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Bus Discussion => Bus Topics ( click here for quick start! ) => Topic started by: lostagain on October 21, 2018, 07:20:22 AM

Title: Wireless towed lights
Post by: lostagain on October 21, 2018, 07:20:22 AM
Speaking of toweds (toads), re the thread on braking systems for them, I have been thinking of going wireless for the toad lights. It would be nice not to have to deal with running the wire through the car (Jeep Wrangler) every time we hook and unhook. The wire goes from the magnetic lights on the bumper, along the floor, then out the front pass door, then under the hood, then through the grill to the tow bar. I see wireless magnetic lights with a simple sender that plugs into the outlet at the back of the bus. Anybody has experience with that?

JC
Title: Re: Wireless towed lights
Post by: Dave5Cs on October 21, 2018, 09:32:29 AM
Nope but I put an extra bulb in the jeep rear light box and ran a 4 wire to the front. We just plug it in and go. Works off the Bus lights and the brake lights use the regular jeep lights in rear because like have the peddle pull surge brake cable. Never have seen the wireless ones. Thats pretty neat.
Title: Re: Wireless towed lights
Post by: lvmci on October 21, 2018, 09:55:11 AM
JC they would need a power source, tom...
Title: Re: Wireless towed lights
Post by: lostagain on October 21, 2018, 12:19:34 PM
This is what I saw:

https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/led-wireless-tow-light-0203980p.html#srp
Title: Re: Wireless towed lights
Post by: Van on October 21, 2018, 12:49:44 PM
https://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=roadmaster+155&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=241951388600&hvpos=1t1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=16872276612078788067&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9030746&hvtargid=kwd-303755812079&ref=pd_sl_vnzdq03uo_b_p38
Title: Re: Wireless towed lights
Post by: buswarrior on October 21, 2018, 01:24:41 PM
Wireless tow lights are being seen more and more in the tow truck industry.

So long as you remember to re-charge the battery every day, and no one liberates it off the back of the toad...

Happy coaching!
Buswarrior
Title: Re: Wireless towed lights
Post by: sledhead on October 21, 2018, 01:46:30 PM
I'm with Davec on this one I removed my toad tail lights found a spot I could drill and install a 1157 type 24 volt light bulb and socket  in to . then ran a 4 way wire up to the front under the hood so when needed plug it into the coach . from behind the toad it all looks like stock lights

took awhile to do it but never had a problem with it 

dave 
Title: Re: Wireless towed lights
Post by: eagle19952 on October 21, 2018, 01:55:11 PM
The reviews give it .. 6 hours on a battery...one should hope they are L-ion rechargeable....
Title: Re: Wireless towed lights
Post by: lostagain on October 21, 2018, 05:28:16 PM
Well 6 hrs is not enough. At times we drive longer than that to get South. I will look into 24V bulbs in the tail light housings. Thanks.

JC
Title: Re: Wireless towed lights
Post by: Dave5Cs on October 21, 2018, 06:18:40 PM
JC just an idea we used to use with the magnetic lights. I pulled the 4 way wire through the Jeep frame on drives side and put a plug on the front bumper under it to use with a cord from the bus each end had a M & F plug. in the back of the jeep I cut the 4 wire to the lights and left enough to put the lights on like usual. Then you put a 4 way M & F plug where you cut them and leave the wire in the jeep. All we had to do was plug the cord between the Bus and the jeep and go to the back and plug in the lights and go. It worked great. HTH
Dave :)
Title: Re: Wireless towed lights
Post by: lostagain on October 21, 2018, 06:43:27 PM
Thanks  Dave, good idea. I might do that too.

JC
Title: Re: Wireless towed lights
Post by: Scott & Heather on October 22, 2018, 05:53:32 PM
I used that wireless setup for months and it worked perfectly.
Just sold my set this summer.
Title: Re: Wireless towed lights
Post by: dtcerrato on October 22, 2018, 06:46:35 PM
Hopkins sell various tow bar harnesses. Hopkins 56207 tow bar harness fit our 09 Jeep GC. Four wire flat permanently mounted from the toad front bumper to factory tail lights. Uses a diode array so as not to interfere with Jeep factory wiring so bus lighting goes right into the toad factory tail lights. Hopkins sells similar kits for most vehicles.
There's a small four flat jumper wire that hooks from the bus to the toad when hooking & unhooking - Works great, fast & easy.
Title: Re: Wireless towed lights
Post by: jcussen on October 23, 2018, 07:32:12 AM
I used that same setup for several years, took 4 double a's and lasted about a year on a set of batteries. Had a on/off switch on base so you could shut off when not driving. Uses magnets, so make sure your toad has a non fiberglass place to mount them. Transmitter on coach uses coach power from plug, so no batteries necessary.
Title: Re: Wireless towed lights
Post by: lostagain on October 23, 2018, 07:37:33 AM
I wonder how long it would last with the tail lights on, like driving at night, or in cloudy, rainy weather when you run with clearance and tail lights on.

JC
Title: Re: Wireless towed lights
Post by: jcussen on October 23, 2018, 08:04:27 AM
In the Northwest this summer so lots of smoke and I ran with clearance lights on a lot, batteries in lights are still the same ones I put in last year. The lights are a bunch of small led's so low amp draw.
Nice thing about wireless lights is you can park toad in front of coach and check their operation without getting out of coach.
Title: Re: Wireless towed lights
Post by: lostagain on October 23, 2018, 08:26:37 AM
Sounds good, thanks.

JC
Title: Re: Wireless towed lights
Post by: eagle19952 on October 23, 2018, 08:51:42 AM
the poor reviews were describing battery life in freezing temps...