powered converters for lighting

[Lunchbox7985]

So I know enough to figure this out. But I still want other people's opinions on it.

At what point do you use a powered converter for your light hook ups. However tiny my trailer I'm adding clearance lights on the top too for added safety. I'm going to have the dual element bulbs for the brakes, and 2 side markers on the front sides of the frame. Then up top I'm adding 2 more side makes on the front sides, 2 more dual element bulbs in the top corners on back, and a strip of 3 red marker lights in the top middle of the back. And a light for the license plate.

So I know it varies by car, but how much is too much strain on the lighting circuits, and you get one of those things that powers the lights straight off the battery?

I was thinking about wiring the interior light to the parking light circuit as well as the 12v inverter, and diode isolating them so that when the trailer isn't plugged into shore power but is hooked up to the car, I can turn the cars parking lights on and be able to turn the interior light on, powered off the car. In case I'm ever loading get or unloading it after dark.

I can probably get an led based light in the "oo shiny" section of autozone, that doesn't draw much extra current and I'll be fine, but I thought I'd get opinions anywho.

[eggsalad]

In today's world, there is no fathomable reason NOT to use 100% LED lighting. The draw is *significantly* lower, they run cooler and they (essentially) never burn out. The cost difference is insignificant.

Like many others here, I use and recommend www.superbrightleds.com - they have great prices and quality.

[Lunchbox7985]

ive already got my outter lighting, so the cost difference is whatever led replacements cost vs free at the moment, but i will consider LED when i need to replace them.

[GuitarPhotog]

Your vehicle supplies plenty of power for "road" lighting (clearance, stop, turn). A converter and battery in the trailer are useful to power 12 VDC accessories in the trailer, such as USB chargers, LED lighting, etc.

A good converter will also provide a smart charger for your battery and 120 VAC power distribution.

<Chas>

[eggsalad]

I'm pretty sure you're talking about the tow vehicle converter - the one that converts from a TV with seperate turn signals to a standard flat-4 trailer plug.

If that's what you have in mind, perhaps try to contact the manufacturer of the unit and ask them? Maybe they know.

[jseyfert3]

If you are going for safety, have you ever considered amber turn signals?

P.S. The strip of 3 red lights at the top, along with the top corner clearance lights, are supposed to indicate a wide (80" or more) vehicle/trailer. I don't think there is anything against using it on a trailer less wide if desired though, but I figured I'd point that out. This may be of interest to you: http://www.nhtsa.gov/cars/rules/standar ... rpstr.html

If you are worried about the load on your vehicle signal wiring, I'm actually working on a homemade controller, about $10-12 or so, that can power lights directly from the battery. Just give me another week or so and I'll have it done. I'm also building a trailer (as in mounted in the trailer) controller that takes US standard wiring and splits it apart to give separate amber turn signs and brake lights.

[jseyfert3]

Your vehicle supplies plenty of power for "road" lighting (clearance, stop, turn).

Unless designed with towing in mind, I could see with lots of non-led lights on a trailer "overloading" the vehicle wiring. By that I mean the vehicle may not have big enough wiring to handle twice or more (from the sound of what he's adding) the designed load, and the voltage drop could be a little high, leading to dimmer trailer lights then they could be otherwise.

On my sedan, for example, standard lights on trailers always seemed somewhat dim. I chocked this up to the diode voltage drop in my homemade separate turn to combined stop/turn converter as well as fairly small gauge OEM signal wiring with extra load and even longer wires when you add in the trailer wiring. This is why I'm building a new controller that will feed it's power from it's own wires I'll run from the battery and has negligible internal voltage drop. Whatever trailer I tow will get the highest possible voltage to its lights.

Will the OP hooking up lots of lights hurt anything? Unlikely. The OP could always give it a shot and if they seem dimmer then they should be, get a controller that uses a separate 12 V feed from the battery to power the lights.

[Dale M.]

