F350 Trailer Tow Wiring

 
User avatar
CoalJockey
Verified Business Rep.
Posts: 1324
Joined: Sun. Mar. 09, 2008 11:18 am
Location: Loysburg, PA
Stoker Coal Boiler: Several EFM 520 refurbs...one 900, one 1300 mega-stoker
Hand Fed Coal Stove: (2) Warm Morning Stoves

Post by CoalJockey » Mon. Jan. 07, 2019 8:51 pm

The photo that you shown Mcgiever as well as the battery box photo are exactly what I always referred to as Scotchlocks. I don’t know if that is the proper term for them although I think it is the same as a swear word. Open connections are bad enough but semi-closed connections that pierce the wire are much worse... this acts like a trap for corrosion and since the wire coating is pierced it will begin to eat away at the copper until it rots off completely. Words cannot describe my hate for those things.

In my opinion there are really only two methods that I will use on our equipment here. One is what Rob showed me a few months ago and described above, the heat-shrink terminals that contain solder to form a sealed connection. I have been using these lately and am starting to like them more and more.

The other option is to manually solder the joint and then seal with heat-shrink tubing overtop to form a weathertight connection. This is my preferred way if I have time. Crimp-only butt terminals are okay for inside the cab but I don’t like to see them outside due to them harboring corrosion from road salt.

CS... that battery box looks NASTY. I don’t know how much time and effort you want to spend or what it’s worth to you but that entire thing really should be rebuilt. I’m fear that you will get it straightened out to get you down the road for awhile but I see more trouble in the future.

Take all this with a grain of salt... I’m entirely self taught. No two truck bodies are wired the same, even from the same manufacturer so I have spent days at a time troubleshooting on trucks. However I am certain an electrical engineer would likely show me a thing or two.

 
User avatar
2001Sierra
Member
Posts: 2211
Joined: Wed. May. 20, 2009 8:09 am
Location: Wynantskill NY, 10 miles from Albany
Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Keystoker 90 Chimney vent
Coal Size/Type: Rice
Other Heating: Buderus Oil Boiler 3115-34

Post by 2001Sierra » Mon. Jan. 07, 2019 8:59 pm

The ends of those wires are almost certaintly corroded with those Scotchlite blocks. Each strand of wire gets oxidized and will not except solder until cleaned to a bright copper, or shiny. That liquid flux I spoke about earlier works well on cleaning the wire ends prior to soldering, and once again rinsed with alcohol prior to solder and heatshrink. The liquid flux mentions not for electrical, but that is meant in circuits where you would be using it for simple cleaning of conductors. All ring terminals on my trailer for grounds are solid copper and are tinned for corrosion resistance and then I top coat them with liquid electrical tape.

 
grumpy
Member
Posts: 12283
Joined: Sat. Jan. 02, 2010 12:28 am

Post by grumpy » Mon. Jan. 07, 2019 9:02 pm

StokerDon wrote:
Fri. Jan. 04, 2019 7:12 pm
Don't be tempted to put a bigger fuse in, that will only make things worse.

-Don
Yeah, it will let the smoke out..


 
User avatar
McGiever
Member
Posts: 10130
Joined: Sun. May. 02, 2010 11:26 pm
Location: Junction of PA-OH-WV
Stoker Coal Boiler: AXEMAN-ANDERSON 130 "1959"
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: BUCKET A DAY water heater
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Warm Morning 414A
Coal Size/Type: PEA,NUT,STOVE /ANTHRACITE
Other Heating: Ground Source Heat Pump and some Solar

Post by McGiever » Mon. Jan. 07, 2019 10:15 pm

CoalJockey wrote:
Mon. Jan. 07, 2019 8:51 pm
The photo that you shown Mcgiever as well as the battery box photo are exactly what I always referred to as Scotchlocks
Yup, 3M says there are 1165 different products called Scotchloks...so it would depend what one would use commonly.

