Beginners Guide to RV Wiring

This section covers electrically operated trailer brakes only.

The trailer brakes recieve an electrical current from the tow vehicle through the tow vehicle socket and the trailer plug connections. This is a simple parallel circuit with a branch of the circuit to each brake magnet. The return path for the electrical current is called the ground and this return path must be a good clean connection. See the ground section for more information.

The electrical current is transmitted through the blue wire of the trailer wiring harness and is distributed to each wheel. At the wheel, an electromagnet is activated to apply the mechanical force needed to stop the trailer. This electromagnet is subject to wear and the surface will eventually wear away to expose the windings of the electromagnets coil. When this happens you will have an open circuit (no electrical flow) or a shorted circuit that will blow the fuses.

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