Dingy electrics

Ken O wrote:
Getting an '02 Wrangler set up to tow for snowbirding. Have a Ready Brake, and now getting around to the electrics.

Question is weather to run a charging wire from the TV. With the key on, the RB will activate the brake lights, my concern is weather it will run the Wrangler's battery down.

The TV has a 7 pole jack, and I could easily run a charging wire to the toad's battery. Is there any reason not to?

What are you using for tail and signal lights? If not already done, I suggest making up a plug in light bar of sorts for the toad's hitch receiver and wire it all to the front for hook up to the coach. You might even want to use a bike rack to mount the lights. We did a neighbors 03 using the owners hitch haul to mount the LED lights. This gives them some extra cargo space when traveling as well. I use our hitch haul for the bikes, but can haul a little extra if need be. My system isn't isolated as explained, since it's a newer JK series and COOLTECH makes an excellent plug and play harness for these. Nothing separate, no cutting into and certainly no diodes.
Don't see the need for a charge wire, unless the ignition unlock steering position runs down the battery, but haven't heard this from the 03 owner. Shouldn't hurt a thing though, as long as one bad battery doesn't suck down the other and even this can be rectified with a diode and the circuit should be fused on both ends as well. I think if me, I would just have the steering lock removed and be done with it. It's just something else to contend with and Wrangler hasn't had them for years now.

Ken:

There are alternatives to hacking into your Jeep wiring system and adding diodes, toggle switches, fuse disconnects etc.

There are many detachable wireless tow lights available. Sender module plugs into your motorhome just like regular trailer lights and you can strap or attach magnetic lights to the rear of your jeep. They make wired versions as well (very inexpensive).

Both types (wired or wireless) allow you to avoid modifications to your jeep's electric. They detach for storage when not in use and meet legal lighting requirements for towed vehicles.

Biggest problem for a Jeep Wrangler might be finding someplace to attach the lights although based on the pictures I see online the lights could likely sit right on your back bumper.

I agree with most others that the Readybrake will not wear down your battery if it is just activating the OEM brake lights.

Anyhow, something to think about.

Ken O wrote:
Thanks Scott, you have been a big help! I'm still digesting the info, I haven't wired the lights yet, its confusing with the combined Jeep system (brake/turn), while the TV has separate signals. The switch you put in for the toad's brake light makes sense.
I'm not in a hurry, I want to understand what I'm doing. I'll just keep plugging away.
Ken

Ken,
You're certainly welcome. By the way, just for giggles here, your finger is hitting the "T" instead of the "R" for RV. That is of course unless you're meaning "TV" for "Tow Vehicle". No biggie. Anyway, you've presented an issue that many have had to deal with in wiring a toad. Your RV is setup with "Amber" turn signals. That means, you've got a "three filament" system on your coach while, the Jeep is a "Two filament" system. Your coach has separate turn signals and brake lights but, the Jeep has "combination" turn signals and brake lights in one light.

It's not a problem at all. About 95% of the motor homes that have Amber turn signals, that come prewired with a seven pin trailer plug have what's called a "Tail light" converter installed prior to the wiring entering the rear of the trailer plug. That converter "converts" independent turn signals and brake lights to, combination turn and brake lights, for each side. From that point on, it's a piece of cake to wire your jeep.

And, by the way, ALL years of TJs are wired and set up in both ignition and light wiring the same exact way. It's basically seriously simple to utilize your stock tail light bulbs for toad lights. Many guys panic when that is suggested. It can be done that way all the way up to the 2012 "JK" models. Those years and above use a totally different wiring/lighting system and tying into them is almost impossible without issues.

But, to do yours, it's real easy. Right by the left knee of the driver, under the door sill, is ALL the tail light wiring for your jeep. All you need to do is run your wiring from the front plug of your Jeep to that point. Then, unwrap that loom right there and segregate the wires to find the LT/Brake, RT/Brake/Running. From that point, you simply strip a small section of each of those wires and, "T" into each one with the appropriate ones from the front of the jeep and solder things up, then insulate the connections real good.

Now, I do install a diode, just in front of each of the LT/Brake and RT/Brake "tees" to stop the motor home signals from traveling forward in the jeep wiring. And, there's no need for fancy, high dollar diodes here. All that's needed is a three or four pack of diodes from Radio Shack for about $2.89. There's no need for one in the running light circuit. All that will happen is, your front parking lights will light up and that is sort of preferred by many so they know the clearance between the jeep fenders and the coach when making tighter turns at night.

Now, the utilization of the "toggle" switch just alleviates the problem created when you have two sets of signals being sent to the same filament in the toad tail lights. You see, if you send a turn signal from the motor home to the left tail light on the Jeep, it will flash, as expected. But, if you apply the brakes at the same time and, have a Ready Brake, that brake arm in the Jeep will hit the brake switch and therefore, by virtue of the brake lights being activated without the key in the on position, will send the signal to the same filament that's already flashing. Hmmmm, what to do.

Well, that's what the toggle switch is for. By flipping that switch to send that brake light signal from the Jeep to the coach dash LED, you don't allow the conflicting signals to hit the same filament in that Jeep tail light bulb and, as a bonus, you are notified that the brakes are actually being applied in the Jeep.

You see, the later models of the Ready Brake are setup at the actuator with a trigger switch that can activate an LED, either mounted right there on that actuator which you may or may not be able to see with your rear view monitor/camera or, you can run that wiring to an LED mounted on the dash. But, the problem with that system is, it only tells you the Jeep is pushing on the actuator, it does not inform you that the cable is still doing its job inside the toad.