I'll guess you have ill feelings for aluminum wire also. ;)

 
User avatar
coaledsweat
Site Moderator
Posts: 13763
Joined: Fri. Oct. 27, 2006 2:05 pm
Location: Guilford, Connecticut
Stoker Coal Boiler: Axeman Anderson 260M
Coal Size/Type: Pea

Post by coaledsweat » Tue. Jan. 08, 2019 5:21 pm

OK, got a new battery and put it in. Had to order and wait for it @ $35. I decided to check the truck coupler to ground, about 240 ohms. Then I connected the trailer and got 11 gazillion m ohms between them. I think thats a problem. None of the lights worked this time but wigglinging the coupler, the radio static would come and go. Dark now, I'll fiddle tomorrow.

 
cabinover
Member
Posts: 2344
Joined: Wed. Feb. 04, 2009 7:13 am
Location: Fair Haven, VT
Stoker Coal Boiler: Hybrid Axeman Anderson 130
Baseburners & Antiques: Sparkle #12
Coal Size/Type: Pea, Buckwheat, Nut
Other Heating: LP Hot air. WA TX for coal use.

Post by cabinover » Tue. Jan. 08, 2019 6:33 pm

coaledsweat wrote:
Mon. Jan. 07, 2019 7:34 pm
I'm thinking the battery + tab breaking off and hitting some steel is what killed the fuse. And the goofy light stuff would be a ground or wiring issue. I'll pick up a new battery and take a crack at it tomorrow starting with the coupler.
That would do it, a straight short to ground. As for your trailer ground, for test purposes you can run a pair of jumper cables from a clean spot on the truck (or neg. terminal) to a clean spot on the trailer to rule out ground problems. That and/or take it down a twisty road for a ways. It'll clean the ball and hitch up pretty quickly and allow your ground through. Also, clean where the ground is screwed/bolted on to the trailer.

You're almost out of the woods.


 
User avatar
2001Sierra
Member
Posts: 2211
Joined: Wed. May. 20, 2009 8:09 am
Location: Wynantskill NY, 10 miles from Albany
Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Keystoker 90 Chimney vent
Coal Size/Type: Rice
Other Heating: Buderus Oil Boiler 3115-34

Post by 2001Sierra » Tue. Jan. 08, 2019 6:34 pm

When trailers get squirrely I always say it is the ground. On my trailer I welded a bolt to mine and made sure I had excellent ground bond and used it as a terminal block for the grounds at hitch area. This then establishes good grounding for lighting throughout the trailer.

 
User avatar
coaledsweat
Site Moderator
Posts: 13763
Joined: Fri. Oct. 27, 2006 2:05 pm
Location: Guilford, Connecticut
Stoker Coal Boiler: Axeman Anderson 260M
Coal Size/Type: Pea

Post by coaledsweat » Tue. Jan. 08, 2019 6:57 pm

I've already cleaned and sanded the trailer ground. I just went out and read the trailer coupler ground to the ground stud, 200 K ohms. I do believe we are about to arrive.

 
User avatar
McGiever
Member
Posts: 10130
Joined: Sun. May. 02, 2010 11:26 pm
Location: Junction of PA-OH-WV
Stoker Coal Boiler: AXEMAN-ANDERSON 130 "1959"
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: BUCKET A DAY water heater
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Warm Morning 414A
Coal Size/Type: PEA,NUT,STOVE /ANTHRACITE
Other Heating: Ground Source Heat Pump and some Solar

Post by McGiever » Tue. Jan. 08, 2019 10:42 pm

Silicone dielectric grease is your friend...everything copper should be 100% sealed as well as all contact areas.

Your picture of battery box originally showed "raw" cut wire ends exposing the open insulation and the stranded copper which will and can wick road grime and salt like a soda straw.
Electrical connections are only as good as that hands that do them... ;)

Post Reply

Return to “Cars, Trucks, Motorcycles & Aviation”