Let's talk trailer hitches
I have an 85 CJ7 I6 and I want a small trailer for camping gear. I live in So Cal and I think its the law for trailers to have electrical hookups and what not.
Do I have to take my Jeep to get the wiring done for this?
I'm looking for a trailer like pic related
>>799842
Any trailer needs lights along with plates/registration; that's a DOT thing, not a state req. Brake/turn signals, running lights at night at the minimum. There's length and size reqs that specify if additional clearance lighting is also needed.
Check with your agent on your vehicle's insurance policy about what is and isn't covered with a trailer. I have a policy just for my trailer that covers not only the trailer itself against theft/damage but also contents in transit. Something that small, you're probably OK using what your vehicle's coverage extends to a trailer.
For something that size, the basic 4-pin flat connector's all you need. If the vehicle came with a receiver, it's probably already got the flat-4 connector.
If not, there's harnesses you can buy that tee off the vehicle's taillights and go to a flat-4 connector. Fairly inexpensive, and easy to install yourself.
A bigger trailer like mine (10ft on the square, 4ft V-nose, 8ft wide, 6.5ft tall, deck-over-axle on a carhauler frame) will need the 7-pin RV connector. That adds an aux. 12v line, reverse, and a line for electric brakes. That's a little more involved to install, but any vehicle capable of towing something heavy enough to need electric brakes should already be wired for that. Also need a brake controller in the vehicle.
On the trailer side, auto parts stores have trailer light kits you can buy. Again, cheap and easy to DIY. One light on the left, one light on the right, and a connector to the hitch.
>>799851
Thank you so much!
Also worth noting, some trailers (notably horse trailers and converted military trailers) get real creative with connectors and wiring - 5-pin and 6-pin round connectors exist, and they're rarely wired the same way.
Personally, i'd rip that fucky connector off and replace it with either the 7-pin RV or flat-4, depending on the lighting the trailer has. Make it standard so any vehicle with those generic connectors can plug in and light up the trailer.
Wiring on trailers is usually shitty too. Insulation-displacing "scotch-locks" are a favorite of trailer manufacturers because they're cheap as fuck and last just long enough to sell it to someone.
I've seen a couple trailers that used the hitch as a ground between truck and trailer... fix the truck/trailer's wiring so ground goes through a connector.
If one light's flickering, it's usually the power to that light. If all the lights flicker, you've got a bad ground.
A backup camera over the hitch makes lining up real easy. Less of a problem with a small trailers you can pick up, but when you get into bigger enclosed rigs, having an eyeball over the hitch is nice. If you really want to cheat, install airbags and a compressor/dump valve.
