Board logo

Using trailer wiring for loom ?
CompoSimmonite - 13/2/14 at 05:17 PM

I intend making a new harness for my Marlin. Rather than spending a small fortune on all the traditional (Lucas ?) colour codes the idea was to use my own combinations based on 13 core towing electric colours. Then I had another thought - why not use trailer wiring ! Heat shrink coloured bands could be use at either end of the wire to identify.
Obviously I don't know the number of strands so that aspect would need checking.

So question therefore is good quality (say Durite or similar) 13 core trailer wire suitable ?

Paul H

ali f27 - 13/2/14 at 05:35 PM

its what i used to take wiring front to back on my car worked a treat

jacko - 13/2/14 at 05:39 PM

Why not there is no reason you can't use trailer cable.
The only thing is you have to have the odd wire coming out half way down the tunnel for the hand brake light switch
Jacko

Myke 2463 - 13/2/14 at 05:42 PM

Got mine from http://www.vehicle-wiring-products.eu/VWP-onlinestore/cable/multicorecable.php#trailer

8 years and no problems.

renetom - 13/2/14 at 05:53 PM

Hi
Should be ok for nearly all the wiring
We used 17 amp for everything exept
Dipped , main beam & horn which we used 25 amp
Trailer wire must be around 17 amp ?
good luck

TimC - 13/2/14 at 05:55 PM

quote:
Originally posted by ali f27
its what i used to take wiring front to back on my car worked a treat


Yep, like this:


A cheap source of wires when stripped of outer sheath also.

Russell - 13/2/14 at 06:37 PM

I reckon you should run separate cores for:

Left brake light
Right brake light
Left tail light
Right tail light
Reversing light
Fog light
Left indicator
Right indicator

That's 8 cores, and use the chassis as the negative return. And the reason why? It's good practice to wire and fuse both brake lights and both tail lights separately (4 fuses) so if a fuse goes it only takes out one lamp on one side at a time.

CompoSimmonite - 13/2/14 at 07:31 PM

Thanks for replies.
Looks like trailer wiring will be the way I go then
The 13 core gives plenty of choice for circuits -
red, brown, green, yellow, blue, black, pink, white and blue, grey, orange, white, white and red, white and black.
That means enough circuits for rear light, fuel sender, reversing light and more to rear.
Hand brake will be pull type (probably Ford Ranger item) on dash so there will be no need to cut into the main front to rear section.

Paul h

Trollyjack - 18/2/14 at 09:29 AM

I used trailer wire
How are you going with Tiny CAD

Smoking Frog - 18/2/14 at 01:23 PM

I also used trailer cable, fine for lighting and small current load. I run a separate higher rated cable to the HP fuel pump.