Troubleshooting Lighting Where Trailer Lights are Dim After Install of Additional Lighting

Question:

I have an enclosed trailer that I use for waterfowl hunting, when I bought the trailer it had one existing light on a switch in it. So I got a few light strips for the inside, tapped into the original lights power and now they run off that switch great. Now I’m attempting to put some light bars/pods on the outside, figured if I put another switch in, pulling power from the light strips that I previously installed I could turn on just inside, or both. But when I try turning the new light bars on, it dims inside lights, and barely turns outside on. Wasn’t sure if I’m just trying to pull too much power from the truck in general. The only thing I could maybe think of and haven’t tried is rather that pulling power from light strips, I should go all the way back to original light.

asked by: Luke M

Expert Reply:

Are you running the lights in series where the power wire connects to ground of other light or in parallel where all of the power wires run to same power wire and then ground in a similar way? If in series that's your issue as basically you are reducing the amperage based on what the first light draws. If in parallel the issue is either not enough power or the ground is weak.

expert reply by: Jameson C