lights from ice cast to truck porblem

[Boar]

ive had issues for.sometime now on my lightinging from my cast to my truck. i have the 7 spade.round plug. they worked periodicaly trhu out the summer, comig on and off, hooked it up this morining and nuthin. truck lights are fine, ove checked the trailer plug and everythig looks and feels.tight for connection. i think its in either the truck female.housing or the trailer male plug. when the lights work, all.illuminate on the castle. any ideas were.to start would be great thanks!

[RebelSS]

Look first for a broken ground wire on/from the trailer plug, Boar...or one rusted around the frame connection.

[delcecchi]

If that stuff is ok, maybe a fuse?  When you said occasionally did you mean they worked sometimes and not others? 

[Hoey]

I'm a ground wire on the trailer that has finally rusted off.

[fishingstar]

I had problems for a couple years with my truck. I found the plug on the back side of the RV plug ( seven pin on a pickup) had corrosion on it.

unplugged it cleaned it put dielectric grease on it and have not had a problem since.  

Dan

[Boar]

yup occasionally, i hooked it up to the truck thrsday morn to bri g i to my works heated shop for the weekend to work on it. the lights didnt work at that moment when i first hooked it up. it sat hoomed up to my truck till the end of the day when i backed it ito the shop the lights, all lights started working, im also thiki g ground.

[bobberineyes]

You ask Santa for a handy dandy tester?

[RebelSS]

You ask Santa for a handy dandy tester?

You'll poke yer eye out!!!   

 

usually an intermittent prob like that IS the ground, as I mentioned. bet you've got a rusted/loose one somewhere. That's why I split my wires and ground at TWO  different areas.  If you have a "kink" ir "bend" in the harnes, check there, too, and get a tester like bobber said. One other trick you can try if it's corrosion....spary the female part of the plug on the trailer with WD-40, and let sit a bit, then either blow it out or let it hang down to get the stuff out. I always spray mine and cover the ends year round when not in use, never had a problem yet.

Edited December 25, 2015 by RebelSS

[Boar]

i pulled it outthe shop today, drove outa the bummpy driveway at work and the running lights were flickering with each bump. must be a ground. have to get underneath and see where the groud attaches to the frame

 

[Boar]

Ok so Ytring to fin where the ground is connected to the ice castle frame, I find myself feeling silly, but there is nuthing underneath the frame, Ive looked all underneath. The wiring harness runs into the front of the V wall and dosent coem out inside, so I am assuming that the harness is running the length of the frame inside the wall? that cant be right, i mean who would install a wiring harness for a trailer inside a wall.....oh yeah, IC. I just cant seem to find where they grounded to the frame. I also had a buddy say make sure your ball is not not overly rusty. so im gona polish that up, Ive heard of that but dont think it holds much merit, i dont know.

[Richj]

Ball shouldnt matter, as you shouldnt be using that for ground. Just find your ground wire in the harness and put an eye on it and screw it to the frame.

[RebelSS]

Ball has NOTHING to do with it, Boar. That harness is grounded to the frame SOMEWHERE. Splice into your ground wire (white wire)  and re-ground it somewhere on the frame where you want...a good, clean, BARE area. 

 

Edited December 30, 2015 by RebelSS

[Boar]

thanks but i aim splicin into nuthing, ihave a fertilizer truck at work that jut dawned on me that the turn signals we rgrounde to the vehicle back by the turn signal it self, id bet money that the turn signal.fixture has the ground afixed to mounting bracket of the fixture, which inturn ismounted to the frame.

[Richj]

It wouldnt be splicing.....You just find it by the tongue and anchor it by the tongue....Best place to have it anyway.

[RebelSS]

53 minutes ago, Richj said:

It wouldnt be splicing.....You just find it by the tongue and anchor it by the tongue....Best place to have it anyway.

Exactly. That's what I did with mine. Solder a large terminal on the end and slip it over a bolt. Round or spade.

 

[Richj]

Just now, RebelSS said:

Exactly. That's what I did with mine. Solder a large terminal on the end and slip it over a bolt. Round or spade.

 

Yessir......Crimps are great for weekend trail or emergency fixes......But pull the plastic off and use solder and heat shrink....Then run a stainless self drilling screw right into the frame.....Lasts  a looooong time.

[leechlake]

may as well have someone weld something.  Know any old welders

 

[RebelSS]

That's what I said Rich......I agree...SOLDER it...after you also put a piece of shrink fit tubing over it. Maybe we can get Boar to get this fixed before ice season is over. 

 

1 hour ago, Richj said:

It wouldnt be splicing.....You just find it by the tongue and anchor it by the tongue....Best place to have it anyway.

Exactly. That's what I did with mine. Solder a large terminal on the end and slip it over a bolt. Round or spade.

 

[Big Dave2]

Sounds like a ground but have you determined if it is the truck or the trailer? Did you try plugging in a different trailer to your truck to see if that works any better?

A few years ago I had to take the ground wire from my 7 way harness and re-attach it to my truck frame in a less rusted area. Now it works great.

[blue_healer_guy]

Dealt with this same issue for years.  its your truck.  so much salt and corostion back by the plug in.