Running lights for evening ambience

[Antique Pedaler]

Here's a little trick I learned to provide evening ambience with the trailer lit up with its running lights while not plugged into the TV. This is a simple electric plug with its prongs bent out to match the angle of the 7-pin trailer inlet and the two wires spliced together. Plug it into the 11 and 1 oclock pin holes and the tail and running lights light up. My only question is would be am I apt to damage anything by lighting up the trailer this way for long periods?


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[AnnArborBob]

Your method is novel, but this is a time honored Airstream tradition and will not harm anything. Most people use a piece of thick gauge electrical wire to bridge the connections on the seven pin. Obviously if you are on battery power, this will add another load to the batteries, but if you are on shore power, go for it!

[AWCHIEF]

I added a fuse to my little jumper, just in case. I also have it wired where I can plug in a flasher if necessary.

[m.hony]

There is another thread about this- Running Lights on While Parked (?)-
I use a mini blade fuse for a jumper. I used to use just a short piece of wire, but someone suggested a fuse was a good idea.
How do you haul the tandem bicycle?

[moosetags]

You really don't have to built anything to get a fused connection to turn on the Airstream running lights while the trailer is not hooked-up.

An old timer showed me this trick years ago. Take a 10 amp large size automotive fuse and plug it into the the two connectors on either side of the key on the trailer's umbilical cord. It is the simplest way to get the runnong lights going with a fused connection.

Brian

[m.hony]

Yep, moosetags, that's what I do-
I first took a spare fuse from a friend's GMC truck (mine are smaller and have different connections). I then put a small package of spare fuses from the auto parts house in the trailer.

[AWCHIEF]

Brian, that is just way to simple. You know the kitchen table engineers here, they have to over think every little issue.

[m.hony]

Before I came to that conclusion, I stood in the trailer section at Walmart looking at fuses, wire, trailer plugs- over-engineering a $20 device- then I said, "This is way too complicated," and walked off to go back to the campground and mull it over, talk to other campers, sleep on it, check 'forums-
Maybe we should check 'forums first-

[J. Morgan]

I put mine on a switch by my front door.


1/2 Ton 4WD Truck, 72 Sovereign Hensley Arrow

[AWCHIEF]

Originally Posted by J. Morgan

I put mine on a switch by my front door.

How did you manage that?

[AWCHIEF]

Lots of good ideas here,
http://www.airforums.com/forums/f447...ing-59634.html

[m.hony]

Yep. That is the thread I incorrectly referenced earlier. There are pictures of my trailer lit up after dark on that thread.
Some suggest it is obnoxious or rude. I disagree. I turn it off at bedtime/quiet hours.

[J. Morgan]

Originally Posted by AWCHIEF

How did you manage that?

Well, I had previously wired my backup lights to work off the same switch.

I ended up eliminating the backup lights in favor of doubling the tail and signal lights, so I just wired my switched lead into the running light circuit.

It would be fairly easy to put a switch near the rear of any trailer to accomplish this though.




1/2 Ton 4WD Truck, 72 Sovereign Hensley Arrow

[m.hony]

I leave my fuse lying on the kitchen counter right by the entry door so I can light it up whenever I get the whim.

[BoldAdventure]

I just do like moose tags & m.hony, works fine and dandy.

[Antique Pedaler]

Now this is interesting. Where have I been all this time? You folks have been turning on your running lights for years. I never heard of it till just the other day. And I've been on this forum for a dozen years and Airstreaming for 14 years. I like Brian's fuse idea...just for a little extra safety. $29.95 plus $4 shipping for a Plug-n-Light? Even Andy at Inland says to just make a simple connector.

For m.hony: The tandem bike rides in the pickup bed.

Jay

[TinCloud]

Same way here, Jay, a 2x4 across the truck bed with a fork mount and the long bike diagonal across the bed. Works great!

[m.hony]

My long wheel base recumbent fits snugly in the truck bed diagonally with no bracing or mounts- just put it in there and close the tailgate on it.

[Antique Pedaler]

My bike carrier is a Yakima meant to be mounted across the top of a pickup bed. I cut it to fit within the bed and shackled it to the rear corner tie-downs. Found it at a swap meet years ago. Don't know if they still make it. The blue thing you see here is a coupler for my thru-bolt forked fat bike. The Santana sits on the other side of the bed.


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[prairieschooner]

Originally Posted by moosetags

You really don't have to built anything to get a fused connection to turn on the Airstream running lights while the trailer is not hooked-up.

An old timer showed me this trick years ago. Take a 10 amp large size automotive fuse and plug it into the the two connectors on either side of the key on the trailer's umbilical cord. It is the simplest way to get the runnong lights going with a fused connection.

Brian

I like this one, easy and noninvasive! will need to try this someday.