CaspersCruiser
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 11, 2016
- Messages
- 892
- Fluid Motion Model
- R-27 Classic
- Hull Identification Number
- FMLT2709G112
- Vessel Name
- Cookie
- MMSI Number
- 368203460
I’ve had my 2012 R27 for five years. The trailer lights always worked fine, until they didn’t a few days ago. All trailer lights were inop.
The head scratcher was that the electric over hydraulic brakes functioned normally as did the trailer lights on the stern of the boat that are powered by a separate cable (I am unsure whether the later model trailerable boats have these lights). When I turned the ignition key on in my 2014 Silverado, I got the routine “Trailer Connected” message on the dash. The only things inop were the lights on the trailer.
To eliminate that a fault in the truck was the issue, I verified that the 7-way round trailer light plug on the truck was sending power to the trailer lights. I did some other troubleshooting, but I’ll cut to the chase: I thought all along that the problem was a bad ground and it was. On my EZ Loader trailer there is one common ground wire, a white, that exits from a wire bundle under the coupler. This wire terminates in a large ring terminal that is on the large bolt that holds the trailer safety chains. It is very easy to miss this ring terminal location because it is almost completely obscured by the chain.
To my astonishment, this ring terminal was not secured. It just wiggled around on the bolt about 1/8”. The safety chain link through which the bolt passes did not hold the ring terminal against the frame. I am surprised the lights didn’t quit working before now. Another issue was that the ring terminal was installed backwards so that the neck of the ring terminal prevented it from laying flat against the trailer frame.
I removed the bolt, scuffed up all the parts to remove surface corrosion, turned the ring terminal around, put a washer between the chain link and ring terminal and reinstalled the bolt. The ring terminal is now completely secure, it is held flat against the trailer frame and the trailer lights work normally.
I am somewhat surprised that there is only one ground path for all lights. As I found out, if that single ground fails, all trailer lights fail.
The head scratcher was that the electric over hydraulic brakes functioned normally as did the trailer lights on the stern of the boat that are powered by a separate cable (I am unsure whether the later model trailerable boats have these lights). When I turned the ignition key on in my 2014 Silverado, I got the routine “Trailer Connected” message on the dash. The only things inop were the lights on the trailer.
To eliminate that a fault in the truck was the issue, I verified that the 7-way round trailer light plug on the truck was sending power to the trailer lights. I did some other troubleshooting, but I’ll cut to the chase: I thought all along that the problem was a bad ground and it was. On my EZ Loader trailer there is one common ground wire, a white, that exits from a wire bundle under the coupler. This wire terminates in a large ring terminal that is on the large bolt that holds the trailer safety chains. It is very easy to miss this ring terminal location because it is almost completely obscured by the chain.
To my astonishment, this ring terminal was not secured. It just wiggled around on the bolt about 1/8”. The safety chain link through which the bolt passes did not hold the ring terminal against the frame. I am surprised the lights didn’t quit working before now. Another issue was that the ring terminal was installed backwards so that the neck of the ring terminal prevented it from laying flat against the trailer frame.
I removed the bolt, scuffed up all the parts to remove surface corrosion, turned the ring terminal around, put a washer between the chain link and ring terminal and reinstalled the bolt. The ring terminal is now completely secure, it is held flat against the trailer frame and the trailer lights work normally.
I am somewhat surprised that there is only one ground path for all lights. As I found out, if that single ground fails, all trailer lights fail.
