So i am at a loss here. I am trying to hook up my old travel trailer for towing running lights and such, there is already preexisting wiring, but all the teardrop lights are burnt and rusted. So i got new ones. So basically, i have 6 wires coming off the harness. White, Blue, Black, Yellow, Green, And the last one looks Brown/orange/red. So old hard to tell. The Brown(/red/orange), yellow, black, green. all shoot up into the siding. The white and the blue go back to the brakes. I Found the black is the 12v wiring and it works. but i cannot get any of the other lights to work. I am at a loss. tried everything. I see no white ground that grounds out the trailer, only white wire i see goes to the brakes. I figured if i can get the 12v to work in the camper than the wiring for the lights cant be completely messed up and i'm just missing something. What am i missing here. i am so stumped we are about to rip the siding in the back and front off and just run simple new wiring for running lights and brakes. But i would like to have all lights working without having to do that. I'm open to suggestions and help.

Check Tin Can Tourists. It's a site for vintage RV's.Maybe you can find some useful info that will help with your wiring.

Since you mention brakes I assume you are working with a 7-round plug. You also mentioned teardrop so the trailer should be light enough to safely tow without brakes.Quick solution for towing now and solving the real problem later:Buy new lights and wiring combo. This should include the lights, all wiring, and a 4-flat plug. All of it should be connected already so all you need to do is ground the white wire, find a way to mount the lights, and zip-tie the loose wiring up. This should get you to where you need to go without any problems. You can easily remove everything at a later time and place to work on the actual problem.Later:Since all the wiring is preexisting and just the housings are rusted, you should be able to remove the original lights and housing to expose just the wires hanging out, most likely 2 wires. Find new lights that match what is hanging out of your trailer, 2 or 3 wire. Some require grounding, some do not.

Yes i was going to do without the brakes. its a smaller trailer. And i am trying to wire up a 4 flat plug. Ill check out the site . thanks.

Does it make the ground through the hitch ball?

Old 60's TT tow lights Wiring Question, HELP!!!

Sokniw
Explorer
Aug 05, 2014
SO i got it all working with the existing wiring. blinkers and all.. Now the only problem i am having is that when i hit the brakes or blinkers all the other lights will dim, and when the blink is on they flicker with the blinker.

Could this just be a bad ground?
Sokniw
Explorer
Jul 31, 2014
Well i figured i got running lights, all i need to do is rewire blinkers and brakes in the back. So i will just take the back siding off to do this and save em the trouble. This should work in theory shouldn't it?
westend
Explorer
Jul 30, 2014
Sokniw wrote:
So if i test continuity and there is no short. than i will get no ohms right. 0.00 reading?

Update:::::

So i tested continuity from the ground and the wires here is what i get.

the brown and green wires read 06.0 and the yellow doesn't read anything.
Correct. Your yellow wire is shorted to ground. Have you pulled/replaced the existing tail light bulbs and inspected/cleaned the fixtures? Sometimes, corrosion or a parted connection in a lamp fixture will create a short to ground.

These wiring shorts/opens can be time consuming to find. Even if you fix all the known problems, now, you will still be dealing with 50 yr. old wire and connections, later. IMO, it's easier to abandon the old stuff and install new wiring and establish good connections. I haven't bought a new four-wire connector kit in awhile but that last one was under $20, IIRC.
budwich
Explorer
Jul 29, 2014
go back to your "battery charger tester".... forget the hook up to the truck for now. Hook the charger ground to the tongue. Start connecting the charger "hot" to one wire at a time and write down the result. From there you will then know which wire on the trailer wiring does what. Then match it up to the "standard wiring" on your truck plug.
Sokniw
Explorer
Jul 29, 2014
So if i test continuity and there is no short. than i will get no ohms right. 0.00 reading?

Update:::::

So i tested continuity from the ground and the wires here is what i get.

the brown and green wires read 06.0 and the yellow doesn't read anything.
westend
Explorer
Jul 29, 2014
More than likely a short or a fixture is sending power to ground. Break out the meter and see if you have continuity between the power wires and ground on any of them. Likewise, check the fixtures.
Sokniw
Explorer
Jul 29, 2014
Well I hooked it all up to the truck and this is what I got.. right turn signal turns all the lights on. Brakes turn all the lights on.. left signal does nothing, running lights are off and never turn on. I will double check the wiring in the truck but. Does this mean all the wires are touching some were or there is a short?
westend
Explorer
Jul 29, 2014
Conventional schedule---Yellow=left turn. I would bet you may have a burnt filament in a two filament bulb.
Sokniw
Explorer
Jul 29, 2014
I have been testing it with my little 12v battery charger. I actually found the ground on the tounge of the trailer and I got all the lights to light up, after replacing all the teardrops that is. Now I need to get new bulbs in the taillights and hook it up to the truck and see what happens. Only wire don't get any lights on is the yellow wire.
budwich
Explorer
Jul 29, 2014
you said you replaced the "tear lights".... what did they wire up to? That's your key.

Further, you said "I Found the black is the 12v wiring and it works. but i cannot get any of the other lights to work." in your first post. What does that mean??? Are you saying all / any of the interior 12v stuff is working or that you have 12v (how did you check this) ?? IF so, when you disconnect your TV from your TT (ie. unhook the hitch) but leave the plug connected, what works?

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Old 60's TT tow lights Wiring Question, HELP!!!

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