Does Trailer Battery Need to be Grounded

Question:

Do I need to run a ground wire as well? I need to charge a marine 12v battery that powers a winch and tongue jack in a 24inch enclosed race car trailer. The tow vehicle is a Toyota Tundra and has 7 pin round connector. I want the trailer battery to charge from the Tundra when the 7 pin is connected. asked by: Joseph F Expert Reply: You can put a maintenance charge on your trailer battery with the 12 volt accessory circuit of the 7-way. The 1:00 position of your 7-way carries this circuit. You would just need to run a length of 10 gauge wire like part # 10-1-1 sold by the foot, from this pin to the positive terminal of the battery. You should note that this wont charge a dead battery, but it will keep the battery topped off when you are towing the trailer.

asked by: Shawn C

Expert Reply:

Yes, in addition to using 10 Gauge Wire # 10-1-1 to send power to your battery, you also need a length of it and a ring terminal # DW05740-1 to ground the negative post of your trailer battery to your trailer frame.

Please note, just like in the answer you are referring to, connecting the 10 gauge wire to your trailer 7-Way will only provide you with a maintenance charge. If you're looking to charge your battery without hooking it up to a standard wall outlet then you will need a battery charger as well. One of the best options we have to offer is the Redarc BCDC # 331-BCDC1225D (with install kit # 331-FK40) because it can sense what kind of battery is connected and adjust power output accordingly. It also gives you the option to add a solar panel to the mix if that's something you're interested in as well.

expert reply by: Jon G