Car to trailer wiring - two styles

[legojenn]

In my last post about my first time out, I commented on how my motomate has the English-style seperate brake, amber signal and clearence lights. My car, being a Korean Chevy also has the amber signal lights. So, does there exist a wiring kit that works with these two connections? Five wire instead of four? See the amber signal lights.



Also, I am pondering getting a utility trailer (subsidised by a friend in exchange for work at her cottage). Who knows, it may be the basis for a bigger teardrop when the car is paid off and can be traded up. Anyhow, since most trailers have combined brake and signal lights, would it be possible (and if so easy) to have a four and five wire plug in the tow vehicle (or is there another way)

Here is a front view.



I'll add new photos once I flip the ball on my hitch and have the trailer out this weekend.

[Cave Man]

So how many wires coming from the trailer? You can get a 5 and a 6 wire plug, but they are not common around here. You will need to match the car to the trailer.

[legojenn]

So how many wires coming from the trailer? You can get a 5 and a 6 wire plug, but they are not common around here. You will need to match the car to the trailer.

This trailer has 5.

[madjack]

lego, looking at the pic of the rear of the MotoMate, it appears there are a pair of standard, oval, 2x6", combination marker/brake/blinker lights with a small amber marker on the corner...have you had this all hooked up??? Have you got a 4 or 5 pin connector on the trailer??? If you chek online at places like www.etrailer.com you find a wiring kit to convert your vehicle to a standard 4 wire system...these should also be available locally from auto parts stores.................
madjack

[Cave Man]

Looking at their web page it shows 4 flat and the unit there does not have the extra amber lights. So someone has done some "custom" wiring. Be carefull and good luck. It would be best to get it back to the 4 flat IMHO.

[legojenn]

Looking at their web page it shows 4 flat and the unit there does not have the extra amber lights. So someone has done some "custom" wiring. Be carefull and good luck. It would be best to get it back to the 4 flat IMHO.

I know. I think that mine might have been an export model, but somehow ended up in Canada, where we more or less follow US conventions. I've learned my lesson and won't deal with the same dealer in the future. Basically, there are seperate circuits for brake and signal lights. Right now, we have it set up in a weird way using a four wire plug and an extra wire from the car to the trailer so the signal lights work independently, but if the brake is pushed, the brake and signal lights come on. I don't want to brake in front of a cop in case that's a pulling over offence. After, using your pointer, I have done some web research and I think if I can find a five wire setup, I'll have both the five wire and four wire in the car. The Moto-mate can go European style with five wire and the future utility trailer can be standard North American four wire.

Jenn

PS. The door on mine is a little more rounded too.

[Dale M.]

If your lighting system works satisfactory as it is now with extra (5th wire), just upgrade connector on car and trailer to a 5 or 6 or 7 wire plug/socket and follow the "standards" for wiring found on most trailer parts sites...

In future with new utility trailer with four wire system just mount a "trailer light converter box" on utility trailer so car lighting plug stays same for 5 wire system.... There is nothing that says converter has to actually be mounted on car..... Just be aware that an "odd" wiring system makes trailer lighting only usable with specific tow vehicle...(actually keeps neighbors and family from borrowing utility trailer)...

Dale

[wlooper89]

I would go with 7-pin connector. The pins do not all have to be connected at the beginning. It leaves open the possibility to connect a trailer battery charge wire from the tow vehicle later. But this will not solve the brake/turn signal situation.

Bill

[BrwBier]

Isn't there a flat 5 connector that will accept either a flat 5 or a flat 4 plug?
Brwbier

[wlooper89]

This converter would do the job I think if the trailer is wired for combined brake and turn signals. It does seem odd that the amber lights are there on the motomate but not wired to work correctly. The associated video at this link describes how the converter works. There is some discussion about using it with a car that is towed behind a motorhome if the car has separate amber turn signals. It should work with your motomate and could be placed in the tail light area. It will prevent the turn signal from illuminating with the brakes.

http://www.etrailer.com/p-118158.htm

Bill

[Dale M.]

From the pictures it appears to me the amber light are actually supposed to be clearance light and not turn signals... Its the size thing that bothers me, they seem to small for (legal) turn signals...

Dale

[wlooper89]

The amber lights do look small but perhaps they could meet the luminosity requirement with the correct lamp. Other than turn signals in some cases I believe all lights on the rear of the trailer should be red in color. IMHO I believe the amber ones can only be turn signals. Whether they are large enough in size, I am not sure. They look more like front side marker lamps in size and color. Perhaps a larger light fixture could be substituted (round?) or maybe just remove them and patch the holes. Then the larger red lights could function as both tail lights and brake/turn signals, as it is with most trailers. The lamps would have two filaments so they come on brighter for brake and turn.

Bill

[len19070]

I would convert the trailer to a standard 3 wire system, running, left and right turn ( and of course a ground). It shouldn't be that hard to do. In fact I'll bet it was wired that way at one time.

Buy a standard wire harness for the car, or a "Brite-Lite" and wire it conventionally.

But run it all through a standard 7 prong plug that could, if you wanted to charge your battery with.

Notice I used the word standard 3 times in 3 sentences?

If you have some goofy wiring in the trailer, NOW is the time to correct it. By correct it I mean so as to conform to what the rest of the RV industry is doing. You don't want to figure this out when you want to leave some night. Or when on the road and have to stop at a gas station and trust the repair of an unknown system to......well we've all met some late night gas station guys.

By making everything standard (there goes that word again) anybody can work on it/figure it out.

Plus if you ever go to sell it your not selling a puzzle.

Happy Trails

Len