12 volt wireless sending unit with light

[greezykid]

I am trying to find a 12 volt wireless sending unit that would work with a light I could install on dash.I could connect that to my trailer lights for when brake buddy puts on brakes.I know brake buddy has an alert system but don't want to spend $150.00.It would also save me running solid wire,which is probably what I will have to do.

[tinkerreknit]

This might seem off-topic but I think my experience with wireless would be similar to yours. I had a back-up camera made for a truck that I want to use on the rear of my 5th wheeler. I wired the receiver at the rear light of the truck, and found that with the camera's sending unit at the rear of the camper, the signal wouldn't make it to the truck. I tried placing the little antenna of the sender on top and on the side with no luck. I am having to run a wire from the camera in the rear to the sending unit in the front storage compartment of the 5th wheeler in order for the truck's receiver to pick up the signal.

So my point is that if you have a Class A (assumption on my part) you might still have to run a wire from the dashboard receiver back to the rear of the coach in order to be able to receive a signal from the windshield or grill of the towed. I wanted wireless and I can have it but it's fiddly making it work. I wanted to avoid a wire connection to deal with.

[wa8yxm]

There is no wireless system I would advise. The reason is they are subject to interference from other devices.

That said. there are many garage door opener type transmitters and receivers, and that's basically what you need. You just modify the transmitter to work off 12 volts by using a DC/DC converter (battery eliminator) instead of batteries. lock down the transmit button and switch the 12 volt, or leave the 12 volt live and use the button (You can either build a button upsher, mount it so it's pushed by the brake pedal arm or wire a second switch in).

Better choice....... US-Gear Unified Brake Decelrator, comes with 2 wire hook up and lights, nothing to "install" every time you tow, install once, and it's invisible to driver.

[KIX]

Assuming you can see the grill of the toad in the rear view camera just mount a 12 volt LED light in the grill. Wire the LED light to your toad brake lights so that the LED comes on whenever the brake lights on the toad come on. That would be a real simple way to konw your toad brake lights are being powered.

[rgvtexan]

When I first started towing my Odyssey, I used a HF magnetic tow light. I used it a little different. I had a roadmaster Brake Pro with a wireless alert, but wanted to know when the Honda;s brakes were actually applied. The toad has seperate towing lights I pluged the tow lights into the Honda trailer light conecter and placed them on the dash. I could then tell when the toads brakes wer applied by watching the rear view camera.

[wa8yxm]

A thought occures.. Why not just wire in a plug in lamp to the brake light switch, It would be wired from the "LOAD" side of the switch to ground so when the brake pedal is pressed it comes on, Put this lamp (I would use a 1156 or alternate base equivlent) on the dash, This is bright enough to show up in your rear view monitor when the pedal is pressed.

Some (When I made such a suggestion in the past) commented about the brake lights coming on from the tow vehicle activation.. however it occured to me (more recently) that the brake light switch is what I'd call BEFORE the diode isolators, so no power from the motor home would reach this terminal The only way that light would come on is if the brake pedal was depressed.

If the lamp is too bright, go to a "Dash Indicator" type lamp.

[greezykid]

I actually have run a wire from trailer hitch to front bumper and placed a amber light on bumper.Biggest problem was when sun was on light, it did not show.I am going to try a different color and and look for brighter light.I do like to know that brakes are working properly.

[JimM68]

I have it with the light, it's velcro'd to the toads rearview mirror.
I've switched to a 5 light LED, but with a regular bulb, I could not see it. The autobrightness in the camera system would just slightly dim the display whenever the light came on!

[greezykid]

Thanks for that reply,I was wondering if led would help and you found out it would. thanks