Question

The Boat Trailering Guys

I apply my brake lights and all the lights on my trailer go out. What's going on?

D. Lootens, Pine Lake IN

Answered on: 6/2005

GEORGE: If I were a betting man, I'd say the problem is with the vehicle's electrical system not the trailer. You'll need to use a test lamp or take the trailer and your tow vehicle to your local trailer dealer. They will fix it for you. Don't feel bad about this: it's a common problem. I've seen many similar situations. MIKE: There is definitely a wiring problem, which may be on the vehicle side or the trailer side. Here are a couple ideas to narrow the problem down quickly. If you have a friend with a wire harness on their vehicle and you experience the same results when hooked up to your trailer, you will know that the wiring on the trailer is crossed or shorted somewhere. You can purchase a plug in tester from your local marine/trailer supply store to test the vehicle side of things. Plug that in to your vehicle. If the LED lights come on according to the function that you are testing you will know where the problem is.

The Boat Trailering Guys: Mike and George