tarnold
georgia
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Joined: 03/01/2010
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What can be had to show when my brake lights are activated on my toad. My ‘kit” came with an led and a lot of wire to splice into the brake wiring and run to the front of the motor home. Don’t want to have to keep unplugging each time and running any more wires. So what can send a signal about 40 ft and let me know?
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theoldwizard1
SE MI
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Joined: 09/07/2010
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If you can see even part of your toad in a mirror, you can run a "light pipe" from the back side of the tail light to the point where your mirror sees. You just have to figure out how to attach it temporarily to the body.
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Bert the Welder
Van. Island
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Joined: 03/11/2009
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theoldwizard1 wrote:If you can see even part of your toad in a mirror, you can run a "light pipe" from the back side of the tail light to the point where your mirror sees. You just have to figure out how to attach it temporarily to the body.
How bout a little dental size mirror or a white bicycle reflector? As TOW said, it's the attaching that's gonna need some thinking. A cam activated suction cup or something that clamps into the trunk or something that mounts with the screws holding the brake light lens in. Wonder if one of those suction cup style side view mirror extenders would hold. Mind, it's not facing the correct, aerodynamic direction. But if it will stick, you could cut off the mirror and replace with something small and less wind catching.
"> 1998 GMC 2500, 10.5 Okanagan, My better/smarter half, George and Finnegan(APBT), all I need.
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DrewE
Vermont
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Maybe you could get a little 12V red light to stick on the car dashboard and wire it in to the brake light circuit (with a switch and/or connector to disconnect when driving the vehicle normally, of course). Seems to me that could be more readily visible than a little mirror, at least any mirror that doesn't also block the brake light significantly for other drivers. If the towed vehicle has a trailer hitch itself, you could plug the auxiliary light into the trailer light connector there.
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StarkNaked
West Seattle, WA
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You don't say what kind of "kit" you have, but on my Roadmaster system, once you install the led on your dash, it's only one wire that needs to be connected at the hitch.
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tarnold
georgia
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The kit is a ready brute elite II. Packaged with everything you need. the toad is a smart car, the rear window in the MH is a small bathroom window, can’t see much. Really cant see the toad with the mirrors. When I’m braking, really want my eyes forward, not looking back. Rear view camera would show a light, but again want eyes to the front.
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JimR 1
Custer South Dakota
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Joined: 08/29/2003
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I have a Jeep Wrangler with the M&G Engineering brake system, that system has a way to hook up a signal light when the brakes are applied. A safety light for when and if the break away is activated.
The signal light was installed in the Jeep, a good LED light that attached to the visor worked like a champ. When I hit the brakes I could look back, via rear view camera, and see my signal light come on, life was good.
Then one day I was stopped at a stop light in Layton Utah where I and other cars were stopped including the PD Officer that swooped in behind me with lights on, WHAT THE?? Then I saw the smoke coming from the Jeep I did managed to get to the side of the road and after 2 PD officers a Fire Engine and an Ambulance (I guess us old guys have a habit of falling over during extreme stress).
Long story short the Jeep fire went out when I stopped (front Brakes). The break away was pulled when I left Charlies's Service and applied the brakes I was looking forward and in heavy traffic and the lighting was not good for me to see the light in the Jeep. Bottom line the light was not a good way to see when the brakes were applied, you are not looking back all the time.
The fix was to run the light, a bright red LED, to the dash and redo the electric wiring from the MH to the Jeep. Now when the brakes are applied by me or the break away I know it now not in a few minutes when I can look.
The Jeep was still towable with no break away and was repaired, Hubs, brakes and calipers and some related parts, under $1000.00.
The cost to install the signal light was a lot less.
Your call but it is better up front where you can see the light when it comes on.
JimR
ps I did not have a heart attack so the ambulance went hone
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Ava
Vancouver Island. BC Canada
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Joined: 05/05/2015
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My Roadmaster Invisibrake has a wire that connects to the cold side of the brake pedal. When the brake pedal activates, it turns on an LED on my motorhome dash but only if the pedal physically moves. I think you could wire a simple version of that as well.
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wa8yxm
Wherever I happen to park
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Joined: 07/04/2006
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I have seen folks argue with this but there are basicaly two different types of towed light systems. One uses the main "Service" lamps activated via a diode pack that is often under the dash. the other is used different bulbs for towing and driving..
The brake light switch (Which is usually under the dash) has two leads. one is "hot" (12 volt battery side of ignation switch) only thing between it and the battery is a fuse.
The other side is switched (Goes to the diode pack if you have one via the turn signal switch OR to the brake lights via the turn signal switch)
Tap this wire.
lay an LED assembly on the dash (Secure it)
Where your Back Up cam can see it clearly.
OPtion 2:
Upgrade the flat 4 or 6 pin connector to a 7 use the additional pin
Home is where I park it.
2005 Damon Intruder 377 Alas declared a total loss
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Kenwood TS-2000, ICOM ID-5100, ID-51A+2, ID-880 REF030C most times
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way2roll
Wilmington NC
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When we had our MH I just installed the light that came with the ready brute elite kit. I used a Blue Ox extra light kit mounted in the lens so I was running the wire anyway. It's really not that hard and you are unplugging the lights anyway, one more wire made no difference.
2020 F350 STX 6.7L Turbo Diesel
2020 FR Cedar Creek Silverback 29rw
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