How to Check for a Short forTowing a Gooseneck Trailer with a 2016 Ram 2500

Question:

Howdy- I figure I have a short on my 20” gooseneck flatbed. Here’s what happens: I plug it in and it blows the L turn signal fuse pretty readily. When pulling it with the lights on, I can see the lights dimming and flickering as I drive. My truck is fairly new/modern and has a built in brake control and it tells me when connectivity with the brakes is lost- which comes and goes. If it disconnects and reconnects enough quickly, it has told me “check trailer wiring “ . I’ve checked some of it but don’t know where to look next or what it could be. Probably a ground wire? I replaced the plug and rechecked it- still does the same thing

asked by: Dennis

Helpful Expert Reply:

If your pickup is the 2016 Ram 2500 that you chose for the fitguide then it is very unlikely that the issue is with your truck.

Changing the 7-Way connector on your gooseneck trailer was a great starting point but it does sound like you are correct about there being a short. Checking the wiring on a trailer for a short is fairly tedious but it isn't very difficult. Essentially you just need to inspect the wiring for any places where the wiring looks damaged or pinched and then replace or repair it. Making sure all of your ground connections (including those for your lights) are securely connected to a clean, bare-metal surface will help with any shorts as well.

I have attached a photo showing the standard pin functions on a trailer 7-Way. It sounds like you need to check the wiring for the brakes (7 o'clock position) and the left turn/stop (3 o'clock position) functions. Replacement wiring and butt connectors for the brakes would be parts # 10-1-1 and # DW05745-5 while replacement wiring and butt connectors for the lights would be parts # 16-1-1 and # DW05744-5.

If your brake controller is still reading "disconnected" randomly then you will also want to check the grounds for your brake assemblies as well as the brake magnets. I have linked a helpful article for checking the magnets that you can reference.