Tee connections when rewiring a boat trailer?

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by garyfdl

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To make the connection extra secure, you can 'tin' the wires (apply a small amount of solder to the twisted ends) before inserting into the connector and crimping. It also works better if you 'tin' the co-joined leads after you twist them together.

It's not a great idea to tin or solder the wire ends before you crimp them. Mainly because then you're crimping on solder, not copper, and if the connection ever got hot enough to melt solder, now you have a loose connection.

Also, crimping down on a solid tinned end could damage the crimper, or knock it out of adjustment. And it can make the wire end more brittle.

If you practice, it is possible to quickly solder a crimped lug at the spade end after its been crimped. But its additional benefit is debatable.

For the OP - I like using crimp-on insulated cap splices for connecting a few wires of varying gauges. After crimping you can fill the one open end with glue or sealant.

[Jdege]

Originally Posted by Scorpius

Was it originally built as a boat trailer designed to go into the water?

No. It was originally built as a trailer to haul the boat, not to launch it.

That said, the prior owner said he would routinely launch the boat from the trailer. Which is probably why none of the lights currently work.

It's a big boat - a 37' Vaitses/Herreshoff Meadow Lark. An odd looking thing - 8'2" beam, 20" draft, with tabernacle masts and leeboards.

I don't plan on launching it every weekend. I'll be keeping her in a marina, during the season, and on the trailer during the off. The trailer will go into the water twice a year. And in fresh water, for now.

I'm thinking about saltwater because I hope, someday, to get this boat back to Florida and the Bahamas where it belongs. But that's some years out.

[Jdege]

Originally Posted by Lake-Effect

It's not a great idea to tin or solder the wire ends before you crimp them. Mainly because then you're crimping on solder, not copper, and if the connection ever got hot enough to melt solder, now you have a loose connection.

And what are your thoughts on the solder-filled, non-crimping heat-shrink connectors:

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by Jdege

What is the recommended connection for this sort of thing. Twisting the wires together then wrapping then in electrical tape doesn't seem adequate.

There is no good way to do it.


When I put new brakes on my previous tandem-axle boat trailer and was really trying to get everything right, I ran four pairs of brake wires, one from each wheel, up to the winch support where they terminated at a screw-terminal junction strip well above any point where they could be submerged.


Solder and heat shrink will usually fail eventually because it's so hard to seal where two wires exit one end of the tube.


For less critical things like side marker lights I use crimp butt connectors sized so I can get two conductors in one end. If necessary I bend the connector on the other end to double it. It doesn't work forever but works pretty well. I either use heat shrink butt connectors or put heat shrink over the completed connection.

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by Jdege

And what are your thoughts on the solder-filled, non-crimping heat-shrink connectors:

Those combine the disadvantages of soldering and crimp connectors.

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by Jdege

I like the idea of running separate wires. It means another 100 feet of 10-gauge blue marine-grade wire, but it's not that expensive, and if it means less time lying on my back under the axles, it'd be worth it.

Use lighter wire. I used 14 gauge. 16 gauge would probably be plenty for only one brake.

[Cheechako]

Electric or hydraulic, the salt water has a big detriment on them fast. Some fancy trailers have hose connections to wash them out. Springs, clips, shoes etc all rust and fail.

I seldom want to do T's in wiring, but if I do and dont have a water tight fitting like making a Tee, I solder, put silicone seal on the entire joint and then wrap them with self amalgamating tape. It squeezes the silicone into every crevice.

By the way:If your trailer has bunk boards instead of rollers, I had a situation where I always washed the trailer after coming home. Then it sat for months. The fabric on the bunk boards (astro turf like stuff) held moisture. There were many blisters on the boat bottom in the shape of the bunks! The constant moisture trapped in there must have done it.

