I am trying to figure out my wiring for my tail lights on my 1984 starcraft starmaster pop up. I have four wires coming out to the old taillights on the driver side. These are white which I know is ground, green which I know is for running lights, yellow which is reverse lights and red, which is turn/ stop light. I purchased LED taillights that have a five wire hook up. I hooked these up to a 12v battery and determined what the wires on the tail light control. Black is ground, white is reverse, green is running lights, yellow is turn signal and red would be brake. The issue is that the LED light has the turn signal and brake signal circuits separated, where the original setup was on the same wire, using a dual element bulb. When using a test light on the red wire from the camper, it will blink as it should when blinkers are on but give more power for brake light when brakes are applied. If I hook up this red wire to the LED light fixture on the blinker circuit the light will blink as it should but will light up like a brake light when brake is applied. This is just an amber turn indicator, I want it to just blink. I can take it lighting up when brake is applied because it does blink when brakes are pressed and turn signal on, but I don't get the red lens to light up for brakes like it should. Can I tie into the electric brake circuit to get my brake light in the rear? Please help, I will try to post a crude drawing of what I am talking about.,thanks

my TV has one of these http://www.ebay.com/itm/Trailer-Light-Converter-3-to-2-5-to-4-wire-w-5-amp-built-in-Circuit-Protect-/370578657851this allows my separate amber turn signals to be integrated with the brakes to light up the red stop and turn lamps on my pop up.Depending on your TV (if it has amber turn signals or a separate red bulb) you have the same thing. reduces the wiring harness from 5 to 4.If your new trailer lamps have amber turn signals you would have to rewire it from your TV. If you have the converter installed you could simply remove it and run all 5 back through a 5 or 6 or 7 pole harness. Which I wouldn't recommend if you haul another trailer the lights wouldn't work right.Maybe tap into it before the converter and leave the4 intact and just run another connector. of course you have to then run a yellow wire all the way back to the tail.If your TV just has red stop and signal lights through a dual bulb you need to tap into the brake and turn signal wires and run them back

If I understand what you’re saying, there are four wires from the tow vehicle to the trailer. I don’t recall the color but the wires are: ground, running lights, right turn/brake light, left turn/brake light. The problem is that vehicles built after about 1992 have separate brake light wiring, and turn signal wiring, thus requiring more than four wires. One alternative is to upgrade to a 7 pin connector such as used with larger travel trailers, or install a device to combine the brake and turn signal functions to two wires. The first options would allow full functionality identical to the tow vehicle. The second would use the turn signal for brake lights. I use the 2nd option for my jeep that I tow with the motorhome using some diodes (actually 1/2 of a full wave bridge) to feed the rear lights on the jeep. The link shows some of the devices that can be used to combine the stop and turn signal lamps. http://accessories.etrailer.com/trailer/Brake%20Turn%20Light%20Converter

As stated above, most wiring will have left turn/brake and right turn/brake wires. There can't be just one brake wire with no turn signals. With only four wires I will bet there are no backup lights. With 4 wires you would need to have at least Left Turn, Right Turn (which are also the brakes), ground and running lights. With a 7 conductor plug you get electric brakes (usually blue), hot wire for charging (usually black) and an auxilliary which is usually used for back up lights (usually yellow).

84starmaster wrote: I purchased LED taillights that have a five wire hook up. I hooked these up to a 12v battery and determined what the wires on the tail light control. Black is ground, white is reverse, green is running lights, yellow is turn signal and red would be brake. The issue is that the LED light has the turn signal and brake signal circuits separated, where the original setup was on the same wire, using a dual element bulb. Not sure how you determined that "white is reverse" since you have no backup light actuator on the pup wiring-? Yours is a three function connection (stop/turn/tail+markers).I'm unfamiliar with a five-wire replacement light for trailers...most 3-function are three wire, even the LED versions. What's the brand/model of the lights you're trying to install?

on a four prong white is ground yellow and green are turn/stop and brown is running lights the new one sounds like it is for semi trailer.. they have seperate brake lights and turn signals..check i believe they make a converter to go from four to five for seperate turn signals

Rv wiring stumper???? | Good Sam Community

Chris_Bryant
Explorer II
Aug 14, 2013
It is reportedly possible to do it all in the trailer- look at this J.C. Whitney item- a logic box for adding a center brake light. $12.98.
LOGIC CIRCUIT
For vehicles without original-equipment third brake light or vehicles without separate brake and turn signal light circuits
Prevents brake light from flashing with turn signal

The other way would be to have a separate connector for the stop light- not at all ideal, but most trucks have the stop light feed to the back, for the CHMSL on a topper.
popupcamping
Explorer
Aug 14, 2013
84starmaster wrote:
Also my problem is I do tow other trailers with standard lighting, I was really trying to fix this issue on my pop up, not my TV this way I wouldn't have to worry about it messing up the lights on my other trailers

well you can't because most other trailers will NOT have amber turn signals.

you could just use a 1 pole solo connector from the TV to the trailer for the brakes. PITA IMO.