What is VT going to be..... My Chevy PU has separate power for towing lighting..... Does yours?

Count up number of bulbs by FILAMENT TYPE and get power consumption rating for bulbs and do some math... All the information you need is on i-net.... Power consumption for bulbs will be in either amps or watts... Easily converted to what ever for of measurement you wish to use...

For example ...

100 watts divided by 12 volts is 8.3 amps.
10 amps multiplied by 12 volts os 120 watts.

For instance a 1157 type bulb draws about 2 amps for stop or turn filament and about .5 amps tor trail (marker filament) if you are going to illuminate 4 filaments during a stop and or turn, its going to draw approximately 8 amps..... Single 1156 bulb draws 2 amps....

For tail and side marker, its just straight math of how may amps total number of bulbs will draw and will wire size and tow vehicle fuse handle the added capacity...

Once you have all the numbers then check what the specifications are on converter ...

IF you can not find converter of sufficient specification you may have to go to truck lighting options or add relays powered directly from fused battery source to hand the amperage loads....

Its not so much about the number of bulbs as to how much current flow in amps and how you switch bulbs off/on...

In this day in age if you have to go to supplemental power (relays) it is cheaper and simpler to convert your fixtures to LED lighting...

Also keep in mind some new car wiring does allow you to just add in more lamps on circuit.... With new computer controls, it is rated for certain ranges of current draw and switching capabilities and "just" adding more lamps may bring computer to its knees.... IN many cases you have to get supplemental harness with converter build in to actually have correct lighting power to trailer....

For interior lighting I would not depend on tow vehicle other than use "charge while towing" concept ( see huge thread on subject in stickies) with TD having its own battery so you have fresh battery power at each stop....

First thing I do on all my wiring projects is cut off the silly little flat 4 connectors (at tow vehicle and trailers) and wire everything with 7 pin round RV style connectors...

Dale

[Lunchbox7985]

Well I already did the math and I should be fine, I just wanted other input on the matter. I know I don't need that many light on such a small trailer. I just thought how devastated I'd be if someone ran into my trailer, and as cheap and easy as it is to add another set of lights on the top, it sets my mind at ease.

The more I think about it, I think I'm going to have a flashlight in the trailer anyway. So I may forget the idea of wiring the interior light to the parking light circuit.

[Dale M.]

The more I think about it, I think I'm going to have a flashlight in the trailer anyway. So I may forget the idea of wiring the interior light to the parking light circuit.

IF you only need minimal interior lighting,,, LED Puc lights! .. Its so much easier to have "installed" lighting where you reach fo it and it is there, not the elusive flash light that is never quite where you remember it and when you need two hands there is no one to hold it for you...

Dale

[Catherine+twins]

In today's world, there is no fathomable reason NOT to use 100% LED lighting. The draw is *significantly* lower, they run cooler and they (essentially) never burn out. The cost difference is insignificant.

Like many others here, I use and recommend http://www.superbrightleds.com - they have great prices and quality.

Okay, I just have to say that there is a fathomable reason not to use 100% LED lighting, but it is a special case. If the trailer will be used in snowy winter weather, the tail lights can and do get packed with snow, and LED lights do NOT melt the snow. Not many people go winter camping in the snow, so as I said, it's a special case. However, as I live in a town that spent thousands replacing all of the stop lights in town with LEDs, and then suffered a driving snow storm that packed the lights with snow and ice that didn't melt, I just had to mention it. Lots of the expensive hybrid cars in town, also with LED tail lights, suffered the same problem. It's amazing what a difference it makes on the brake lights.

(That was winter of 2012/2013. During the winter of 2013/2014 we haven't had more than a dusting all winter long. We are expecting to blow to Texas in the spring wind season, if we don't catch fire and burn to a crisp before then.)

All that said, I'm installing LEDs on my trailer. I don't plan to camp in the snow, even if we do ever see it again.

Catherine