Adding a Battery and Wiring to a Non-Powered Trailer to Add Interior Lights to an Enclosed Trailer

Question

Question:

Hi, I am interested in adding a battery system to my unpowered trailer. Do you have an installation kit you could recommend? I have a 12 enclosed two wheel Pace trailer, no brakes. The trailer has an interior light which is powered by the tow vehicle only when the vehicle is turned on. I would like to add a battery to the trailer so that I can have some power in the trailer to operate the light for brief durations when the trailer is not coupled or the vehicle is off. Thanks

asked by: John H

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Expert Reply:

The first thing you will need is a battery and a battery box. The wiring for the light will need to be connected directly to this battery via a switch that you can get at a hardware store if the light does not already have a switch. Or you can install a new light that has a switch like the Trailer Dome Light with Switch and Aluminum Base, # IL61CB.

Mount the switch in the trailer, route the wiring from the light to the switch, and then from the switch to the battery. If the light is just connected to the battery, it will be on all the time and drain the battery quickly. The light sounds like it is connected to the running light circuit, so this connection will have to be severed so the new connection works properly

If your 2002 GMC Sierra and trailer use 7-Way or 6-Way connectors, you can connect the 12 volt power wire to the trailer battery to maintain the battery while towing. Make sure first that the power wire is not already connected to a vital component on the trailer.

If you are using a 4 or 5-Way connector, you will want to use a battery charger, like the CTEK US 7002 12-Volt Battery Charger with Pulse Maintenance, # CTEK56353, to charge and maintain the battery when not towing the trailer. I have included a link to a video review of CTEK battery chargers below.

expert reply by: Michael H

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Answer 1

We have had a similar question to this come up and we were able to determine that the number AS-13 M-VDO449 that you listed is stamped on the vent cover part #BVD0449-A01. If you are looking for the entire fan setup and not just the cover you would…

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Answer 2

When attaching e-tracks like the part #E19148 typically people run the bolts through the track, then through the wall or floor they are attaching the track to, through the backing plate like part #e96RR, and then finally the nuts get threaded onto…

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Answer 3

When rotating tires like the #AM10303 on your triple axle trailer I recommend using the X pattern. This means you will swap the front driver side tire with the back passenger side tire, the front passenger side tire with the back driver side tire,…

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Answer 4

You are correct in your description of how to wire in a new auxiliary battery in your enclosed trailer. You will take the 7-Way's 12V power feed and route this to the positive terminal on the auxiliary battery, and you will ground the…

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Answer 5

For DC electricity, I can help you out. You can run a 10 gauge wire like #10-1-1 sold by the foot from a 6-way or 7-way connection from the 12V to a deep cycle 12V battery and then run the battery to a ground on the trailer. You can use a solenoid…

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Answer 6

The best way to power the interior lights in your trailer is with its own independent battery. You will not want to use the breakaway battery. The breakaway battery is only designed to operate the breakaway and will drain extremely quickly,…

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Answer 7

Our wheel and tire packages such as the #AAM32001HWTB you'd looked at do not leave our facility balanced, as we don't have the equipment to balance them. You can have the wheel/tire balanced locally if you wish but having the tires…

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Answer 8

Our tire and wheel assemblies do not come from the manufacturer balanced. This being as it is not as important to have trailer wheels balanced like it is for vehicle tires. Trailer tires main purpose is supporting heavy loads and not providing a…

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Answer 9

The pre-mounted combinations of trailer wheels and trailer tires that we offer are given a degree of balancing by the distributor but not a full dynamic balance on a balancing machine as passenger car tires require. I will explain. Wheels and tires…

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Answer 10

The Karrier ST225/75R15 Radial Tire with 15" Hi-Spec Aluminum Wheel part #AM32684 uses Kenda tires which are made overseas as with roughly 95% of all trailer tires on the market. That said, they are still great options offered with a…

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Answer 11

The tire/wheel combinations that we sell, such as Loadstar ST225/75D15 Bias Trailer Tire with 15-inch White Wheel #AM3S870, are not fully dynamically balanced like an automobile tire/wheel. However, when mounted together the tire's low spot…

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Answer 12

The best way to get interior lights in your trailer is to have a dedicated 12 volt battery, and battery box like #329-HM318BKS mounted to the trailer. This gives you the power needed while you're not hooked to your truck. For lights I…

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Adding a Battery and Wiring to a Non-Powered Trailer to Add Interior Lights to an Enclosed Trailer

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