Just re read and saw that you asked to tap into the electric brakes, This wouldn't work because the (blue) brake wire from your TV would be sending a variable signal depending on brake application. Meaning your brake lights on your trailer would glow from dim to bright depending on braking. Not legal I am sure. And I believe with some brake controllers if on level and light braking it will not send any signal because the brakes are not needed( I could be wrong) If this was the case,your red brake lights would not illuminate.

Either way if you do not rewire your TV your left and right turn signals will be carrying the brake signal as well, meaning your amber turn signals on your trailer will illuminate with the brakes. Might not be legal either.

you could wire your TV to accommodate the Pop up and make an adapter to plug into your TV to bring the wiring back to standard.

it is just wiring, it isn't confusing.

BTW what connector is on the trailer?

7pole as well or 6? what?
84starmaster
Explorer
Aug 14, 2013
Also my problem is I do tow other trailers with standard lighting, I was really trying to fix this issue on my pop up, not my TV this way I wouldn't have to worry about it messing up the lights on my other trailers
84starmaster
Explorer
Aug 14, 2013
I have the 7 pin plug on my truck which is wired into my reverse lights, and my pop up did originally have reverse lights, so there should be no problem there. I just love LED lights, so I'm really trying to stick with these lights as compared to the old style incandescent. I needed to replace the lights because they were missing covers and one was broke in half.
popupcamping
Explorer
Aug 14, 2013
it is really quite simple.

Just run the wires from your TV.

pic your colors who cares, it doesn't matter just don't get confused

1- ground
2- 12V
3- left turn
4- right turn
5- brake
6- reverse
7- running lights or park lights

find all of these wires in your TV. Tap into them and put them into a 7 pole connector then continue them back to your trailer.

And NO , those converters will not work in reverse. they are to reduce from 5 to4, they will not increase from 4-5.

NOW,if it were me??? I would just go get some standard lamps for the trailer and install them in 4minutes

good luck
Francesca_Knowl
Explorer
Aug 14, 2013
84starmaster wrote:
http://item.mobileweb.ebay.com/viewitem?itemId=321142749412
Here is a link to the lights I bought, the wiring color combo is also confirmed in the listing, since these are cheap Chinese lights they don't follow standard US color coding. These have a 5 wire setup. Basically I am trying to convert the old wire setup to these, maybe by looking at these lights you can get a more detailed look at what I'm trying to do

Live link

Hoo boy...those look to me like the clear lens is for backup lights, which I think neither your trailer nor your tow vehicle is probably wired to power up.

Bowing out now to leave further input/unraveling to the experts!
84starmaster
Explorer
Aug 14, 2013
ok so after some research with the help of your replies I do see that a couple companies make tail light converters. These though are set up for when your tow vehicle has the 5 wire LED taillight configuration and your trailer has a 4 wire incandescent tail light setup, my question is, will these converters work in reverse? to supply incoming power with a four wire system to LED trailer tail lights that have a 5 wire setup. Anybody have any experience with this?
84starmaster
Explorer
Aug 14, 2013
Thanks RECYCLER, these are actually listed as semi lights, but says can be used as trailers also, I am new at this type of wiring, I did not realize that semi trailer lights are wired this way, looks like I need to find that converter you and others were talking about
84starmaster
Explorer
Aug 14, 2013
I have converted the trailer to a 7 pin round rv plug with a wire junction box on the tongue by the way
84starmaster
Explorer
Aug 14, 2013
http://item.mobileweb.ebay.com/viewitem?itemId=321142749412
Here is a link to the lights I bought, the wiring color combo is also confirmed in the listing, since these are cheap Chinese lights they don't follow standard US color coding. These have a 5 wire setup. Basically I am trying to convert the old wire setup to these, maybe by looking at these lights you can get a more detailed look at what I'm trying to do

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