Electric issue with Tow Vehicle

[hobobimmer]

Good evening all:

I drove to Dallas to have Remco driveshaft disconnect installed last week on our Nissan Frontier. They did great job with that. They also installed baseplate brackets from Roadmaster so we can tow it. Last, they wired the Frontier for towing, or so I thought.

Upon return from Dallas, Deb and I hooked it up to bus with the electric cord they made me. Left turn signal worked. Left flasher worked. Right turn signal did NOT work. Right flasher did NOT work. Left brake light worked. Right brake light did NOT work. NEITHER tail light worked with bus headlights on.

I called installer. They suggested check wiring on electric cord. It's a 6 pin plug, five in a circle with one in the center. So I pulled connections apart. Each was attached in proper place (brown taillights, white ground, green right signal, yellow left signal}. Screws were tight and light tug on wires showed no looseness. Re-assembled. Did same with other end of electric cord.

Called installer again. He recommended check the plug on front of Frontier where I stick the electric cord. Disassembled that, checked tightness of all little screws, and color coding. Couple screws barely loose. Tightened. Re-assembled.

Deb and I then rechecked lights by hooking up to bus. Left turn signal worked. Right turn signal did not. Brake lights worked both sides. Then flashers worked both sides, about 3 blinks, then Deb thinks she heard a little pop (but she's not really sure), and out they went. Tried brakes again. Brake lights no longer working either side. Tried flashers again. Flashers no longer working either side.

Installer had told me to check diodes in taillight section of Frontier, which I've not yet done. Perhaps tomorrow. Could that be it? Can I get them at NAPA, or do I have to order from Roadmaster or have installer send me a few?

The Jeep Wrangler which we were towing had all lights operating according to how they should, which leads us to think it's not an issue on the bus side.

Thanks in advance for help. We appreciate.

Eric and Debbie Faires
Huntsville, TN

[truk4u]

Eric,

If the Diode arrangement gives you too much trouble, just scrap it and go to a dedicated bulb socket, using the wire harness they installed for you. Here's a link to the Blue Ox wire kit: http://www.blueox.us/PDFS/BX8869.PDF

Also, if the XL-2 is like the XL, there are two different configurations for tow lights and you could try another setting. It sounds more like a wiring issue since you fried the diodes. On the Marathon I had, I couldn't get any combination to work with the diodes, so I just added bulb sockets to the Jeep.

[phorner]

Eric,

I agree with Tom. I like having the dedicated bulbs added to the tail lights, but you need to have the room for them. I'm not sure about your particular tail light assemblies. Blue Ox can probably advise you on that.

Good luck....

[BenC]

The problem we have been running into lately (and always on Jeep Wranglers) is that the tail light assembly in MANY new vehicles lacks the room to install the separate bulb sockets that can be obtained from Blue Ox, etc. This forces us to attempt to utilize the diodes. They must of course be installed in the correct direction. Some vehicles, however, with the current measuring devices to detect light bulb malfunction, will send error codes if the diodes are installed between the modules and the bulbs (remember, there is a .707 ohm forward-biased impedence through a diode). So, there are actually a few vehicles out there which cannot utilize either. Research your vehicle carefully before chosing on for towing, unless you don't mind the separate magnetic-mounted lights.

I have also run into the problem of car and coach wiring matches for years. Depending on who wires each, the wires are often in the wrong spots on one or the other. And since most installers ground the ground wire from the car-mount plug to the car frame, it could mean a direct short for one of the wires/light signals. Check carefully that the wires are in the proper place on both coach and car plugs. Let me know if you need a diagram of how the conductors should be arranged.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Because of problems such as Ben describes I tap into the vehicle light wiring, using a diode if needed, and avoid using the vehicle ground at all. I run a dedicated ground wire to the plug and rely on the coach ground.

I disconnect the vehicle battery when towing or in the case of the Hummer open the circuit to the lighting system fuses via a switch.

I am always afraid of back feeding current through the ever increasingly sophisticated electrical systems so I just physically separate the toad from the lights so I don't screw up anything.

We can speculate as to why Eric's lights are not working right, but the installer needs to help him on this because I think we may be tending to confuse the issue.

BTW, Ben is right about Jeeps. I had to use diodes in our Grand Cherokee.

[rahangman]

I am remiss as to where I saw them, but someone now has a plug that simply goes into the bus socket, and wirelessly controls 2 add on lights that are positioned either with magnets or suction cups on the tow vehicle, thus doing away with any wiring at all between bus & toad. Sounded pretty handy, a bit pricey, but virtually fail safe and easy to put on and use.

[michaeldterry]

I am remiss as to where I saw them, but someone now has a plug that simply goes into the bus socket, and wirelessly controls 2 add on lights that are positioned either with magnets or suction cups on the tow vehicle, thus doing away with any wiring at all between bus & toad. Sounded pretty handy, a bit pricey, but virtually fail safe and easy to put on and use.

We use those for our tow vehicle and they are great! No muss - no fuss, easy on & off, fool proof operation! Here's a link for a source: https://wirelesstowlights.com/ A google search will turn up alternate sources where lower prices may be found.

[hobobimmer]

Thank you all who have replied. I really appreciate the responses. I know we will get this issue solved soon.

Eric Faires
Huntsville, TN