Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

by **mexican tear** » Sat Oct 27, 2007 9:09 pm

Doug
I have been running a logic circuit I stole from one of those brake lights that goes in the trailer hitch receiver. I have had no problems. If you use one, I would suggest that you glue it to some surface that can dissipate heat and not bang around.
kai

by **James & Avisia Flohr** » Sun Oct 28, 2007 3:57 pm

I'm confused! Not an unusual condition, but treatable. Why can't you just tie into the wiring that's going to the brake lights in/on the trailer. Brakes is brakes, no? :roll:

I plan on hooking up a led third brake light and never had a doubt that this would work! :oops:

Now you guys have got me wondering ( another not so uncommon condition ). Jim

by **doug hodder** » Sun Oct 28, 2007 4:16 pm

Brake lights are not all created equal. On my Ranger, mine are a combination of brake/turns....if I just take a line off the brake/turn, from whichever side it's from, the 3rd light will blink when the turns are on. Vehicles with separate brake/turn signals are a different situation. The logic box turns a combined type system into separate lines for brake and turn. It all depends on your tow vehicle setup. Doug

by **James & Avisia Flohr** » Sun Oct 28, 2007 5:54 pm

Thank you Doug. Consise, direct, specific & no BS. Are you related to MADJACK somewhere in the distant past?

Jim

by **mexican tear** » Sun Oct 28, 2007 6:26 pm

Doug
Absolutely correct
kai

by **doug hodder** » Sun Oct 28, 2007 7:22 pm

Kai...I'll look for one of those hitch receiver lights...I wonder if the load of an incandescant will be OK for one of them. I got a 48 Plymouth center trunk light and housing for the hatch...Should look cool! Say hi to Lois for me! Doug

by **Micro469** » Sun Oct 28, 2007 8:38 pm

On my new jeep Cherokee the turn lights are amber, and the brake lights are red.. So.. different wires.

But... the harness plug is a four prong...????Shouldn't it be a five prong? G>LT>RT>B>TL??

Can I have a center Brake, or am I just a little bit screwed up here??

by **doug hodder** » Sun Oct 28, 2007 9:52 pm

Sorry John...I can't help ya...I only know what I've got on the Ranger,Ramber and Toyota...but I'm sure someone else out there who is an automotive electrical wizard might be able to help, all my vehicles are at least 7-48 years old. Doug

by **mexican tear** » Sun Oct 28, 2007 10:58 pm

John
There is an adapter sold at Wally World, lots of other place too, that can bring the amber turn and the red stop together for the trailer, thus your 4 prong plug will have ground, running light and stop/turn lights. The center light is not in the mix, but if you use the 5 prong and bring a wire from your Jeep center light to the trailer light.

I still think the best way to get the center light on the trailer is to use the adapter for the center light.

kai

by **Alphacarina** » Mon Oct 29, 2007 11:14 am

James & Avisia Flohr wrote::thinking: I'm confused! Not an unusual condition, but treatable. Why can't you just tie into the wiring that's going to the brake lights in/on the trailer. Brakes is brakes, no? I plan on hooking up a led third brake light and never had a doubt that this would work!

It will work . . . . but - Everytime you turn on either turn signal, your center 'brakelight' will flash along with the turn signals . . . . until you put your foot on the brake - Then when you take your foot off the brake, it will flash again

A very confusing 'light show' for anyone following you

Don

by **bobhenry** » Mon Oct 29, 2007 11:33 am

A very confusing 'light show' for anyone following you

Don[/quote]

And you could wind up in the middle of their confusion !

I sure wouldn't want to see mine as a pile of splinters.

I'm trying to incorporate a 3 rd brake light but intend to feed it directly from the brakelight switch at the top of the brake pedal in the tow vehicle.
This will require a 6way or 8 way plug and some rewiring.

I had another thought , as it is hard to see the rear turnlights from the side on my tear I am going to seperate the 2 lights in my rear most clearance light "red" and have one filiment as a clearance and one as a tune indicator .

by **doug hodder** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 10:33 am

It may be overkill, but in addition to the taillights that are visible on the body of the trailer, I also have a piece of angle tacked to the frame and a full set of LED's tucked under the frame. When walking around the tear, they can't be seen but when in traffic the vehicle behind sees the regular lights, and an additional brake turn set + a center set of running lights.

I also found that if you are using vintage type automobile lights with real glass lenses, that they don't transmit as much light as a plastic lens with an incandescent bulb. Lens color can vary on the glass ones. I know I feel a lot more secure knowing I've got plenty of light on the rear end. Doug

by **bdosborn** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 9:44 pm

Doug,

I got one of these off ebay:

ebay clicky

I know you already have the light you want but I thought I'd post this one anyways. It's wired right into the stop, turn and marker lights so you don't need a logic unit for it. I plan to mount it up high on the back of my trailer. I'm like you, more lights are better as far as I'm concerned.
Bruce

by **brian_bp** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 6:55 pm

bobhenry wrote:I had another thought , as it is hard to see the rear turnlights from the side on my tear I am going to seperate the 2 lights in my rear most clearance light "red" and have one filiment as a clearance and one as a tune indicator .

I understand the reasoning, and would like side-mounted turn indicators, but I have one significant reservation about this plan. If the plan is to connect a turn indicator on the side to a combined stop/turn lamp on the rear, it will go on with braking - even with no turn signal on. To someone in the adjacent lane beside you, every time you touch the brakes it will look like you're starting to signal a turn... which is bad, since they will think you're about to hit them!

If the turn signal is separate from the stop (brake) light, then this is not a problem and the side-mounted indicator would be great. :thumbsup:

by **brian_bp** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 6:57 pm

Alphacarina wrote:
James & Avisia Flohr wrote::thinking: I'm confused! Not an unusual condition, but treatable. Why can't you just tie into the wiring that's going to the brake lights in/on the trailer. Brakes is brakes, no? I plan on hooking up a led third brake light and never had a doubt that this would work!

It will work . . . . but - Everytime you turn on either turn signal, your center 'brakelight' will flash along with the turn signals . . . . until you put your foot on the brake - Then when you take your foot off the brake, it will flash again

A very confusing 'light show' for anyone following you

Don

I'm with Don on this one... the extra light, inappropriately operated, would cause confusion instead of being safer. Of course, in the rare trailer with separate stop (brake) and turn signals, there's no problem.

Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

3rd brakelight!!

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