Blowing brake light fuses

We have had this jeep for 2 years and all of the sudden in the past month and a half it has randomly popped the brake light fuse 4 times. Obviously I have a short somewhere but before I start gutting the interior looking for bare wires I thought I would ask and see if there are any known common issues that may be causing this. It is a 98 4x4 automatic. It has a T-plug style aftermarket trailer wiring kit installed on it. All seems intact and properly grounded on the trailer wiring and has been on there for over a year with no issues. Thanks

Check and test the trailer wiring and taillight adapter. Check all other wiring, wire plugs, wire pins, and any relays located there. Clean and snug all the grounds located there. Check the tailgate wire harness at and near the hinges for broken wires and chafed wire insulation, which is very common.

Try removing the trailer light adapter, I have had one fail internally before.


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Checking the tailgate harness where it flexes was a good call. Looked there and every wire is split in the same spot and partially exposed, some of them majorly. Short city ready to have a party in there. Going to tape it all up and see what happens. It is a very intermittent problem so time will tell if that solves it. In the mean time I have a trailer light tester attached to the trailer wiring pigtail and draped over the back seat so I can glance in the rearview and tell if my brake lights are working or not. That's a little on the sketch side even for me, but she's a solid DD jeep otherwise.