cathy liebchen
Platinum Member
Here all tandem trailers require brakes
Can NOT get trailer lights to work
- Thread starter tstex
- Start date
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3 Horse Ranch
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Aug 18, 2017
- Messages
- 1,194
- Location
- Tonasket, WA
- Tractor
- NH B50H Cab, Ford 1715, Poulan Pro 46
It varies from state to state, the one thing that doesn't vary (much) is the 3000 pound limit. Anything over 3000 pounds requires at least one axle to have brakes. At some point, all axles have to have brakes, but I am not sure of that number.
Bearsixty7
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Jun 10, 2015
- Messages
- 1,435
- Location
- St. Paul TX
- Tractor
- LS MT240HE (6/2020). JD LA145. TYM T754C (6/10/25)
4,500 pounds in Texas
DieselBound
Elite Member
At the risk of exposing myself (as incompetent in wiring)...
I recently went to sell a dump trailer. The plug wiring had been chewed off by my dog a couple years prior and I'd wired a new one in its place. As I never used this trailer on the road (just on-farm, behind a tractor) I had never tested it. And wouldn't you know it, I went to test it out hooked up to my truck only to find out that I didn't have lights (some, but they were all messed up). Checked all the wiring on the trailer and all checked out. Verified that the plug was wired up correctly (7 pin). Was totally stumped as my utility trailer worked when hooked up to my truck. After more time than I'd like to admit, I finally figured that I'd wired the receptacle (truck) incorrectly (years ago). And if you're following along you'll understand that this means that my utility trailer is ALSO incorrectly wired (still on my TODO list).
Don't assume that plugs and receptacles are wired correctly. From one perspective they can appear to be, but it's easy to get flipped when looking at schematics and then reversing things as you wire into the back side.
I recently went to sell a dump trailer. The plug wiring had been chewed off by my dog a couple years prior and I'd wired a new one in its place. As I never used this trailer on the road (just on-farm, behind a tractor) I had never tested it. And wouldn't you know it, I went to test it out hooked up to my truck only to find out that I didn't have lights (some, but they were all messed up). Checked all the wiring on the trailer and all checked out. Verified that the plug was wired up correctly (7 pin). Was totally stumped as my utility trailer worked when hooked up to my truck. After more time than I'd like to admit, I finally figured that I'd wired the receptacle (truck) incorrectly (years ago). And if you're following along you'll understand that this means that my utility trailer is ALSO incorrectly wired (still on my TODO list).
Don't assume that plugs and receptacles are wired correctly. From one perspective they can appear to be, but it's easy to get flipped when looking at schematics and then reversing things as you wire into the back side.
RandyT
Elite Member
3001-5000 requires brakes on one axle and 5001 and over requires brakes on all axles in Illinois. And trailers that are coming out of the factory with those 8K 2" receivers installed on 7K trailers get derated to 5K in Illinois. Mainly due to the fact that most 2" balls are rated for 5-6K but if you shop around can find them up to 10K
I actually bought the trailer from a probation officer in CO County in 97, so I am sure the laws were different then. The trailers usage is 99.9% on the farm use and a trip on the road every 4-8 yrs...however, I still want it to be legal. thanks too for the story dieselb...
RandyT
Elite Member
I don't know about your area, but around that time frame we had a bunch of trailer manufacturers down around Sikeston Missouri. They sold a lot of tandem axle 7K trailers without any brakes, and they also normally would install used car tires. IL would only allow those to be registered at 3K and there was a lot of trailers of that style that got registered at 3K but if the trailer weighs 1700-2K that didn't leave a lot of legal weight for cargo. Most people would tow them well over the legal registered weight, but didn't seem to get much attention.
dlc & company,
I chatted w a Tasca customer rep and the first link [16-A] is the part. The harness has one end [rd] for trailer receptacle and other end that's rectangular and plugs in somewhere underneath the back. I asked him if he knew the length of the harness and he did not. If anyone knows, that would be great bc it will tell me in [ft/inches] how far to look from the receptacle to see when the rectangular part plugs into existing harness. This is obviously critical so no splicing is involved. Thank you very much! hope to have this ordered by end of day w all info in hand....
dlctcg
Platinum Member
@tstex
The parts guy at Tasca is sort of correct.... I believe the harness has 5 or 6 direct connect plugs on it... (see pic below)... I believe 2 connect on the right rear & 2 on the left rear near the tail connections on the harness... The others 1 or 2 connect to the truck harness on the frame (I believe one is power & the other is for the fuses & brake controller.... but don't hold me to that)
It is not a very long harness all connections should be at the rear of the truck... when you get the new one & lay it out it is pretty straight forward. I installed one on my brothers truck yrs back... so I'm going on memory...
The parts guy at Tasca is sort of correct.... I believe the harness has 5 or 6 direct connect plugs on it... (see pic below)... I believe 2 connect on the right rear & 2 on the left rear near the tail connections on the harness... The others 1 or 2 connect to the truck harness on the frame (I believe one is power & the other is for the fuses & brake controller.... but don't hold me to that)
It is not a very long harness all connections should be at the rear of the truck... when you get the new one & lay it out it is pretty straight forward. I installed one on my brothers truck yrs back... so I'm going on memory...