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05-02-2017, 02:56 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2017
Posts: 245
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Toad lights and thoughts
So we have a 2010 Hyundai Tucson that will ride on a dolly behind our 2017 F53 Sunstar LX. The "driving" force behind this was not wanting to spend the cash on another car at this point. While I actually fit into a Mini Cooper even though I am 6'4" at 235 we elected to hang on to the Tucson. With it's automatic xmission the dolly was the only alternative.
Enter lighting. The dolly has lights but as we all know they are well forward of the back end of the toad. Pulling apart all of the fixtures it became obvious that late model cars do not leave much room or wire to work with. Tapping into circuits for signals, brake lights and running lights on this car, would have me pulling down all sorts of interior panels that probably will never go back in correctly.
But, I was able to get a set of connectors that insert between the lamps on both sides and the harness and pull a pigtail down into the spare tire compartment.
The bad part of this is that the brake lamps are separated from the signals. That means a 4 wire plug is not going to cut it. It also means that if I want the upper brake light on the hatch back (tied to the driver side brake lite) I need a 5th wire to keep the signals out of the loop. I cannot have the signals illuminating all of the brake lights.
So, the question is this;
Why not use the 7 pin electric brake line to drive the brake lights? At the electric brake controller connector under the dash, I can jumper the "stop lamp feed to brake controller" to the "electric brake feed" and pick this up for the brake lamps at the 7 pin with another wire into the toad.
The dolly has surge brakes.
Any comments?
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05-02-2017, 03:33 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Gulf Streamers Club
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Cincinnati
Posts: 19,925
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I think you're over thinking this. You have lights on the dolly. A trailer lighting kit from Harbor Freight or Walmart is under $20, the wiring kit comes with wire, plugs, connectors, and lights to wire a boat or utility trailer. Mount the lights inside the Toad so they are visible out the back window. run the wires out a window and use the 4 pin plug to plug into the kit supplied 4 pin pigtail that is to be wiredin the rear of the tow car. Instead splice it into the dolly wiring. Run the car up on the dolly, unfurl the light wires out a window and plug it into your dolly. I've used these kits to wire many a trailer over the years, after all, your Toad on a dolly is just a trailer.
__________________
Bob & Donna
'98 Gulf Stream Sun Voyager DP being pushed by a '00 Beetle TDI
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05-02-2017, 03:35 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Pinellas Park, FL
Posts: 1,117
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Toad lights and thoughts
This likely doesn't help with your situation but we went the easy (not cheap) route and I ordered this directly from the manufacturer in the RV-pin configuration. http://www.amazingmagictable.com/tray.htm
No cutting or splicing of any wires. Calling directly to the manufacturer they made the wireless plug to my asking. They handle most of the standard type plugs and I just told them what one I wanted.
__________________
Thom and Diane Boles
2010 Winnebago Vista 32K **2013 Mini Cooper S Roadster **
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05-02-2017, 03:41 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2017
Posts: 245
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BFlinn181
I think you're over thinking this. You have lights on the dolly. A trailer lighting kit from Harbor Freight or Walmart is under $20, the wiring kit comes with wire, plugs, connectors, and lights to wire a boat or utility trailer. Mount the lights inside the Toad so they are visible out the back window. run the wires out a window and use the 4 pin plug to plug into the kit supplied 4 pin pigtail that is to be wiredin the rear of the tow car. Instead splice it into the dolly wiring. Run the car up on the dolly, unfurl the light wires out a window and plug it into your dolly. I've used these kits to wire many a trailer over the years, after all, your Toad on a dolly is just a trailer.
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Agreed that is a method but in this case a few wires here or there is easier than building a mount that I can trust to keep the lights stuck to the inside of the window.
I have brake lights and signals now with what I have. All of the bases are covered with a 4 wire connector since the tow drives signal and brake over the same wire.
I was thinking I'd like to include the normal brake lights as well which are substantially brighter. The dolly lights will be in use as well as the toad lights.
Edit:
Some states require license plate lights on the trailer and that would not be covered by the above approach IMHO. So after looking over all of the requirements I figured on the side of caution and decided to go whole hog.
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05-02-2017, 06:46 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 285
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ThomB
This likely doesn't help with your situation but we went the easy (not cheap) route and I ordered this directly from the manufacturer in the RV-pin configuration. Miller's Amazing Magic Table - Computer Tray
No cutting or splicing of any wires. Calling directly to the manufacturer they made the wireless plug to my asking. They handle most of the standard type plugs and I just told them what one I wanted.
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Are you sure you posted the correct website? I don't see anything on this site that has to do with wiring.
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05-02-2017, 07:23 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Northridge, CA
Posts: 1,218
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The trailer is the dolly.
It's should have a plate
__________________
Harry Grace
KM6ZRG
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05-02-2017, 07:29 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Fleetwood Owners Club Ford Super Duty Owner
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: SoCal
Posts: 15,749
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I have used a set of magnetic lights for many years. Keep wanting to wire into the toads lights, but the magnetic lights works and it o ly takes 30 seconds to put them on/off and plug them in.
__________________
Vince and Susan
2011 Tiffin Phaeton 40QTH (Cummins ISC/Freightliner)
Flat towing a modified 2005 Jeep (Rubicon Wrangler)
Previously a 2002 Fleetwood Pace Arrow 37A and a 1995 Safari Trek 2830.
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05-02-2017, 07:32 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Pinellas Park, FL
Posts: 1,117
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jrwitt
Are you sure you posted the correct website? I don't see anything on this site that has to do with wiring.
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Yea, that's not what I should have posted... This should work better.
Towmate TM22G 22" Wireless Tow Light https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DIDAZZG..._tltczb7VK7HWP
__________________
Thom and Diane Boles
2010 Winnebago Vista 32K **2013 Mini Cooper S Roadster **
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05-02-2017, 07:40 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2017
Posts: 245
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Hgrace56
The trailer is the dolly.
It's should have a plate
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Not in the state of Florida. Perhaps without the car, but with the car loaded no plate is required.
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05-03-2017, 09:44 AM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 285
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ThomB
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MUCH BETTER! Thanks for the correction.
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05-03-2017, 10:44 AM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Western NY
Posts: 6,143
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Just finished helping a buddy set up a new TOAD - easiest way was to use his magnetic temp rear lights that had a flat 4 plug - we ran flat 4 wire from under hood / inside grill down and found hollow uni-body frame sections we could snake the wire thru most of the way to the rear hatch / spare tire area and was able to find a rubber plu to poke a hole in a feed the 4 wire thru -
The beauty is the whole light set-up is independent of the TOAD wiring & lights.
Some vehicles are problematic if you tie into the factory system.
__________________
Don & Marge
'13 Newmar Ventana 3433 - '14 CR-V TOAD
'03 Winnebago Adventurer 31Y - SOLD
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