Trailer Lights Logic Circuit & Step Down Voltage Converter

[Stone]

Post up the details if you can find it and have the time, Peter.

By the way, caught a couple of glimpses of Tippy R (?) on the Discovery Channel the other week. Cool!

 

[crushers]

reminder, end of the month the order goes in...

 

[waaz]

Hello
GROTE makes a DC DC step down converter. Part # 44070. About $ 65.00 cdn. Sealed unit.

 

[Stone]

Waaz: It doesn't have a logic circuit though...it's just a strict converter, right?

 

[dieseldog]

Wayne, I'll take two of those things. My 42 and 73 are both 24 volt. I have the one 416 trailer and use any of the four cruisers to tow that thing. I'd really prefer not to double wire the trailer as I'd planned. Count me in for two sets. Neither of my 24 volt vehicles has "engine management". LOL

 

[crushers]

for those of you that are interested in the group buy, please send me the pertanent info including mailing address to
wayne@crushersrule.com
just to let everyone know as well this is a non-profit endevor.
cheers

 

[dieseldog]

Email sent. Thanks.

 

[skinny]

Hey Stone,

Did you have a chance to prove if your circuit design works? Speaking from experience...everything always looks great on paper .

I need to get trailer lights going for my rig so I am debating whether to get in on the bulk buy or follow your design.

Thanks,
Todd

 

[Stone]

Hi Todd:

I haven't had a chance to hook it up yet...sorry. Was supposed to yesterday, but went wheeling instead. With Bruce Loewen's correction in my original (I missed the part about supplying power to the trun signals when the brakes are not on), it should work. The cost of 4-24v relays for me from Lordco (Hella brand) is about $30. If you don't tow anything often (like me), I don't see why the relays wouldn't work for you.

I'm away fishing in my next two days off, so it probably won't be until next week sometime before I have a chance to hook this circuit up and test it. Cheers.

 

[crushers]

sonds to me like 2 nasty habits there Stoney...
fish'n and wheel'n...
cheers

 

[Stone]

sonds to me like 2 nasty habits there Stoney...
fish'n and wheel'n...
cheers

Wayne: Open invitation for you to come fishing with me the next time you're down here. My friends got me hooked onto Cruisers, I figure getting some of them hooked to fishing would just be fair return.

 

[crushers]

chat

Stoney, i used to fish years ago but when my dad skunked me on the same creek and him walking behind me i just gave up...
maybe it would be good to try again...
might be a good excuse to make another run to the coast...
cheers

 

[skinny]

Thanks Stone,

I agree that the circuit should work fine. I am just being lazy and letting someone else go through the trial phase first and figure any quirks (if any)

Let me know how you make out with it.

Thanks again,
Todd

 

[Stone]

FWIW,
I bought a REDARC converter and they sell a trailer light conversion unit. The converter has worked well for me.

http://www.redarc.com.au/tl.htm

HTH
Happy Trails! N

Hi Green Lantern:

I just had a very pleasant conversation with the guys at Redarc in Australia...I love listening to that Aussie accent! And they're so friendly.

Anyway, just wondering if you could give me more details about your setup. They don't know about logic circuits there because their trailers also have separate turn and brake lights. I asked if their converter would combine my separate turn signal and brake lights into a combination 12v one at the trailer end, and they didn't seem to think so. They think that I will need another adapter to make it flash...they're getting back to me today or tomorrow.

The unit that I was interested in was the smaller 10A model VRM with a 120W output. Anyway, any details as to how you have set your up would be much appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Stone]

Hi Folks:

I've finally had a chance to wire up this relay circuit to power 12V bulbs in the trailer and also have a logic circuit to combine out separate Land Cruiser turn and brake lights into the combination signals required by most trailers here in NA.

Well, the design as revised by Bruce Loewen works flawlessly! There is no quirkiness that I can see, and I've just gone round trip to Quesnel with Sheldon towing a trailer...that's about 7 hours drive each way. Everything works as it should, so whoever wants to make one of these for themselves could go ahead and make one. Please note that the correct schematic for the circuit is the revised one...which is Post number 3 of this thread. Thanks.

Cost: 4xHella 24V relays from Lordco (with 30%Club discount) = ~$28 CAD. Weatherproof enclosure from Home Depot = ~$10 CAD. Various wires and connectors and heat shrink = ~$10 CAD. Total cost of the unit is about $48 CAD and a bit of your time.

Inside of the unit with the relays rivetted on.

It has a weatherproof cover that is screwed on (standard outdoor djunction box...IIRC).

The unit is installed behind the driver's side rear panel above the jack and tool kit. Nothing is visible after installation is complete.

 

[colin 4]

I bought a 24v to 12v trailer light converter from swiss army vehicles for $130 and saved myself the trouble. Only thing is it doesn't combine your signal lights and your brake lights so you have to use another easy to find ($20) converter for that.

 

[BURGER]

Question guys. Does it matter which filament of the combo trailer lights you use for the brake/turn or running lights or are they the same either

 

[MadmanCruiser]

for those of you that are interested in the group buy, please send me the pertanent info including mailing address to
wayne@crushersrule.com
just to let everyone know as well this is a non-profit endevor.
cheers

I am in for one, my pertinent info was sent along as well.

Thanks for the effort Wayne.

Adam

 

[Tick]

My first Mud post!!!

I have an '86 HJ60.

I just bought a new to me tent trailer, it's an '89 Bonair. I have yet to pick it up as I still don't have the wiring figured out. I have a few questions regarding the logic circuit/DC-DC converter set up:

1. The trailer has a 5-pin coupler not the 4-pin mentioned here, is this a problem?. I don't think that this should be but I've been wrong once or twice before so I thought that I better throw it out there.

2. The actual wiring of the circuit seems relatively straight forward and it was all good until I looked at the actual wiring in the truck...there's an awefull lot of wires back there!! I am I right in saying that all of the splicing to the logic circuit can be done on the left hand side of the truck?

3. Is there another way to wire the system in without splicing? I've used the Hoppy Lite Mate products on my domestics. These still don't address the 24v issue which leads me to my last question.

4. I have a 10 amp Industial DC/DC converter. It powers my CD player, 1 power point for the portable DVD, 1 power point for the FM transmitter. All of these could be and usually are running at the same time....kids! Is this too much to ask it to also run the trailer lights or is there a Solar Conv. in my future?

Thanx, sa

P.S. The pics of Stone's install don't seem to work on my computer.

 

[Freewheel]

So the day before the long weekend I took the plunge and bought all the bits to make this logic relay box. I forgot to buy an extra 4 pin trailer connector so I ended up wiring the connectors with an audio 4 pin XLR connector cause I'm a sound guy and had some lying around... The diagram in post #3 is correct and the box works great!