Hello,

I have a 2007 F150 and I tow a boat with it ( Trailer has all LED's)

The problem is when I turn on the lights at night there is a 50/50 chance of the truck blowing the fuse ( 20amp mini)

Has anyone else had this problem at all? anyone solve it?

The fuse only runs the tail lights and the reverse lock out for the trailer brakes. brake and turn sig's are not effected.

 

Sounds like an occasional short on the trailer circuit. I'd chase that wire through the harness, almost guaranteed to find the insulation rubbed off somewhere.

 

Yep, I'd say you have a short in the trailer wiring somewhere. Gotta follow each wire from connector to light and see if there are any obvious signs for a short..

You do unplug your connector before you put it in the water, right??

Mitch

 

I had this same issue with my trailer. I traced the wire and come to find out that one of the wires came loose and was touching on the inside of the trailer causing it to blow fuses. The funny thing is that I went through about 5 to 8 fuses b4 I narrowed it down.

 

I know this is a dumb question...but do you unplug your trailer plug when you launch the boat?

I have seen lots of corrosion that will short out a trailer if you keep the trailer plugged in when submerging it. The lights might be waterproof...but most wire connections are not.

If you see any wires pass through a hole that doesn't have a rubber grommet protecting it...use silicone caulk in the hole and it will keep the wire from wearing off the insulation causing shorts.

 

CO,

I always enjoy the information you provide here and respect your opinions, but I have a question on unplugging a trailer before getting it wet. I work at a marina and we do not recommend this practice anymore. There was a time when trailer lighting and wiring was so bad that it actually wasn't a bad idea to do this, but things have changed (improved) quite a bit in the last few years. There's also the issue of the number one problem with this practice - forgetting to plug things back in. This can lead to a lack of lighting (and / or brakes) and dragging a connector down the road and sanding it to bits.

In this particular case, I'd agree we have a short someplace in the trailer wiring. Yes, soaking it in water could make it worse or more apparent, but shouldn't the wiring be able to stand up to the environment that it's designed for? I would look at being required to unplug my trailer as a symptom of a problem that really needs fixing. A penny for your thoughts?

 

Unless the water is distilled...it has minerals or salts that will cause corrosion. The corrosion can be accelerated by an electrical current like electroplating ... but in this case it will be oyxidization.

Nothing has really changed in trailer wiring with the exception of sealed lights...but there will still be electrical connections to the lights. These connections if done correctly are water tight and can be submerged. BUT>> tell all the people's trailers I fix every year why there wires are corroded. I'd say that less than 50% of all shrink tube connectors are properly installed. If in fact the trailer even has shrink tube! Even better when they have been serviced with electrical wire nuts.

Once they started unplugging the boat when submerging the trailer...there problems went away.

Can you fix the problem so that the boat trailer can be submerged?
Sure.....but it will probaly return if you continue to submerge the trailer in anything other than distilled water.

I am not the end all...and surely you do not have to accept my answers...but I do this for a living...trailers that is.....reapir and service.

 

Thanks for the input guys.

The boat is a 2007 Tournament boat with a DHM trailer, It only sees fresh lake water.

The lights are all LED's and they are all sealed according to DHM.

I think I found what was happening.

The trailer has surge brakes, and the tongue comes completely off for storage, ( pin with cotter pin) I have to detach the brake line from the reservoir in the tongue section in order to remove the tongue from the trailer, the blue wire ( reverse lockout) also has a connector on it, this is what I think was the problem, if the blue wire connector ( it has a lot of excess wire in this singe line) bounces and touches the corner of the trailer, poof.......the fuse blows, I have rerouted it now so it can not contact the trailer at all over bumps, o far so good.

On thing that does make me wonder though is the heat present in the 7 pin connector at the truck, it gets hot!, not scorching, but warm to the touch........ is this normal?

Also, last time fro, coming home from the lake, I lost the rigth side parking lights, over bumps it would flicker............so i forsure still have a loose wire somewhere to track down..

 

No...you still have a short...keep looking

 

CO,

Sounds reasonable to me. I have to say though, here in upstate New York, I'm just not seeing those kinds of problems - and I've been working at a marina for 25+ years. I think I'll stick with leaving mine plugged in for now.

kscales,

Yes, you definitely still have a short someplace. By the way, the blue wire is only energized when your truck is in reverse. It runs off your backup light circuit and energizes a solenoid that blocks off the brake circuit when you back up with disc brakes on your trailer. If it wasn't here or wasn't working, you'd find it impossible to back up because the brakes would lock. Based on your description, you have a bare wire bouncing around someplace inside the trailer. Oh yea, and your connector should not be hot - especially with LED's.

 

I had a problem with by boat trailer blowing fuses when it was brand new. Turns out the crew that adjusted the axle position for the new boat mistakenly squeezed one of the wires between the frame and it broke the insulation enough so that the wire was in contact with the frame. Could not keep a fuse from blowing.

In my case the trailer manufacturer sent out a guy who re-did the entire wire harness for the trailer as it sat in my driveway. Problem solved and the lights have worked for 4 years since then... and I never unplug the trailer wires when I launch/load.

When I asked the trailer company if I should mention this discovery to the folks I bought the boat from they said not to bother... they sell many trailer to this outfit and if they have to re-wire one or two a year after an axle is adjusted and a wire gets pinched, they are still way ahead.

 

Instead of looking for a Hot wirer shorting out,
Look fro a wire not properly grounded .
you would have the same problems .
and I have been towing a boat for ten years and
I never unplug my lights when backing down the ramp.