So, there's a bit more info for you to think about.
Scott

docj wrote:

othertonka wrote:
Your brake, turn and tail lights do not run from the dingy battery, they run from the MH battery through the seven way connector, but a lot of auxiliary brake systems do run from the dingy battery and draw enough to run the battery down if towing for a long day,

But the OP says he is planning on using a ReadyBrake which uses no power from either vehicle. That's why the discussion of the toad using power is irrelevant.

While the Ready Brake uses no power from either vehicle, when it activates the toad's brakes, the toad's brake lights come on utilizing power from the toad's battery. However, that is infrequent enough and of short enough duration that it is not a real risk for running down the toad's battery.

Ken O wrote:
Getting an '02 Wrangler set up to tow for snowbirding. Have a Ready Brake, and now getting around to the electrics.

Question is weather to run a charging wire from the TV. With the key on, the RB will activate the brake lights, my concern is weather it will run the Wrangler's battery down.

The TV has a 7 pole jack, and I could easily run a charging wire to the toad's battery. Is there any reason not to?

our '03 wrabgler has a UNLOCKED/OFF position so while we need to insert a key to unlock the steering wheel doing so does not turn anything on. are you sure your '02 doesn't have the same thing?

Thanks Scott, you have been a big help! I'm still digesting the info, I haven't wired the lights yet, its confusing with the combined Jeep system (brake/turn), while the TV has separate signals. The switch you put in for the toad's brake light makes sense.
I'm not in a hurry, I want to understand what I'm doing. I'll just keep plugging away.
Ken

othertonka wrote:
Your brake, turn and tail lights do not run from the dingy battery, they run from the MH battery through the seven way connector, but a lot of auxiliary brake systems do run from the dingy battery and draw enough to run the battery down if towing for a long day,

Well Sir,
Partially true and partially wrong. There are many, many toads out there that activate the brake lights on the toad,(with the toads battery) if an auxiliary braking device, OF ANY DESIGN is used. And, the TJ Jeeps ('97-'06 models) are one of them. The key doesn't even have to be in the Jeep for the brake lights to work. All that one needs to do is step on the brakes to see if your brake lights come on without the key. One our '11 Honda CRV, yes, they came on without the key in the ignition.

In our present toad, an '11 GMC Sierra 1500 4x4 Extended Cab, they DON'T come on without the key turned on. So, some do and some don't.

Now, to the OP. No, you don't have to run a charge line to the battery in an '02 Jeep. Yes, the steering has to be unlocked but, in that model there is no electronics that are activated with the key in the steering unlock position. And, that is not the ignition "ON" position. It's one position before it. You can add a charge line if you prefer, but it's not needed in that model. We have towed our Jeeps all over creation for long stretches at a time and never, never had anywhere near a dead battery.

Now, the later models, the "JK", those are a different animal. Fuses do have to be pulled on the early ones but, as I understand it, not on the later ones. But, yours is a "TJ" and no fuses have to be pulled and no electronics are activated when the key/steering is in the unlock position.

Your use of the Ready Brake, as has been stated, uses no electronics to work correctly. So, there is no battery drain due to its use. Yes, you're '02 Jeep TJ brake lights will activate when the Ready Brake is applying the brakes. Now, this may or may not be a problem, based on just how you wired your toad lights. If you utilized the stock tail lights as toad lights, as I've done for (7) different Jeep Wranglers, one Honda CRV and our present toad, the GMC, then yes, you'll need to compensate for dual activation of the brake light filament in the Jeep.

I did a simple remedy for this situation. I cut the brake light switch wire (out put) and ran it to a small two-way toggle switch on the door jamb of the Jeep. Then, I ran a wire from one side of the toggle to the front of the Jeep. From there, that wire went through the pig tail, into the coach, all the way to the dash of the RV and to an LED I mounted on the dash. Now, when towing, I flip the toggle so the brake light signal from the jeeps brake pedal goes to the LED on the dash of the coach which, tells me that the brakes are being applied on the Jeep.

But, I also ran another wire, from the other side of the toggle, back to where I cut it in the first place. Now, when driving the Jeep, I flip the toggle the other way and, the jeeps brake switch sends the brake light signal to the Jeeps brake lights like it should. Done!

Now, if you haven't wired your jeeps tail lights as toad lights, then, yes, you'll have brake lights from the application of the Ready Brake but, the momentary use of them will have absolutely "0" effect on the Jeep battery. If you've added additional sockets and bulbs back there, the only issue you'll have is a confused driver behind your jeep as you're towing it and apply the brakes and turn at the same time due to the fact that the Ready brake is applying the brakes and therefore the brake lights in the Jeep and, you're sending a turn indication from the lever on the column in the motor home and, both bulbs are within an inch of each other.

Hope this info helps some.
Scott

othertonka wrote:
Your brake, turn and tail lights do not run from the dingy battery, they run from the MH battery through the seven way connector, but a lot of auxiliary brake systems do run from the dingy battery and draw enough to run the battery down if towing for a long day,

But the OP says he is planning on using a ReadyBrake which uses no power from either vehicle. That's why the discussion of the toad using power is irrelevant.

Your brake, turn and tail lights do not run from the dingy battery, they run from the MH battery through the seven way connector, but a lot of auxiliary brake systems do run from the dingy battery and draw enough to run the battery down if towing for a long day,

We've towed our Malibu for ~30,000 miles with a ReadyBrake and no power wire without having any issues. Our toad's lights were set up with diodes and the key is in the ACC position when it is towed. Ours requires a fuse be pulled to prevent battery drain and we installed a fuse switch to avoid having to pull it each time.