Towed braking signal lights?

[scanzel]

Getting ready to set up my Jeep Cherokee and not sure how I want to add brake and turn signal lights. I really don't want to get too complex. Thinking about building my own light bar and attaching it to the rear roof with magnets when needed. All answers and opinions appreciated.

[cody]

I bought a set of magnetic lights they just plug in and are set to go, just remember which side to put on the right and which one to put on the left lol. for about 50 dollars it was one headache that was easily remedied. 

[Nick Badame Refrig/ACC]

Yea Guy's,

I did the same.. Just baught a light set like Cody and put 24v bulbs in the sockets.

Works great!

Nick-

[TomC]

I originally had my Mercedes turbodiesel wired through to operate the rear lights.  Could never get them to work right and were not very bright.  Since the bus has separate stop and turn lights, I bought two LED magnetic light sets and wired the lights myself.  I tied the two sets in together so now have just one line to run.  It takes all of 10 minutes to hook up the car and to run the wire down the right side of the car to the magnetic lights on the trunk.  Needless to say, the combination of the two sets of LED on both the car and the bus is very bright!  Good Luck, TomC

[jjrbus]

When i set up my bus for towing, I built a system of relays to convert 24V to 12V. Plans are available for this. The advantage to doing this is if you want to tow multiple vehicles.
I also hardwired my toad. So that bus uses existing toad lights. This requires the purchase of an isolator.
All together I probably have 150/200 dollars in my system. Plus a couple days work.
Doing it over again i would buy the magnetic tow lights, change the bulbs to 24 volt and be done with it. The advantage to this is you can tow multiple vehicles   
A good idea here would be to buy the lights with lens on both sides of the bulb. Depending where you mount them you may be able to see that they are functioning in rearview mirror or backup camera.  HTH

[DrivingMissLazy]

I really find it strange that some of you guys would spend the thousands of hours and tens of thousands of dollars converting a bus into an RV coach and then be too cheap, or too lazy, to wire the toad lights up properly instead of like some hillbilly  would do.
Richard

[jjrbus]

 Richard I'm going to report you to the NAAHB (National Association for the Advancement of Hillbillies) Stereotyping is completely unacceptable on this board!

[DrivingMissLazy]

Richard I'm going to report you to the NAAHB (National Association for the Advancement of Hillbillies) Stereotyping is completely unacceptable on this board!

Hey, I represent that remark! LOL
Richard

[gumpy]

I concur with both Jim and Richard's comments. I set up my toad with permanent diodes. Requires 3. I built a converter using the same 8 pin octal relays that are used on the bus. You can do it with cheaper, smaller relays, but I chose the commonality of the coach relays, so I only have to carry one type of spare.

Using this setup, I can hookup my toad and drive away in under 5 minutes. No hassles, just plug in a single cable between the bus and toad. The easiest way, and if I want to tow a trailer, I can plug right into it. Did that last summer. Pulled a u-haul trailer home from CO. Only had to make up an adapter to their 4 prong plug.

In the last couple weeks, I've built 2 of these converters for fellow busnuts. I've done 4 or 5 of them this year alone. They're getting much easier to build. Takes me about 2 hours now start to finish.

The schematic is on my website if you want to build your own.

craig

[Hartley]

I really find it strange that some of you guys would spend the thousands of hours and tens of thousands of dollars converting a bus into an RV coach and then be too cheap, or too lazy, to wire the toad lights up properly instead of like some hillbilly  would do.
Richard

Ok, Knock off the personal insults DML....

We don't need no stinkin tail light thingies.. Just let bubba ride on the tailgate with a flashlight!!!

[DrivingMissLazy]

Hey Dave, you think Bubba may have a red bandanna to hang over the flashlight?
Richard

Ok, Knock off the personal insults DML....

We don't need no stinkin tail light thingies.. Just let bubba ride on the tailgate with a flashlight!!!

[prevost82]

On my Grand Cherokee there is an empty light cell at the bottom of the rear light assembly. I went to a auto parts dealer and bought 2 light sockets that can be attach with screws into the back of the cell. Drill into the empty cell for the light socket and attached it,  ran wires to the front and that was it, easy, you can run 12 or 24V, no diodes, just have to buy a 3 bulb to 1 bulb (2 circuit) converter to install in the buss rear panel.

On the Chev diesel work pickup, I have a set of magnetic lights, which I'm going change to what I did on the Jeep
Ron

[Hartley]

Hey Dave, you think Bubba may have a red bandanna to hang over the flashlight?
Richard

Ok, Knock off the personal insults DML....

We don't need no stinkin tail light thingies.. Just let bubba ride on the tailgate with a flashlight!!!

Yup... That and bib overalls... I hear it that red suspenders work good too...

I saw a guy at a lumber yard with a long board in his truck use a pair of bright red suspenders
as the flag....( It's legal too ! )

I have carried 24 foot sections of 3 inch schedule 80 steel pipe hanging under a van with flags on both ends and got away with it. A few frowns but made it home...

Then again I pulled a 57 dodge school bus ( RV conversion ) over 40 miles with a 72 Pinto ( in 73 ) and a 100 foot nylon rope. ( There are those things that when younger you don't think about. ) Now you couldn't get 5 miles without getting stopped... Those days a new Ford Pinto was $1,295.00 for the cheap ones....

[HighTechRedneck]

I use the magnetic lights proudly and let bubba relax in the back of the towed pickup.  I had to take away Bubba's flashlight.  He was confusing people by doing his own light show while listening to his 8-track.  Not to mention the trouble that happened when I told him to do emergency flashing. 

Those days a new Ford Pinto was $1,295.00 for the cheap ones....

For that matter, a middle class home was $20,000 financed on a 30 year mortgage.  Now $20K is the down payment.    And you could fill up a bus fuel tank for under $40.

[TomC]

One of the advantages to using magnetic lights is that if you pull any other car, or trailer, you already have the lights that will work with no modifications, or scrambling to figure out which wire is which.  Setting up my magnetic lights takes at least 3 minutes-Oh the sacrifices we make to have lights that actually can be seen.  Good Luck, TomC