Wiring on my trailer.

Discussion in 'Trucks [ Eighteen Wheelers ]' started by TGUNKEL, Feb 22, 2014.

  1. TGUNKEL

    TGUNKEL Light Load Member

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    Mar 16, 2013
    Spokane,Wa
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    My trailer is almost 20 years old, 95 Great Dane spread axle reefer, as I slowly replace the wiring I have a question. Since all of the lights are LED's can I replace the wiring with a smaller wire? Say from the standard 12 gauge to a 16 or maybe even a 18 gauge wire? Thoughts or recommendations?

    Gunk
     
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  3. Truck-N-Tech

    Truck-N-Tech Medium Load Member

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    Sep 13, 2010
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    Not being anywhere near an expert on this issue, I would still go with the heavier wire. The lighter electrical draw of L.E.D. lighting may require less demands on the wiring, but that wiring leads a pretty rough life. I would use the heavier wiring thinking about the durability of the wire, more than the electric flowing through it.
     
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  4. RocketScott

    RocketScott Medium Load Member

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    Apr 10, 2013
    Kentucky
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    There are calculators online that will find you the correct wire size given the load and distance. On one of my motorcycles that I rebuilt I downsized the wires for leds, but the wire was less than 4' long and feeding a single little led cluster on each side. You're going to be going 50 something feet to bigger lights. I'm not an electrician by any means (I just wasted a half hour at the hardware store today trying to add a circuit breaker to my panel, didn't know there are a million varieties)

    Here's one for marine wiring but it should put you in the ballpark:
    http://circuitwizard.bluesea.com/#
    If anything err on the side of too big a wire.
     
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