Wire a Utility-Trailer / Camper / Teardrop plus your Tow Vehicle Yourself

I'm building a teardrop camper on a DIY trailer. There is a lot of information/videos on "wiring a trailer" but what almost all are discussing is replacing or rewiring the lights on a trailer or the plug. I struggled to find the basic information on starting from scratch on a trailer and wiring it for lights and brakes. Plus the needed wiring for a tow vehicle. So that's the motivation for this video. Breaking down the whole process to end up with something that will last a long time for people at my skill / knowledge level.

Homebuilt / Homemade / DIY Trailer and Ford F150 are examples used.

I am not an expert electrician. I did my research for this specific project and chose the options that best fit my ability, understanding, and budget. Did my best to discuss learnings with people at my level of knowledge. Surely there are people out there that can be constructive and help the rest of us by leaving an educational comment below on important stuff or valid alternative methods. Though understand if you don't watch the video you might be offering redundant information or come across as rude. As always I leave all comments (even those I disagree with) as long as they're cordial.

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Tools & Material Used in this video:
- Associate Links (they give a little on back end to wortheffort)
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[woodbeeturnings]

Really appreciate you, Shawn, and your continuing willingness to share all these tips, etc. with us. These videos are very helpful. Your style of in-depth descriptions is great, but the fact you are having fun and encouraging us to have fun too is even better. 😊 Thank you!

[thesjyoungjr]

Thank you for taking us along. We wish you well.

[montehyler]

Nice job on the trailer wiring. My neighbor and I did a similar job on his trailer a few years ago and it has held up well. We also used the junction box like you did and that worked out great! Looking forward to more teardrop build videos!

[loucinci]

Fantastic job with the trailer. Well done. Thanks for sharing

[SCWD_US]

I was wondering whatever happened to the tailor 🤨. Thanks for the update.😀

[michaelnorman]

Great details Shawn really good informational video!

[hramsay]

OEM Wiring Harness ensures compatability with the factory installed CODY CONTROL MODULE computer.
Very wise, Shawn.

[stephencatanzaro]

Shawn they sell 3 way crimp cornectors or put three eye connectos on each wire and bolt them together with a 8 or 10 bolt & nut.

[Pauldh]

In the UK we can put a split charge relay on the tow vehicle which means it only charges the trailer battery when the car battery is full. It is pretty standard on most towing wiring looms. It is really cheap and reasonably easy to install. Could be worth looking at if anybody else does a similar project.

[HondoTrailside]

My experience with trailers is that the wiring fails all the time. This has been true on expertly made commercial trailers and less so on ones I made myself. Some of this may be a thing of the past given that LED based lights are more solid state. If you never leave the blacktop it is less common, but just last summer I had the lights fail after 500 miles on the highway. My approach to all this:

1) Know your wiring diagram, or carry one. Make sure actual wiring colors and other things are well identified.
2) Figure out how many circuits you need by law, (where I live narrow trailers only require the rear lights.) But if I was driving in the city where a lot of people are passing you and entering the roadway, more lights are better. I do two long hauls on the Hwy, and then mostly local boat ramps. I would feel safe with only the rear lights, and this vastly simplifies the wiring. You can get magnetic running lights that run off batteries, if you need those for the law, but you can easily replace them, and there are no dangling wires. If you weld your own rig you can pocket them so they are super secure.
3) If you are welding up your own trailer, you may want to find a place for pockets so that you can add magnetic replacement lights if you run into trouble. You can have your whole system replaced in 30 seconds. These can even be wireless. I carry two sets of replacement lights, and extra wire and connectors, and tools.
4) I purchased a tester that allows one to plug into 110 voltage and drops it to 12v, and has alligator clips. This makes it super easy to diagnose problems without worrying about the trailer frying the truck, or even needing to be hooked to a vehicle. (My house, has a good sized drive, but with the truck and trailer the rig sticks out into the street, and I prefer to use a tester for maintenance.

I live in heavily forested topography. Maybe if your outback is sand or hard rock, you don't get the snags that rip on the wires. It is also just the age. My trailer frame was galvanized, and it is as good as new. The wiring doesn't last as well.

[nelsonpalmer]

Shawn, the wires coming directly out of the taillights passing through the brackets. I found this area of lamp wire a problem - replaced the wire and added additional insulation tubing.

[tacs_]

Thanks Shawn, looking good!

How close are you to starting the woodworking elements of the project?

[Coxeysbodgering]

Wish vehicles in the UK were that easy to add to. A lot of our trailers that are braked use inertia breaking system and only need to be fitted for max laden weight of over 750kg

[loucinci]

Are you planning to put in a 12v Lithium battery, inverter and maybe some solar panels? That would be cool.

[davidanderson]

A local tear drop trailer club that can advise?