Toad batter charger and brake lights

PunchItChewie · September 15, 2018

So as I'm researching, and forming my plan of what I want to get when I pull chocks. I am considering a DP, and looking at the toad aspect of it. I'm on my phone, and maybe just worded my search wrong but didn't find what I was looking for. A few years back I was looking at possibly getting a RV (before I extended for 2 more years), and found a wiring harness that plugs into the vehicles harness at the tail light housings to run the brakes and turns. It also had a trickle charger for the battery. If anyone knows what I'm talking about, I'd appreciate a nudge in the right direction. My googlefu is letting me down as well. I'm just trying to look at initial price here. No lectures on wearing out 4 sets of tires, and a few bulbs. I'm aware that's what I'd be getting myself into. I'm just looking to see if anyone knows the company name so if I go the MH route I can see if they have a kit for the toad I select.

Chad Heiser · September 15, 2018

The kits I have used are installed in the toad, not on the motorhome and are vehicle specific to the toad. The motorhome just has a typical 7 pin trailer connector at the back that the toad wiring plugs into. I googled “towed vehicle wiring kits” and got lots of results. Hopkins makes many of these kits. Here is one random website that came up in my google search: https://www.rvupgradestore.com/Toad-Wiring-Kits-s/169.htm

PunchItChewie · September 15, 2018

11 minutes ago, Chad Heiser said:

The kits I have used are installed in the toad, not on the motorhome and are vehicle specific to the toad. The motorhome just has a typical 7 pin trailer connector at the back that the toad wiring plugs into. I googled “towed vehicle wiring kits” and got lots of results. Hopkins makes many of these kits. Here is one random website that came up in my google search: https://www.rvupgradestore.com/Toad-Wiring-Kits-s/169.htm

I think being tired isn't helping me try to search. I did mean plugged into the toad tail light housings. Thanks for the link, I'll look through it to see if something rings a bell, or I find something different/better than what I remember. I was mostly looking for that specific one because from what I remember it was the only one I saw that also trickle charged the toad battery (not batter). I know I could probably wire up a battery tender, but was just seeing if I could find the all in one kit that I saw years ago.

Kirk W · September 15, 2018

A standard, 7 pin towing plug that is often available on a motorhome will have a 12V supply that can be used to maintain the towed vehicle's battery. Some motorhomes only have the flat plug that is only 4 pins and does not have a 12V lead.

If yours has the flat plug it isn't that difficult to add another lead with a connector to supply battery voltage.

Mark and Dale Bruss · September 15, 2018

Never saw a kit for taillights that also included a battery charge line. However the couple of battery charge devices, RVI, Brakebuddy, do rely on a ground circuit between the tow vehicle and the toad and that is usually supplied by the taillight wiring.

I had chosen to use magnetic lights because when I was setting up my 2018 Equinox, the only option was adding bulbs to the taillight housings. I had issues with leakage on the 2012 Equinox and bulb additions. The plugin harness we had on the 2014 using the vehicle bulbs was not available for a 2018. I wired the magnetic lights into the 6-round receptacle. The lights worked fine but the battery charge device wired to the +12 volt didn't have a ground return to the motorhome. I tapped the ground wire of the magnetic lights cable to chassis ground and things worked well.

If there is a harness that plus into the vehicle and uses the vehicle bulbs, i would go with that. Drilling taillight housing allow rain to get in and the bulbs are seldom in a good place for focus. In my 1994 Grand Cherokee, the additional bulbs didn't leak but there was no reflector behind them either. You could barely see them. I had to play with some high power focus beam LEDS.

Because I wanted a good charge, I ran a #12 wire from the 6-round receptacle to a good chassis ground that the magnetic lights and the receptacle for the auxiliary brake unit.

Since you are planning for your toad, there is the requirement of an auxiliary brake unit, either build-in or removable. Not only sensible for safety, it is the law in all but one state..

PunchItChewie · September 15, 2018

Well if I tow my F150 (factory says yes I can) I don't want to drill as it might mess with the BLIS and magnets might not stick well to the aluminum body. Would need a bracket across the bed. I was planning on finding the kit with the break away that was a cable clamped to the brake pedal with a snubber to keep it tight if activated. I also remember looking at a "trailer brake" that was on a cable kind of like a surge brake attached to the tow bar. I might just be remembering wrong, and it was a package deal with the harness for the toad, and a tender on the coach side.