Is it possible...

[cpaharley2008]

Everyone knows how to insert a fuse or wire to gap the two prongs on your umbilical cord to turn on your lights. Is there any way of finding those wires inside and installing a switch to manually turn on your parking lights. I realize the safety factor of only switching while unhooked, but for those rest stops late at night, sometimes I wish I was more visible while cat napping.

[santacruzer]

You could buy the female end, the one that normally attaches to your vehicle, that's pre-wired and rig a switch between the appropriate wires. Would save you a lot of hassle. Or, you could just turn on your vehicle parking lights, if it's a very short cat nap, and have everything visible.

[dfandrews]

Not having an Escape yet, I'm only answering based on what I saw during the factory tour at ETI. It appeared that the tail lights and markers were the first things wired, then insulation and cabinetry was installed. So, there may be no location within the trailer to access that circuit. You only need to access it in one location (anywhere) in the circuit to connect to switched (and fused) 12V power. If you have to go outside, you may as well follow santacruzer's directions.

[cpaharley2008]

So if I find a white and black wire to one of my tail lights and wire a switch between connecting them all the lights will come on when I throw the switch?

[ksitte]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

Everyone knows how to insert a fuse or wire to gap the two prongs on your umbilical cord to turn on your lights. Is there any way of finding those wires inside and installing a switch to manually turn on your parking lights. I realize the safety factor of only switching while unhooked, but for those rest stops late at night, sometimes I wish I was more visible while cat napping.

Nope, didn't know that! But I do now and it will probably come in handy sometime. Thanks!

[cpaharley2008]

just be careful which 2 wires you connect.

[Jim Bennett]

The trailer running lights are completely separate from the 12V system in the trailer, and are actually part of the vehicle circuitry.

Shorting out from the hot to the marker light circuit at the 7-pin connector is fine, as you are now using the trailer battery to power the marker lights. By using this connection you cannot possible have two separate sources running the lights. You can definitely make this switched if you want.

What Don is saying (I think), is that you can take power from any onboard 12V circuit, and splice it into the tail/marker light circuit from the tow vehicle, and using a switch turn them off or on. As the tail/marker lights are just a single circuit, you could tap in anywhere. I would not think this too wise of a thing to do, as if the switch was on when you plug into the tow, the trailer battery would draw through this circuit which it most definitely is not rated for.

Besides, I really can't see how this would be any safer. Maybe an intruder could see better, and do less damage breaking in.

[dfandrews]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

So if I find a white and black wire to one of my tail lights and wire a switch between connecting them all the lights will come on when I throw the switch?

No. Trailer wiring standard: White is ground. Black is 12V (hot). Brown is the tail light circuit. Your wired-in switch will connect the 12V hot (Black) to the tail light (Brown). Voila, everything on that circuit lights up. However, different colors may be used within the trailer. (For instance, some RV's use green for the tail light circuit).

The best way to track down the wire is with a voltmeter (VM), set to DC volts, and the color scheme for the 12VDC should be verified prior to connecting stuff to it.

Here's how to do the umbilical plug version: connect a fused lead from pin 4 (12V hot) to pin 3 (Tail). Plug it in. But you have to go outside.

[cpaharley2008]

Okay, so if I tap into an existing 12v source (extra 12v socket under dinette) and run a hot switched wire wire to the brown tail lite wire and then throw the switch, all the lights will come on?

[dfandrews]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

Okay, so if I tap into an existing 12v source (extra 12v socket under dinette) and run a hot switched wire wire to the brown tail lite wire and then throw the switch, all the lights will come on?

Yup, most likely. If that brown wire is not the one, the lights won't light, and the worst case would be a blown fuse, because the socket is on a fuse-protected circuit.

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

Okay, so if I tap into an existing 12v source (extra 12v socket under dinette) and run a hot switched wire wire to the brown tail lite wire and then throw the switch, all the lights will come on?

Only if the negative to the lights shares a ground with the trailer battery, otherwise you would need to connect the negative too (not certain about this). Still, a very bad idea, in my opinion.

[cpaharley2008]

With only one hot wire, no other wire, and all the exterior lights, not just that one, will come on? Neat and simple to do. Just have to remember to turn off before hooking up.....eeekkk

[cpaharley2008]

Maybe I'll just run a spare light out the rear and put on a switch, for simplicity sake.

[Jim Bennett]

Why not do a setup like Don shows, and add a switch on long leads to it, which you could bring inside after plug it in?

Or, bring those big pups of yours. An intruder would not know whether they were mean or not, and flee quite quickly.

[cpaharley2008]

My big pups would lick you to death....... I'll figure something, I got one of those magnet lights I can just put on the bumper, not sure if it will still be there the next am though.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Jim Bennett

Only if the negative to the lights shares a ground with the trailer battery, otherwise you would need to connect the negative too (not certain about this).

Right, but the negative of the battery is definitely tied to the frame, as well as to the negative side of all coach (rather than vehicle) circuits. At the same time, the negative from the tug must be tied to the negative of the trailer's battery (directly or via the frame) or the tug would be unable to charge the trailer battery. Thus, the negative of the vehicle lights (on both trailer and tug) must tie to the negative of the trailer battery.

I do share Jim Bennett's concern about connecting the tug and trailer batteries through a lighting circuit.

[C&G in FL]

If I am reading this correctly, the desire is to power the trailer's tail lights using trailer battery power, when stopped. If I am incorrect, please ignore the rest of my post below.

If you install a normally closed relay on the feed from the tow vehicle, when current from the TV flows through the relay it would go to the open position. If the relay is used to control the hot line to the switch inside the trailer, the switch circuit from the trailer battery to the brown wire would be inactivated when power is coming from the tow vehicle because the switch circuit would be opened by the relay, effectively cutting flow from the trailer battery to the lights. Adding a diode (allows flow to move only in one direction) in front of the relay would prevent battery current from flowing to the tow vehicle. This type of set-up would prevent any "accidents" yet would be "automatic" and available for immediate use, and you remain connected (for ground). The parts required are not terribly expensive.

[Ron in BC]

On the 19 the 7 pin wiring harness goes inside to a 4" metal box located under the dinette seat. The connections to the trailer lights etc. are there. It would be very simple to run a wire from the + wire normally supplying juice while underway to a switch and then to the wire for the running lights. They are already grounded.

Ron

[cpaharley2008]

Right Ron, not sure where on the 21 the box is, maybe under the bed.
Yes I understand, Carl, a safety diode/relay to prevent damage caused by me inadvertently hooking up while my battery is powering the lights. I may have to p/m you for advice on that later, if I decide to go that route.

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

, not sure where on the 21 the box is, maybe under the bed.
.

The box is properly called a junction box. The 7 pin cable wires make their connection to the trailer wires in it. It is likely located just inside the area where the 7 pin cable enters the trailer.

Ron