One Outta Four Are Poor Odds...

[padlin]

Thanks, do I need to waterproof it or is the heat shrink good enough?

[Ronn]

Originally Posted by tdf-texas

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by padlin

Thanks, do I need to waterproof it or is the heat shrink good enough?

They make a shrink tube where the inside is coated with a melt able sealer
When you heat the tube to shrink it the sealant melts and makes it watertight

If I can’t find shrink tube with silicone sealant , I have used crimp sleeves filled with Pentrox electrical grease .
Crimp the sleeve with a T&B indenter crimper , tape over the crimp sleeve with 3M - 130C high voltage tape ( 1/2 lapped and stretched to the 50% requirement)
Put shrink tube in place over splice / tape and heat .

[Rossue]

After almost six years with lots of miles on mountains I replaced all four brakes with new backing plates which required cutting and reconnecting the wires. Fortunately all this time the brakes always worked as they should. I even slowed with only trailer brakes on some of the steepest westbound descent of Sonora Pass last month to help save TV brakes. Won't go Westbound with trailer on that pass again! After research and speaking with several mechanics I used heat shrink butt connectors. Seems solder can break in vibration environments.

Thanks for heads-up Jim- will be crawling soon to double check frame connections.

[John in Santa Cruz]

if you're gonna crimp, use THESE crimp splices, you can get them at a boating place like West Marine.

https://www.amazon.com/Connectors-So.../dp/B01DPS3ZBE

the plastic insulation on these is heatshrink that seals water tight around suitable insulation. properly crimped and heat shrunk, they are quite good.

I used to solder, paint with 'liquid electrical tape, then heatshrink my boat trailer wiring, which had to be submersible in salt water, and found these crimps work *better* because most heat shrink isn't meant for weather-exposed application, and a year or so of UV exposure, even indirect, and it flakes off.

[AKCamper]

Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz

if you're gonna crimp, use THESE crimp splices, you can get them at a boating place like West Marine.

https://www.amazon.com/Connectors-So.../dp/B01DPS3ZBE

the plastic insulation on these is heatshrink that seals water tight around suitable insulation. properly crimped and heat shrunk, they are quite good.

I used to solder, paint with 'liquid electrical tape, then heatshrink my boat trailer wiring, which had to be submersible in salt water, and found these crimps work *better* because most heat shrink isn't meant for weather-exposed application, and a year or so of UV exposure, even indirect, and it flakes off.

John you’re absolutely correct. Crimp connectors with the glue that oozes out when heated with a heat gun are the best way to connect wires especially for amateurs. They work great in tight spaces if you’re heat gun has a curved deflector. I was a mechanic in Alaska for 38 years where salt is used on the roads and these connectors can be used even under a vehicle if you ever try to pull one apart or cut one off with a knife you will see how durable they are. I hope to go through my trailer someday and replace as many of Escape’s cheap crimp and scotch-lock connecters as possible. Unfortunately my trailer is in Bellingham and I’m in Alaska.

[ecombs2@cinci.rr.com]

That is how they taught us to make a solder joint at ITT. Remember that you need to slip your heat shrink on before you make your solder joint. Both ends of the wire in the example were not connected to anything so he could slide the heat shrink on, you will be under the trailer and one end will be connected to the brake and one end will be connected to the pin connector so you can't slide the heat shrink in place and will end up taping the joint.

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by dfandrews

For reference: On our E17 (single axle), constructed in Aug. & Sept. 2015, we have crimped conductor connections, covered by split corrugated loom polyethylene. The only ground connection was a screw to the frame on the left side. All connections are currently tight and functional @ 4 yrs 11 months.

Win some, lose some. This was mine at less than a year old.

All ended up soldered and heat shrunk. No worries, I do know how to solder.

Ron

[Roger C H]

Place the heat shrink tubing on one of the wires before joining if the far ends are attached to something.


When I drove with a stick shift, I would watch for a stop with a small downhill. Now with the automatic tranny, I just let the idle movement move the rig slightly then manually engage the electric trailer brakes seeing if they can stop the movement.