How to Wire Travel Trailers

Correctly wiring your travel trailer lights prior to driving is not only required by law in most states, it is a necessary safety precaution. With the added weight and lack of maneuverability, towing a travel trailer increases the need for safety. And ensuring that drivers behind and beside you are aware of pending turns and stops is crucial. While different sized trailers and towing vehicles will have a different number of plugs -- ranging from three to nine -- many travel trailers on the road have either three or four, and the wiring procedure is the same.

Instructions

1

Determine the appropriate number of plugs for your trailer and towing vehicle connection. If the plug on the trailer does not match the plug on the towing vehicle, adapters are available at most RV stores.

2

Learn the function of each colored wire as these are consistent regardless of trailer or towing vehicle make or model. For a three- or four-pronged plug, the green wire controls the right turn signal and brake light. The yellow wire controls the left turn signal and brake light, the brown wires are for the taillights of the trailer and the white wire is the ground. (There are two brown wires, one for each side for a three-pronged plug; there is a single, separate brown wire for a four-pronged plug.)

(See Resources for additional wire functions.)

3

Connect the correct colored wires from the trailer to the towing vehicles plug. For a three-pronged trailer, the green and one of the brown wires are to the right, the yellow and the other brown wire are to the left and the white wire should be securely ground to the vehicle frame. A four-pronged plug is the same, except that the brown wire is connected to its own area within the vehicle plug.

4

Ensure that your newly wired trailer lights are working by testing their respective functions prior to traveling. Again, not only is this a law in most states, it is a necessary safety precaution.