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rjniles's avatar
rjniles
Explorer
Jul 29, 2017

Brake light seen from cab

A few years ago when I had my popup I had a problem when the breakaway switch pin fell out. I towed the camper for a while until I noticed it was pulling hard.I added a additional brake light on the front drivers side corner of the camper that I could see by glancing in the mirror. Decided to do for my new camper.

Pretty easy mod. $4 light from Walmart installed on the lower front panel of the camper. It is mounted on diamond plate so I did not have to run a separate ground wire. Ran a single wire from the new light to the breakaway switch. The breakaway switch has 2 wires, 1 goes to 12VDC battery, the other connects to the brakes. You want to splice into the latter.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipO0acHbgV-uWcyY-BI0X62gd3VrgUucqLIm1MqY


https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipOftLjENjyi2zis-RCfOuZci6WFoaiognqfhFZP
  • wnjj's avatar
    wnjj
    Explorer II
    Jul 30, 2017
    Darryl&Rita wrote:
    All I could afford wrote:
    Hopefully a very low amp draw bulb, or LED... You don't want to reduce the available power going to the brake magnets. (Or use a relay)

    The brake light wires and the brake controller output are separate runs. No danger of this happening.


    The OP was connecting to the brake wire, not the brake light wire so LED is a good idea.
  • Darryl_Rita's avatar
    Darryl_Rita
    Explorer
    Jul 30, 2017
    All I could afford wrote:
    Hopefully a very low amp draw bulb, or LED... You don't want to reduce the available power going to the brake magnets. (Or use a relay)

    The brake light wires and the brake controller output are separate runs. No danger of this happening.
  • rjniles's avatar
    rjniles
    Explorer
    Jul 30, 2017
    All I could afford wrote:
    Hopefully a very low amp draw bulb, or LED... You don't want to reduce the available power going to the brake magnets. (Or use a relay)


    Used a LED.
  • rjniles's avatar
    rjniles
    Explorer
    Jul 30, 2017
    Tyler0215 wrote:
    I mounted a small light on each side on the front and wired into the turn signal and brake lights. I always know they are working.


    I did that on my popup also except I rewired 2 of the front marker lights. May yet do that on my TT.
  • All_I_could_aff's avatar
    All_I_could_aff
    Explorer
    Jul 30, 2017
    Hopefully a very low amp draw bulb, or LED... You don't want to reduce the available power going to the brake magnets. (Or use a relay)
  • Tyler0215's avatar
    Tyler0215
    Explorer
    Jul 29, 2017
    I mounted a small light on each side on the front and wired into the turn signal and brake lights. I always know they are working.
  • romore's avatar
    romore
    Explorer II
    Jul 29, 2017
    Sounds to me that you had some inoperative brakes. I pulled the pin on our fiver when it caught in the hitch while turning around, I couldn't move.
  • Joe_Way's avatar
    Joe_Way
    Explorer
    Jul 29, 2017
    Good idea. Much like the freezer monitor lights on 18 wheel reefers.

    Can't see the photos--says "The requested URL was not found on this server. That’s all we know."

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