what to do w/extra wire?

[Becky B.]

I have new running lights for my trailer. I realize they are grounded by the screws that hold them to the trailer & the ground wire coming out of the trailer doesn't have a home! What do I do with the extra wire? Sorry, I'm not much at electrical, so excuse me if this is a dumb question! Thanks in advance....

[davidz71]

Becky,
I drilled a hole through the base of the clearance light, ran the ground wire through it, crimped a ring terminal on it and then ran the mounting screw through it to secure the mount base. The last set of three red LED clearance lights I bought for the top rear area were 2 wire units which just plugged into the existing wires of the trailer.

[Becky B.]

Sounds like a plan.....Thanks!

[DEITZ645]

Becky,
I used shrink wrap tubing to cover the unsed grounding wire and just tucked the unused grounding wire behnd the new light.

Also see this thread...

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f447...lla-39116.html

[Becky B.]

Sounds like an even easier plan! Off to the hardware store I shall go for new stainless screws & shrink wrap. Thanks again! And thanks for the link too--your is just like mine & pictures speak volumes!

[Mikethefixit]

I just replaced all the markerlites on my 77 Overlander .The wire that is with the lite I just rolled up inside the base of the lite. My marker lites are Grote and only 1 wife the screws ground the lite. I caulked the screwholes and the wire gromets before installing the new lites. The 31yr old lites had fiber gaskets,the new do NOT,but they do have ample drainage. I got my lites a the local Semi trailer place. Fruehauf Dealer they are the same lites. My Lites were $1.95 each. RV places get from $4.25 to $7.25 each for the same thing

[DEITZ645]

Originally Posted by beckybillrae

Sounds like an even easier plan! Off to the hardware store I shall go for new stainless screws & shrink wrap. Thanks again! And thanks for the link too--your is just like mine & pictures speak volumes!

Becky,
As you know the wires coming out of the trailer are very short. So I did not want to cut wires to put new connectors on. I bought "female" bullet connectors to connect the new lights to the hot lead coming from the trailer. I also put shrink wrap over the entire hot lead connection to prevent them from coming apart or getting a metal against metal short. All in all the new bullet connectors and shrink wrap made for a very nat job. I also used all new mounting screws to ensure the ground to the trailer body was good.

Good luck an let us know how you make out.

PS. I searched for MONTHS to get the exact same replacement lights, but it seems nobody makes them anymore. The only reason I went the way I did was becuase the camping season was coming up and I needed the trailer ready for PA state inspection and camping.