How to Wire Heavy Duty Trailer Lights
- 1). Use wire strippers to remove half an inch of the color-coded insulation around each of the wires extending from both heavy-duty tail lights. Each light will have a white wire and a brown wire, while the driver-side light will also have a yellow wire and the passenger side will also have a green wire.
- 2). Twist the bare copper strands of each stripped wire with your fingertips until you have six separate, tight, rope-like threads.
- 3). Use wire strippers to remove half an inch of the color-coded insulation around each wire extending from the trailer hitch at the tongue; the hitch will have four wires. Twist the bare copper strands of each stripped wire with your fingertips until you have four separate, tight, rope-like threads.
- 4). Route the wires from the trailer hitch. The wires must be able to reach the location of the heavy-duty taillights without being taut or stressed at external bends, and without crimping at internal bends. Extend the wires if necessary by adding lengths of color-matched wire; use wire strippers to remove half an inch of the color-coded insulation around each wire's end, then twist the bare copper strands of each stripped wire with your fingertips until you have separate, tight, rope-like threads. Braid together each color-matched pair of wires, then follow the user instructions of the soldering and shrink-wrap insulation kits to make each join secure. The white, brown and yellow wires go to the driver's side, and the green wire to the passenger side.
- 5). Cut the wires to the proper length, leaving approximately six inches of slack. Use wire strippers to remove half an inch of the color-coded insulation around each wire extending from the trailer hitch, twist the bare copper strands of each stripped wire with your fingertips until you have four separate, tight, rope-like threads. Braid together each color-coded wire extending from the heavy-duty trailer lights with the wire of the same color extending from the hitch, then follow the user instructions of the soldering and shrink-wrap insulation kits to make each join secure. Use cable ties to secure the wires so that they do not become trip hazards or vulnerable to accidental damage.