Found a Flat Bed Trailer

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Mar 29, 2016 | 12:17 PM

Brian15501

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From: Somerset, PA

Found a Flat Bed Trailer

After buying a 2003 F350 almost one year ago and getting most of the repairs done. I found a local farming wanting to sale his gooseneck flat deck trailer 20 x 5 after digging through it I offered him $2500 a little short of what he was asking and he accepted. I finished installing a brake controller on my truck and found it wouldn't accept communication with the electric brakes, my friend tried his 2014 F150 same problem. He crawled under it and said "the wire" needed replaced, a day later I did it as well and didn't find any problems? I have always thought he was goofy. So now I'm thinking about replacing the brake assembly on all four wheel, battery or lastly all the wiring. Any ideas?

Mar 29, 2016 | 01:12 PM

senix

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From: Frederick, MD

moved to the topic area for flatbeds.

Mar 29, 2016 | 01:14 PM

senix

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From: Frederick, MD

First I would start at the 7 pin in the back of the truck and verify voltage.

Also what about another trailer? Did the TBC work there?

check fuses under the hood of the truck?

Mar 29, 2016 | 01:14 PM

senix

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From: Frederick, MD

If all that checks out then I would start looking at the trailer wires.

Mar 29, 2016 | 10:17 PM

superrangerman2002

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From: South Dakota

Start with the basics.

Do you have lights? Do the turn signals function correctly? Do you get power out on all pins of the truck connection?

Does the wiring pin locations of the trailer line up correctly with your truck? I.e are the proper wires in the right locations?

You will have start at the truck and work backwards. The cheapo wire splices are usually bad. I always cut them out and solder / heat shrink new joints in as I debug a new trailer.

Mar 30, 2016 | 05:58 AM

Slowpoke Slim

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Joined: Nov 2012

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From: Bismarck, ND

Yup, and most likely the break away battery is bad. Very often overlooked on trailers that mostly sit. On the new trucks, I think it will throw an error if the battery is dead, even if all lights are working. I know my '12 will do that.

Do any of the trailer lights work? And make sure some previous owner didn't "know better" than the rest of the world and wire up the harness (either truck or trailer) in some goofy _ssed configuration. Check your splices (always suspect) and check your grounds (often overlooked).

If the trailer has been sitting long term, I'd plan on going through the bearings and brakes as soon as you get it home. Also, same goes for tires, check for dry rot in the tires, especially if it's been sitting outside for years without moving it.

Apr 20, 2016 | 08:00 AM

Mr. Mcbeevee

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Joined: May 2011

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If my cattle trailer or flatbed has sat for a while I get a trailer disconnected message every time I hit the brakes till I have towed it about half an hour and the breakaway battery charges up. You might want to verify that the battery is good before you start digging too much. My flatbed is a 20x4 with a folding dovetail. Handy as a pocket on a shirt.

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Apr 20, 2016 | 08:36 AM

Brian15501

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Joined: Jul 2015

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From: Somerset, PA

Thanks everyone the wiring problem turned out to be the extra trailer plug in my bed and I replaced it with a Hopkins. A friend hooked a 2014 Ford F150 up to the trailer most everything works had some clearance lights that needed replaced and his OEM BC hooked up to the trailer brakes, still need to check and probably replace the brake assemblies. I was thinking about replacing the breakaway battery and adding a Portable Solar Car Battery Charger/Solar Charge Controller for a future setup with my winch and a portable hitch. I could probably link the breakaway battery with the solar charger. I found some surface rust and need to blast and sand them down and seal with black primer and maybe add Herculiner over the frame. One deck board is rotten I have the replacement sitting in my garage.

Between driving a semi for 18 years and ending up in the hospital for 6 months because of another vehicle. This trailer operates a little different, "no air brakes", I want to drive through a weigh station and get other things figured out. Thanks everybody again have a good one, be safe out there.