Running Lights when not connected?

[djarrett]

I saw a picture on the Airstream Addicts Facebook page of a guy who had the running lights on his trailer on for a picture. He did not, however, have his tow vehicle connected. Someone asked and he said there is a fused device that connects to the trailer to truck wiring plug that allows them to be on.

Does anyone know where this can be purchased or what he is referring to?

Thanks
D

[markdoane]

These are usually homebuilt. Get a receptacle end from your local hardware store, add a jumper from the 12V pin to the running lights pin. Put a fuse on the jumper. Wire in a flasher if you want to get fancy. Plug your trailer end into the receptacle and it should work. The lights will be powered by the battery in your trailer.

[AtomicNo13]

The pins you are looking for in the 7 way umbilical cord are located at 11:00 and 1:00. A blade type buss fuse fits in there nicely!

[featherbedder]

At trailer connector end take a 10 amp blade fuse and insert on top at 11 oclock and 1 oclock position, or you can, pur. fancy plastic covered fuze if by chance insert wrong no harm done.

[moosetags]

Ditto, a fuse does the trick. Here's a picture.

Brian

[WGreg]

I have lit up the running lights exactly per the picture from moosetags. Works fine.

[AWCHIEF]

As usual I over thought this very simple project and created this monstrosity. It has a built in fuse and a selectable flasher.

[rmkrum]

No, you just used the standard engineering approach.

If it isn't complicated, it's NOT engineering. 😀😀😀


Sent from my pocket Internet using Airstream Forums

[AWCHIEF]

Originally Posted by rmkrum

No, you just used the standard engineering approach.

If it isn't complicated, it's NOT engineering. 😀😀😀


Sent from my pocket Internet using Airstream Forums

Well heck, guess I can claim to be an Internet Engineer now.

[SteveSueMac]

I'm no internet engineer and I didn't go as complicated as yours - but I did rig up a blade connector for the trailer's umbilical with leads connected at 11:00 and 1:00 and fused with a 10a fuse I can swap out if it blows.

I did it this way because I'm too chicken to stick a blade fuse in to the umbilical (too reminiscent of sticking a butter knife in a wall socket for my tastes &#128512.

Was using one at a campsite and my neighbor was fascinated by it. I gave it to him. Can't be more than $9.00 in parts and a couple minutes to put together. You'd have thought I willed him my Airstream!

Simple things tend to make us happy 😀

[m.hony]

Originally Posted by moosetags

Ditto, a fuse does the trick. Here's a picture.

Brian

That's what I do.
I leave the fuse on the kitchen counter near the entry door.

[wavelength]

I have used a 2in piece of 10ga wire and inserted in the trailer plug to join the lead to running lights and the 12v hot lead. Works fine

[AtomicNo13]

Bzzst!

[jimfa440]

I did that a few years ago. It's a great conversation piece.

[AWCHIEF]

Originally Posted by wavelength

I have used a 2in piece of 10ga wire and inserted in the trailer plug to join the lead to running lights and the 12v hot lead. Works fine

No fuse?

[m.hony]

I have done it with no fuse.
Never had any trouble, but I use a fuse now just to be on the safe side.


Sent from my iPad using Airstream Forums

[A W Warn]

Originally Posted by AWCHIEF

As usual I over thought this very simple project and created this monstrosity. It has a built in fuse and a selectable flasher.

Would you mind telling us about how you built the flasher function. That would be handy if we had to leave the trailer beside the road in a night time emergency situation.

[CRH]

You can put a 552/536 flasher in the socket instead of a fuse for flashing lights.

[LY007]

You can also run a jumper at the fuse box from the hot input wire to the running light circuit. Add a switch and you don't have to go outside.

[IAMGLG]

Unless your rig has a plethora of led lights and you want to let the pretties on all night (or even several hours) be prepared for the house batteries to be dead in the morning. There is a lot of load on the batteries with all the incandescent lights flying. Been there done that.