Another possible option would be to leave the original lamps in place and add some LED's, then you don't have to change any of the wiring or flashers. I was thinking about using this method on my taillights bobb Jim Dunmyer wrote: > Mark, > This is a great idea and is more-easily implemented than you might > think. An outfit called "Hoppy" makes various "tail light converters", > one being billed as an "Isolator". I use one of these, mounted under the > hood of my truck, to power the trailer lights (tail, LH & RH, not backup > lights). It has a wire to the battery, 3 input wires from the truck's > lighting system, a ground, and 4 wires to the trailer connector. > > The reason I used this is to totally isolate the trailer lights from the > truck's. A short in the trailer won't take out the truck's lights, I'm > not putting excessive current through the brakelight and headlight > switches, don't need a heavy-duty flasher, etc. > > There is no reason in the world that I can see why you couldn't mount > this in the rear of your A/S and power the lights from the trailer > battery. The way things are normally wired, the lights would even work > if there was no battery in the trailer. You'd still need a relay or > solid-state switch for the B/U lights, of course, but this little Hoppy > gadget will take care of the rest. > > It's available from JC Whitney (http://www.jcwhitney.com) or probably > from your local NAPA store. Note that they also make other, similar, > gadgets that are NOT isolators, just "converters" for tow vehicles that > have seperate turn and brake lights. You do not want one of those > "converters". > > I do think you're probably correct about those LED lights requiring > lower current than incandescents. Are they available in a "dual" design? > (tail/brake) > > <<Jim>> > > Weimers wrote: > > > > > > > > I'm wondering if those LED lamps are lower wattage so they wouldn't need as > > much current to run them. Could they be fitted into an Airstream tail lamp, > > and would they be worth the effort? Does anyone know something about them? > > > > And if LED's are no good: > > > > Another way to get the tail lamps (including the reverse lamps) brighter > > would be to get them more voltage. Former VAC president Stan Baston was > > showing me his system of relays he uses to get more voltage to his trailer. > > The relays are on the back of his Suburban and using a power wire directly > > from his battery, provide full voltage to his trailer connector. > > > > In order to address the voltage loss thru the trailer connectors I was > > thinking about putting the relays inside the trailer (there's nice space > > against the front wall "behind" the front sofa). This way the car only needs > > to provide a minimal amount of current to the trailer and to the relays, the > > trailer's 12 volt system would then provide the voltage to the trailer > > lights. Actually, the 12 volts would come from the large "hot" wire which > > would be connected to both the trailer battery AND the car battery > > (hopefully getting about 13.5 volts while the engine is running). This would > > take a lot of strain off the car's lighting system, and make the trailer > > lights brighter also. > > > >- > -- > > <<http://www.oldengine.org/members/jdunmyer>> > <<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>> > <<lower SE Michigan, USA>> > <<mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>> > > To unsubscribe or to change to a daily Digest, please go to > http://www.airstream.net/vaclist/listoffice.html > > If replying back to this message, please delete all the unnecessary original > text from your reply. > >
begin:vcard n:Basques;Bob tel;work:651-266-6188 x-mozilla-html:TRUE org:City of St. Paul;GIS - ADMIN adr:;;25 West 4th street - 1000 CHA;St. Paul;MN;55102;USA version:2.1 email;internet:[EMAIL PROTECTED] title:GIS Development/CAD Support fn:Bob Basques end:vcard
