How to Ground Trailer Lights & Other Electrical Components on Fiberglass Trailer

Question:

Hello I have a couple of questions. 1. For your7inch led brake lights. I believe my current brake bulbs only have 2 wires, and the led lights have 3. Since the trailer is fiberglass, do I have to run a ground wire from frame to these lights to the white wire? 2. Ground question. Are each of the following supposed to be grounded to the trailers steel frame: Negative battery terminal for 12V battery in trailer? The 12V side of the 120 to 12V converter? The ground bus for the 120 V breaker panel in trailer? Thanks

asked by: Jim G

Expert Reply:

A trailer stop/turn/tail light such as Optronics LED Trailer Tail Light # STL101RKB which comes with a 3-prong pigtail plug like # A47PB will require you to run a separate ground wire from its white ground pigtail to either the steel trailer frame or to the 7-way's ground in order to operate. Some trailer lights use their mounting hardware to provide the ground connection but these would not work on your fiberglass trailer without making a separate ground connection to the frame.

The other electrical components on your trailer, the battery, breaker panel bus and power converter, all should be grounded to the trailer frame.

expert reply by: Adam R