I am purchasing a 24' enclosed trailer which has interior lights however I have a 1 ton super duty diesel truck and I believe that to power up the supply wire to energize the lights in the trailer while the truck is not running I have to put the key in the on position which will energize the glow plugs which I do not want to do each and every time I need to go into or do something in the trailer when it is no longer light out, Curious if this is true to have to energize trailer and if it is , what has anyone done to remedy this? thought about just mounting a box with a good deep cycle battery and putting a few LED light strips along ceiling of trailer. Any input or recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Thank you
LED interrior lights
- Thread starter euphoric1
- Start date
IMO best bet is to add a battery to trailer and have it set up so battery charges while trailer is being towed!, its rather common deal
you can even most likely have the trailer shop your getting trailer from(if new) have it set up for this too for a small fee, as most all trailer places do this mod often, and might be faster easier for them to have done than you to do it!
maybe have a look here if buying a used trailer!
https://www.hardcoresledder.com/for...rs/1838802-installing-battery-my-trailer.html
you can even most likely have the trailer shop your getting trailer from(if new) have it set up for this too for a small fee, as most all trailer places do this mod often, and might be faster easier for them to have done than you to do it!
maybe have a look here if buying a used trailer!
https://www.hardcoresledder.com/for...rs/1838802-installing-battery-my-trailer.html
mrbb, Thank you! I am purchasing the trailer used and completely forgot about the break away box battery, I could just add a larger battery box and install a charger so it would charge while truck is running. either way I am unable to get up north more than 2 or three times.... at best, so I could essentially charge the battery before I go which wouldn't be an issue. LED lights draw so little so im sure a good deep cycle battery would be more than sufficient. I appreciate the response and will check into the options and thank you also for the link.
I have a Dodge Ram and my hot line is wired direct through the brake controller. Simply find your hot line and wire it hot without the key. I installed eight 4in led round lights in the ceiling on my 18ft trailer. This replaced the single 1156 bulb that use to light the way. Now, it’s like night and day with just slightly more voltage draw than the original 1156. It took a little time but now I have more interior light than I know what to do with. I even wired it so I can install a couple loading lights in the future if I really need them.
had thought about something like that as well if possible, my truck also has the fifth wheel plug in bed and I wonder if that is wired exactly the same way as the plug at the bumper.
Toddkingston
New member
Yes I was thinking the same thing... Would i work???
only thing to maybe worry about with wiring to HOT is, if you close trailer up and forget to shut lights off
for a while now I was SLIGHTLY< wondering about how I could make a motion activated set up for lights inside the trailer, this way I never forget to shut them off LOL, as I'd rather have a dead /weak battery in trailer than in truck!
my current set up, truck key has to be on , and prefer this over a full on power any time hooked up,, my memory isn;t what it used to be!
for a while now I was SLIGHTLY< wondering about how I could make a motion activated set up for lights inside the trailer, this way I never forget to shut them off LOL, as I'd rather have a dead /weak battery in trailer than in truck!
my current set up, truck key has to be on , and prefer this over a full on power any time hooked up,, my memory isn;t what it used to be!
wont the battery charge every time you run the truck if you just use the electric break battery? pretty sure it would . in my 2 place i run a small 12v battery like real small the size of 2 packs of smokes. I have trailer lighting run through it. I run a led strip off of it with a light switch . I have never charged that battery in 3 yrs .
ezra, I cant answer that, im not sure, someone had said in an earlier post that trailers could be wired up so that with an accessory battery the truck would charge the battery so I was just assuming that it had to be set up that way. Maybe just utilizing the wire that does charge the break away battery would be sufficient. Just trying to avoid havin to have ignition switch energized just to power lights. And youre right with todays LED lights and for how little they would be on i wouldn't have to have a very large battery as it would be only for night loading or in case would have a breakdown that I could fix on my own. Someone had also said they had wondered about putting a motion switch somehow and I wonder if you could put a magnetic switch on door then however.... you would have to assume the switch is working and the lights go off when you close the door and not come to a truck with a dead battery or batteries after a week of riding, and i guess that is my only concern is to isolate it from truck battery when not running or having switch on, but have the truck charge it when running. I will have to verify that the hot wire for breakaway is not hot with key off and then maybe just put another or just a slightly larger battery in place if it turns out the key does have to be on to energize. i don't know, maybe I am over thinking this, was just hoping others have encountered or remedied this, and am liking the feed back and thoughts.