Wiring for a trailer

[Kenneth Cole]

Good day everyone and a Merry Christmas and a Happy New year.
I have mounted a trailer hitch and a connector so I can pull our 1959 Streamline trailer. My question is seeing that the Humvee is 24 volts and the trailer is 12 volts I'm not sure how to wire this.
I can't see running each wire through the converter to drop it to 12 volts nor can I see changing all the lightbulbs in the trailer to 24 volts. Maybe one of these choices is what I have to do.
I may be missing some other way.
Need your help.

Thanks
Ken Cole

 

[Kenneth Cole]

Good day everyone and a Merry Christmas and a Happy New year.
I have mounted a trailer hitch and a connector so I can pull our 1959 Streamline trailer. My question is seeing that the Humvee is 24 volts and the trailer is 12 volts I'm not sure how to wire this.
I can't see running each wire through the converter to drop it to 12 volts nor can I see changing all the lightbulbs in the trailer to 24 volts. Maybe one of these choices is what I have to do.
I may be missing some other way.
Need your help.

Thanks
Ken Cole

 

[MattNC]

I ordered the adapter from XM381.com I have no affiliation with them but the mounted converter worked great and also maintains the military socket for resale value sake. It is not cheap but very well made and also gives you the future ability to add trailer brakes and a controller if needed.

 

[papakb]

Just buy multi-voltage LEDs online that work from 10-30 volts and be done with it! This will also allow you to pull the trailer with a civy truck if you ever need to .

 

[Coug]

the XM381 adapter is the best deal I've seen for one, and I haven't heard anything bad about them either. I'll be getting one once I finally get a 2" receiver

 

[Chief B]

When I got mine it already had the XM381 installed and I’ve never had any issues. I like the fact that I have options for pretty much any connection. Here are some pictures of my setup

The unit itself mounted under truck

12v connections

24v connection

Hitches

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Ajax MD]

Does the XM381 guy ever respond to email? I've sent a couple of questions over time and never received a response.
If you order one of his converter boxes what's the usual lead time?

 

[Coug]

Does the XM381 guy ever respond to email? I've sent a couple of questions over time and never received a response.
If you order one of his converter boxes what's the usual lead time?

back when I ordered mine I don't remember it taking any extra length of time to get here or anything; just a regular "order it and it's here in a week or so"

 

[Ajax MD]

Yeah, this went from a "want" to sort of a "need." I'm wondering if I can get it in time. Ah well.

 

[Coug]

Somewhere on the site there is the diagram to make it yourself.
I opened mine up once. It's a 24-12V buck converter, and some relays. Really not much to it. Putting that into a case, then making up a bunch of wires to go to the various places you need to connect to in the truck, plus the trailer plug are the hardest thing about it.

 

[papakb]

Why are you bothering with this gadget when all you need to do is install the wide range LEDs in the existing lamp sockets? There's no rewiring involved and replacing the lamps is as simple as removing the covers and replacing the bulbs. Our world is complex enough without creating issues.

 

[Coug]

if it's your trailer, and it's the only one you will ever tow, then LED multi voltage bulbs and a wiring adapter plug will work fine, and are definitely the less expensive and easiest to do modification.

If you're like me and can be towing any of a dozen different trailers, most of which aren't my property, on short notice to get a job done, then the converter box makes life much simpler, and you don't have to worry about where you left the fracking plug adapter every time (and find someone else grabbed it when they borrowed the trailer you were using and are currently in a different state with it...)

 

[TOBASH]

Isn’t there a trailer section guys????

hint hint

 

[Coug]

Isn’t there a trailer section guys????

hint hint

it sort of belongs here instead because it's more about how to have working trailer lights when towing with the HMMWV.

 

[Fwilson]

if it's your trailer, and it's the only one you will ever tow, then LED multi voltage bulbs and a wiring adapter plug will work fine, and are definitely the less expensive and easiest to do modification.

If you're like me and can be towing any of a dozen different trailers, most of which aren't my property, on short notice to get a job done, then the converter box makes life much simpler, and you don't have to worry about where you left the fracking plug adapter every time (and find someone else grabbed it when they borrowed the trailer you were using and are currently in a different state with it...)

Where can the coverer box be purchased? by chance do you have a part number?

 

[Coug]

Where can the coverer box be purchased? by chance do you have a part number?

They have several variants depending on what you want to do with it.
Personally I installed the ruggedized frame mount version which is just a little stronger case.

XM381 - 24 Volt Military Truck to 12 Volt Civillian Trailer Lighting Converters & Adapters

Then my thread involving installing the hitch, brake controller, and converter box.

Trailer Brake Controller Install (Redarc)

A couple days back I installed the Federal Military Parts class 3 heavy duty 2" receiver I picked up from another member here who decided to go a different route. Doesn't work with airlift bumper, which is fine with me, as I don't have one. Got it installed and was waiting on the other parts...

www.steelsoldiers.com