Yep, the lights are easy. The brakes, a lot harder to deal with.
On my M35A2, I use the grounded battery to supply 12 volts
to the electric brake activator, via a 24 volt solenoid, to trigger
the trailer's electric brakes. Somewhat complicated, but it's
been working for years without a problem. Since I rarely pull
the 12-ton flatbed, I'm not concerned with overcharging the
one battery. I also converted this civilian trailer's intervehicular
cable to M-series and made use of an unused connection in the
plug assembly for the brakes. The solenoid is activated by the
truck's brake light switch and sends 12 volts to the electric
brake unit mounted on the dashboard underside. This in turn
sends 12-volts to the trailer brakes. This trailer does not have
it's own battery for braking the trailer in the event of a trailer
"break away."
I purchased the electric brake unit from a RV dealer for $59.00
The solenoid is a standard, in stock, NAPA item.
The system is protected with a circuit breaker on the Positive
(+) side.
Joe Young
www.joeyoung.com
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