Running lights as extra light at camp site

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by bush

i tried the fuse in the 2 top pins and all i got was the tail lights??

Assuming you picked the correct pins in the socket:

You could also have a "ground" problem on your trailer's lighting since you have tail lights (not stop lights) and no running lights.

Normally, your exterior "traveling" light bulbs get their ground and the power to light them through the tow vehicle (from pins on the tow vehicle's socket and the ground pin which is connected to the camper's frame on the camper side and the truck's frame on the other).

You are not using that path since you are using the camper's 12VDC system to light your running lights by shunting through the fuse.

The camper's 12VDC has to make it through the running lights and back to the camper's battery through the frame of the camper. If that connection is corroded (for the running lights), that MIGHT cause only part of the lights to work.

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by mtnguy

Lou, I think that should be between the battery charge and running lights.

yep, not enough coffee, yet.

[B47]

Originally Posted by wood family 77437

I have a friend who said that in the past he has seen TT's parked at sites that have the running lights on, and being used as extra lighting around the TT independent from truck. I know that there are issuses in doing this, but i cant figure out how it is done any thoughts. Thanks

OK - I'll be the fun spoiler here - why would you want to do this at the CG?

Running lights are for that one purpose - "running"

This sort of sounds like your CG neighbor who plays his music too loud.

[pbrackney]

Originally Posted by B47

OK - I'll be the fun spoiler here - why would you want to do this at the CG?

Running lights are for that one purpose - "running"

This sort of sounds like your CG neighbor who plays his music too loud.

I agree. I do not mind awning lights. They have a purpose. But if I am camping, the last thing I want to see is the TT next to me lit up like a Christmas tree. Campfires are nice when the sun is down and so are lights. Please be considerate of the campers around you. Although it may look cool to you it can be annoying to those around you. This is all said in a nice way, just some other thoughts on the subject. Happy camping to all.

[spud7378]

i also put a switch inside my lower front compartment bin, i just opened the junction box for the trailer wiring and put a switch in between the charger feed and the green running light feed, works great and now my neoghbors at the trailer park are now doing the same!

[MIKE44460]

I added a 7 pin female to the TT battery, fused the positive side. And now since all of my running lights are LED's it does stand out. In addition my side running lights also work with the turn signals. I found that this works very well to get someone out of the blind spot.

[1l243]

Light polution? Really, what are the lights 4 watts each? There is a time and place. If I have the guy right next to me with his awning rubbing on the side of my trailer I probably would not turn them on but If I am forest with wide spaces between each site and I want to have a little light around the trailer I will turn them on... I will keep my campfire down low though.....

[TURBS]

Originally Posted by herk7769

The fuse (or flasher unit) goes between the ground and the running lights.

Between 3 and 4

[pbrackney]

Originally Posted by 1l243

Light polution? Really, what are the lights 4 watts each? There is a time and place. If I have the guy right next to me with his awning rubbing on the side of my trailer I probably would not turn them on but If I am forest with wide spaces between each site and I want to have a little light around the trailer I will turn them on... I will keep my campfire down low though.....

Love it!

[Dodge Guy]

Running lights are dimmer than awning lights! And it makes it alot easier to roll up an awning with an approaching storm when you dont have lights hanging off of it!

[deerslayer]

My opinion I am not too big on the running lights thing, and now it seems everyone is doing it in the camp ground. But, who am I to tell you what to do with your rig, I personally am taking a different route, hope to have it complete this weekend

[glhart]

My friends and I do the same thing with ours each evening, but when we retire for the night the lights go out. I actualy made a box with a female plug, fuse, flasher relay, three way switch but my buds just use a 20 amp fuse. In my opinion the lights look nice after dark and with the flasher relay you can make yourself easier to see in the case of an emergency while on the road.

[kb9cfv]

may be a dead thread but, The wife and I usually found that we would get to the campground after dark and having extra light helped with getting everything hooked up instead of waving a flashlight around into the other camp sites. We had to disconnect the truck to get the fold out down. What i did was wire a relay inline to isolate the circuit from the truck. Then I had a switch in the storage compartment to turn them on. Also useful to check the lights out before I hitched up. It was wired so it would normalize to the pigtail and when I tossed the switch, it would activate the relay and switch to on board power that was properly fused.

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by camper007

I just plug a 10amp fuse into the top two socket's of trailer plug (that goes to truck) and all running light's come on.

Yep; it is how I do it when we are expecting guests after dark.