Battery for 12 volt lights

allenm wrote:
Hadn't thought about a flasher like SoundGuy shows. Great idea! Did you just use a standard flasher?

Any automotive flasher will do but I did happen to use a so-called "heavy duty" flasher as that's what I happened to have on hand. Although activating the running lights does make it a lot easier to find our campsite on a dark, moonless night I use the flash feature every time I back our trailer on to our driveway as doing so makes what I'm doing just that much more obvious to other drivers than simply turning on the 4-way flasher which flashes just the tail lights. It's also a big advantage should I ever have to leave the trailer unattended on the side of the highway for a period of time - the more obvious the trailer is, the better. :B

I jumper pins 3 & 4 a few hours most nights when camping. Makes it easier to find in the dark. Wouldn't be hard to connect a few 12V Christmas lights, too.

My non-LED running and tail lights draw 3.8 amps, so not a heavy current draw. But best to jumper the pins with a pig tail 10 amp fuse.

Hadn't thought about a flasher like SoundGuy shows. Great idea! Did you just use a standard flasher?

Ed_Gee wrote:
I assume the original poster wants to power his Christmas lights while parked. The above Bargman wiring diagram does not necessarily help him ... the +12V on pin four goes away when the engine key is off.

What in the world are you talking about? :h The OP has a 5th with four 6 volt batteries so whether it's plugged into shore power or running on that battery power there will be + 12 vdc on Pin 4 of the trailer's Bargman connector. Good grief! :S

I assume the original poster wants to power his Christmas lights while parked. The above Bargman wiring diagram does not necessarily help him ... the +12V on pin four goes away when the engine key is off. If he is lucking enough to have the center pin wired hot, that might work ... but most hitches I have seen don't have that option wired. It could be added, however.

Ropdoc wrote:
Hello all, I have a solar system installed with (4) 6 volt batteries. Has anyone with this setup installed a 12 volt battery for running 12volt outside lights? I have an extra battery and wish to use it for running lights and a couple Christmas lights.

Why would you go to all that trouble when you already have + 12 vdc sitting on Pin 4 and your rig's running lights on Pin 3 of the Bargman connector? :h



Just drop a fuse between Pin 4 & Pin 3 and the rig's running lights will be powered. If you wanted to add additional 12 vdc lights you could connect them to Pin 4 and Pin 1 which is ground and they'll light up as well. Years ago I built a dual purpose Trailer Lights Dongle (3 pics) that will not only illuminate the running lights but also alternately flash them, a feature I use every time I back our rig in off the street and on to our driveway.

No problem by me.

Ok, I understand. I was just trying to make a separate system. But why make my life harder than it already is. Thank you.

If it is hooked to charge when the 5er is plugged in, it is also hooked to power the RV. Just use your current 5er batteries to run the lights. No extra battery needed.