License plate light?

[Kelleyaynn]

How many of you have wired a license plate light above a plate holder on your galley hatch?

How does it get switched on and off only when the car is running?

[cuyeda]

Wire it as part of your running lights. When you hitch your trailer to the tow vehicle, 12vdc is only supplied when the wire harness is pugged into your tow vehicle.

[Trackstriper]

To elaborate even more, the light is connected to the same wire that is used for the tail lights and is switched on and off with the tail lights when you put your headlights (or just the parking lights) on. All automatic like.

[planovet]

How many of you have wired a license plate light above a plate holder on your galley hatch?

Well, you need one. It is required in most, if not all, states.

[Kelleyaynn]

Geez, I'm such an electrical newbie!!

I'm not seeing this....the wire for the license plate light must originate in the trailer, not the tear's electrical system. How do you get a wire from the trailer to the light in the hatch without something getting in the way? Where does THAT wire enter the tear before it snakes up to the hatch?

Thanks for any "llumination"(bad pun intended).

Kelley

[bobhenry]

electrical 101....

If you connect a 4 way flat connector to your car it will have 4 wires
( some have 3 but we won't go there ) The white is a ground a return path to the cars battery. A brown wire is connecter to your car tail lights. The yellow is the drivers side turn and the green is the passenger side turn. When you step on the cars brake both turn lights come on on the car so that is now the same on the trailer. I think what you are trying to ask is how in the hell do you get the brown wire to the hatch lid since it is raising and lowering. I have all tails and license plate lights mounted on the hatch. In order to do this you need to route the wires up the galley wall and near the hinge the ones you need to be on the hatch are routed down the hatch bones to the lights. Drill a small hole and route the wires to the lights as needed. You will have a brown going to both tails and the license plate a yellow to the "center line side" Drivers and a green to the "grass side " passenger side. ( apologies to those across the pond but we don't want to muddy the water any further) You have now extended your cars lighting systen to the rear of your trailer.

In order to assure uninterupted lighting you must also run the return "white " wire back to the 4 way flat or at least a real good metal ground.

Here is Joanne's wiring pictorial . I have poorly added your license plate light. The black wire is the ground wire the return wire we were talking about that is white. I know I know just trust us that the little arrow is going back to the negative side of the battery.

[Miriam C.]

Correct me if I'm wrong, I believe he wants to use a license plate light as a galley light, but not connected to parking lights so he will have lights only when tow parking lights are on... ::

She wants a light above the license plate. Follow Bob Henry's instructions. I have a 4 flat to connect the hatch wires to the trailer wires. That way if I ever need to change them or the hatch I can just unplug.

Buy a light with a ground wire. Mine depended on a connection to metal so I had to create a ground. You will run your running lights the same.

[Kelleyaynn]

electrical 101....

I think what you are trying to ask is how in the hell do you get the brown wire to the hatch lid since it is raising and lowering.

Exactly!!!

Thanks, Bob. Your answer was very helpful. Now it makes sense.

I'm thinking that if I put the license plate on the hatch, I might as well move the tail lights as well - probably makes the wiring easier.

[S. Heisley]

If you purchase a kit that includes the trailer wires and lights, it's all done for you. But, that means your license plate light is built into the back lights and nothing is in the hatch. They attach on the sides, a bit behind the wheels. Having lights in the hatch is a very nice touch and an additional safety feature but it does add complexity and time to the build.

[bobhenry]

Low and mounted to the side worries me. There are to many folks that drive to the end of their nose.

The barn has the original flat bed trailer lights and it worries me to have a fool on my butt that can not even see the lights he is so close.

The Tear on the other hand has them at about 26 - 28 inches above the road and built into the hatch lid. I even added redundant LED lighting behind the lexan So I actually have 4 tail lights. I also opted for several clearance lights for better night visability. The center license plate should further help. We are small and I want to be sure they see me.

[bobhenry]

I need the help of one of the electrical guru's. I want to custom build a lantern light and wire it as a 12 volt stop light ONLY for the peak of the barn!

I realize turns signals create a problem just tapping in and I am sure there is a way to energize a relay that will require both lights to be be on at the same moment to illuminate the auxilary brake light. Can anyone point me to the right relay or relays and do a pictorial wiring schematic that will show me how to accomplish this goal.

[Miriam C.]

I need the help of one of the electrical guru's. I want to custom build a lantern light and wire it as a 12 volt stop light ONLY for the peak of the barn!

I realize turns signals create a problem just tapping in and I am sure there is a way to energize a relay that will require both lights to be be on at the same moment to illuminate the auxilary brake light. Can anyone point me to the right relay or relays and do a pictorial wiring schematic that will show me how to accomplish this goal.

Hey Bob can you wire it the same way you would a 3rd brake light.

[Miriam C.]

I need the help of one of the electrical guru's. I want to custom build a lantern light and wire it as a 12 volt stop light ONLY for the peak of the barn!

I realize turns signals create a problem just tapping in and I am sure there is a way to energize a relay that will require both lights to be be on at the same moment to illuminate the auxilary brake light. Can anyone point me to the right relay or relays and do a pictorial wiring schematic that will show me how to accomplish this goal.

Hey Bob can you wire it the same way you would a 3rd brake light.

Better idea---go to the junk yard, get a third brake light and use the guts to make your lantern.

[S. Heisley]

As nice as it would look, I don't think I'd use a lantern for your third stop light. The thing would come on when you brake and somebody would be so busy wondering what that was about that they wouldn't notice your other brake lights and could run right into you. Try explaining that one to a judge.

Of course, if you added the word STOP! inside the globe, the guy behind you would probably get the message.

[RonS]

If your tow vehicle has a 3rd brake light, it gets a separate feed than the regular brake lights, so it doesn't come on with turn signals. Easiest way to add a third brake light to the trailer would be to run a wire from the tow vehicle's third brake light feed back to the trailer.

As others stated, not sure I'd want to go with the lantern idea, but a third brake light, mounted at/near eye level to the typical vehicle wouldn't be a bad idea.