can quickly change out the pigtail.
Originally Posted by Blue and White
Agree those splice connectors are not so hot. I just strip off about 3/4" of insulation from the tail light wires and solder on a suitable length extension for the trailer. Tape it up with high end electric tape and wire tie it up so it is safe. Very reliable and durable.
I've used one of those junction boxes on two pickups, and mine was already equipped that way when I bought it. Using one makes things really easy, especially if you end up putting a 7 wire plug on the bumper and one in the bed for a 5th wheel/gooseneck hitch trailer. It also gave me a place to wire dads 4 round and 6 round connectors and get rid of all the splice crimps. I got mine from a truck dealer (Kenworth). It is a ClearView by Trucklite so that you can see the connections without opening the box.
I made something similar to that junction block too! and like 54Hydro said it make things easy to swap around.
What I did was cut the harness and crimp/soldered/doublewall heatshrink eyelets on the original harness and went from there. I didn't care about originality because of flatdeck, but cared enough to not cut into the original harness going up to the cab.
edit: And oh yeah, raided the kitchen and found a sealed food container to seal this inside!
Last edited by ZarK-eh; Feb 5, 2016 at 10:20 AM.
Reason: Kitchen stuff!
Mikepo, you can get those boxes at most quality auto parts stors or rv shops. there is a version that has fuses for each junction. It isolates the trailer from the vehicle systems in case there is a problem in the trailer. Works well if you have a charging system to the trailer. Use a quality die-electric grease on the connectors when assembling and make sure the lid is tight. A light bead of die-electric or rtv on the lid and grommets will help keep things sealed and dry.
If you use a junction box like that, mount it so the lid is on the bottom. They can collect moisture. Also use some RTV around the grommets where the wire goes thru into the box. Use dielectric silicone on all connections. They work good and are quite common on semi trucks. They are available at NAPA or anywhere that sells heavy truck parts. There are also a couple of different sizes and styles. Just a little preventative planning will help ensure no troubles down the road. Just a little helpful advice from an old heavy truck mechanic......
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