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by Jdege

And what are your thoughts on the solder-filled, non-crimping heat-shrink connectors:

I haven't tried them... but I wouldn't really anyways.(and anyway they're expensive). I mostly follow and agree with the ABYC spec for crimped connections. I also like the insulated crimp-on cap-splices (which are approved by other codes for appliance wiring), and I've got years of soldering practice, when soldering is called-for.


For our trailer - after I repainted it a lovely blue with Tremclad rust paint, I redid the lights with sealed LED assemblies, and any splices were either crimps or twisted and soldered splices, then covered with sealant and heatshrink. We're mainly in freshwater, so we don't have as much of a corrosion problem.

[Jdege]

Originally Posted by Jammer

Use lighter wire. I used 14 gauge. 16 gauge would probably be plenty for only one brake.

The numbers I saw were 8 amps for each axle, and for a 30-foot run I'd need 10 gauge.

If I'm running four wires instead of two, it'd be 4 amps for each brake, and for that 12 gauge would work.

16 gauge would work for a smaller trailer (e.g., a 15 foot run) but not for this.

[garyfdl]

Originally Posted by Jdege

Any suggestions for a soldering iron that doesn't need to be plugged in?

I see that there are some butane soldering irons. Have you used any of them?

Any I should avoid?

I have had a Bernzomatic for years that I like and use regularly. My only 'complaint' would be there is no way to tell when it is low on fuel, so I recharge after every few uses.

[garyfdl]

Originally Posted by Lake-Effect

It's not a great idea to tin or solder the wire ends before you crimp them. Mainly because then you're crimping on solder, not copper, and if the connection ever got hot enough to melt solder, now you have a loose connection.

Also, crimping down on a solid tinned end could damage the crimper, or knock it out of adjustment. And it can make the wire end more brittle.

If you practice, it is possible to quickly solder a crimped lug at the spade end after its been crimped. But its additional benefit is debatable.

For the OP - I like using crimp-on insulated cap splices for connecting a few wires of varying gauges. After crimping you can fill the one open end with glue or sealant.

Not saying your wrong but...

I've been doing it for years without any problems. But maybe I've just been lucky.

I would also suggest that if a connection gets hot enough to melt the solder, there are probably other issues you should be looking at/for.

Then there's the fact that many components come with tinned leads, from the manufacturer; why is that?

Since copper work-hardens, crimping copper wires (technically) always makes them brittle, never known this to be a problem. Also - still crimping connectors with the same 40+ y/o tool without any issues, although I will admit I don't use it every day.

Is there a standard that says not to tin and crimp?

[Jdege]

Originally Posted by Jammer

Solder and heat shrink will usually fail eventually because it's so hard to seal where two wires exit one end of the tube.

Sounds like a good argument for running separate wires, so that the joints are all in one place up at the tongue where they're easy to work on.

[Jdege]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

By the way:If your trailer has bunk boards instead of rollers, I had a situation where I always washed the trailer after coming home. Then it sat for months. The fabric on the bunk boards (astro turf like stuff) held moisture. There were many blisters on the boat bottom in the shape of the bunks! The constant moisture trapped in there must have done it.

It's an unusual boat, and an unusual trailer.

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by garyfdl

Then there's the fact that many components come with tinned leads, from the manufacturer; why is that?

...

Since copper work-hardens, crimping copper wires (technically) always makes them brittle, never known this to be a problem.

A strand of copper with a thin coating of tin from the factory is different from the end of a stranded wire that's suddenly now one solid "thing" because of hand-tinning with solder.

Is there a standard that says not to tin and crimp?

yeah. Mine . Seriously, how did you get started doing that?

[garyfdl]

Originally Posted by Lake-Effect

A strand of copper with a thin coating of tin from the factory is different from the end of a stranded wire that's suddenly now one solid "thing" because of hand-tinning with solder.

yeah. Mine . Seriously, how did you get started doing that?

It's multi-strand not single.

Been doing it so long I'm not sure I remember. But I think it was because it gave better results when using the over sized connector on a single lead.

Given that's it's your 'standard', I'll stick with mine. No offence.