Lights on Toad Veh when Dolly Has 'em (wiring options)......

[Powertour]

At this point I've pretty much thrown my hands up in regard to finding out if lights on a toad are LEGALLY REQUIRED in any given state when your dolly has factory equipped with lights. I think I'm just going to say 'screw it' & purchase some sort of supplemental magnetic lights for our toad & go with that as added ticket protection / safety factor.

Question:

Can I run some sort of Y splitter that would plug into the motorhome's standard trailer round plug on the bumper & allow for my 4-flat connector on the dolly & whatever magnetic lights be powered up from that same receptacle?

[bassoneman]

JRscooby wrote:
I don't think it would be real hard to solder the 4 pairs of like colors on 2 pigtails together, then stuff all 8 wires into the 7 blade plug, hook to the right 4 terminals. Seal out water to make it last. A piece of chicken

I have purchased a dual connector and use the tow dolly lights and the magnetic lights.. Nice thing is that if you have a problem with one set. You have the other for back up...

[happy2rv]

I won't weigh in on the legal requirements. I have no idea what individual states might require. It does however seem like a good idea to get lights at the back of the toad.

You didn't indicate what kind of wiring plug you have installed for the dolly. I've seen lots of flat 4-pin Y splitters. They are used a lot in pickups where there is a light bar in addition to a trailer.

I think 6 or 7 pin round Ys are going to be hard to find. One option would be to make your own by installing a second socket on the back of the RV or on the dolly itself. You could install a wiring kit to use the toad's own lights or use magnetic lights.

[RedRollingRoadb]

Here is how I look at this. I never have seen a major rental firm that has dollies have lights on the the rear of the car.

I used a dolly for awhile before I went to four-down. I used magnetic lights on the rear. Here is why.

I have seen way to many dollies with one or both of the lights dead, how ever with the advent of LED lights the odds are improving.

My installing rear lights was strictly a safety reason on my part. Dolly lights, as you know, are low to the ground and out of the line of site of other drivers and may be partly blocked from their vision.

I felt that by putting lights on the rear of the car I increased the visibility of the towed and if I had a dolly light(s) fail I would still have lights. It also raised the lights height that (hopefully) the distracted driver might see them and avoid running into me. Kind of like the third brake light.

There is light cord Y's that are readily available at nearly any place that sells towing stuff. I used a short lead from the MH to dolly front then put the Y in the circuit and ran to each unit.

[mowermech]

Since most state's safety reuirements mirror the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) it might be a good idea to look those requirements up.
IIRC, the FMVSS requirement is that if the load extends two feet or more behind the lights, there must be lights OR REFLECTORS on the end of the load at night, and/or a red flag of a certain size during daylight hours.
The tail light lenses on your towed vehicle SHOULD be designed to act as reflectors when the light is not on. Therefore, it is likely that the towed vehicle is within the requirements of many State Laws and the FMVSS.
I have to wonder; if lights are not required on a dolly towed vehicle since there are reflectors already installed, what about a towbar towed vehicle? It has the same reflectors installed at the factory, and the end of it is only a few feet behind the lights on the towing motorhome, why does it NEED lights?

[zigzagrv]

Here in Pa, the dolly lights are all that are required. Don't know about other states. Even though they're not required, I feel better having lights on the rear of the toad.

I purchased LED magnetic lights from Harbor Freight for around 20 bucks, and made a dual 4-pin plug that plugs into a 6-4 pin adapter, as mentioned by someone earlier in this post, and run both off that plug.

[JRscooby]

bukhrn wrote:
I've towed across the country, Va to Ca and back and lots of places in between, as well as New England States and back, without extra lights on the toad, the lights on the dolly have always been enough, never been pulled over.

And I have run thousands of miles thousands of pounds over legal limits without getting stopped. Does that mean it is legal to run fat? If the toad was to get hit, and the driver complained he did not see it, what would you defense be?

[bukhrn]

I've towed across the country, Va to Ca and back and lots of places in between, as well as New England States and back, without extra lights on the toad, the lights on the dolly have always been enough, never been pulled over.

[JRscooby]

I don't think it would be real hard to solder the 4 pairs of like colors on 2 pigtails together, then stuff all 8 wires into the 7 blade plug, hook to the right 4 terminals. Seal out water to make it last. A piece of chicken

[enblethen]

Yes, you can bridge on a second cord connection. I would keep load down by using LED bulbs or lights. You may even think about wireless magnetic lights.

[Horsedoc]

You will do well to do that. I don't know that all states are the same, but many require the 'tail lights' be on the rear of the load, not on either side. Here in Georgia you will see warnng beacons and flags mounted on the ends of logs sticking out the ends of log trailers. It is a safety concept here