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Hopkins Custom Tail Light Wiring Kit for Towed Vehicles

Hopkins Custom Tail Light Wiring Kit for Towed Vehicles

Item # HM56001
Retail:$102.09
Our Price: $66.78
You Save: 35%
Tow Bar Wiring

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Shipping Weight: 1.65 lbs
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Hopkins Plugs into Vehicle Wiring - HM56001
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Wire your vehicle and get the signal lights required for flat towing without having to splice into your wiring with this custom, plug-in harness. Integrated diodes prevent feedback from RV for safe operation. Wires as combined lighting system. Great Prices for the best tow bar wiring from Hopkins. Hopkins Custom Tail Light Wiring Kit for Towed Vehicles part number HM56001 can be ordered online at etrailer.com or call 1-800-940-8924 for expert service.
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  • Reviews (13)
  • Q & A (0)
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Hopkins Tow Bar Wiring - HM56001

  • Wiring Harness
  • Plugs into Vehicle Wiring
  • Tail Light Mount
  • Custom
  • Hopkins

Wire your vehicle and get the signal lights required for flat towing without having to splice into your wiring with this custom, plug-in harness. Integrated diodes prevent feedback from RV for safe operation. Wires as combined lighting system.


Features:

  • Lets you wire your vehicle to accept your RV's tail, brake, and turn signal lights for flat towing
    • Wires towed car as combined system so that brake and turn signals travel along same wire
    • Provides 4-way flat plug at front of towed car to connect to motor home
  • Plugs in quickly and easily - no cutting or splicing of wires
    • Connection points are located behind your vehicle's tail lights
  • Prevents electrical feedback to safeguard towed car's electrical system
    • Weatherproof box keeps built-in diodes protected
  • Won't interfere with electrical system when towed car is not hooked up to RV
  • Custom designed for your vehicle
  • Includes wiring harness, mounting bracket, and installation hardware
    • Extension loop for connecting towed car to RV is sold separately
    • Brake light relay (RM-88400 - sold separately) may be required if used with supplemental braking system
  • 90-Day warranty


Wiring Your Towed Car with Hopkins

Wiring your car for flat towing has never been easier. No more testing wires or splicing into your electrical system. No need to painstakingly position multiple diodes beneath your vehicle. No worries about voiding your warranty. With this custom-fit towed vehicle wiring kit from Hopkins, all you have to do is plug the harness into your vehicle's existing wiring, which is located behind your car's tail light assemblies. No cutting, tapping, or splicing is required.


After plugging in the wiring harness, use the included bracket to mount the 4-way flat connector at the front of your towed car. An extension loop (sold separately) is required to connect your towed car to your RV.


Changing from a Separate to a Combined Lighting System

Your vehicle ordinarily operates on a 3-wire system, wherein the brake signal and the turn signals travel along different wires to illuminate different lights. (Typically, this means that your vehicle will have amber turn signals.) This is referred to as a "separate lighting system." When you hook up for flat towing using this harness, however, your towed car's lighting system will operate in a combined fashion. This means that the brake and turn signals sent by your RV to your towed car will be carried on a single wire. As a result, your car's brake lights will do the flashing for the turn signals. Your vehicle will still function as designed - with separate lighting - when not hooked up to your RV.


Do You Need a Brake Light Relay?

Because this harness wires your vehicle as a combined system, a brake light relay (RM-88400 - sold separately) may be required if you use a supplemental braking system with your towing setup. A supplemental braking system depresses the brake pedal in your towed car every time you apply the brakes in your RV. So, if your towed car's brake lights illuminate when the brake pedal is pressed and the engine is off - as is the case when towing - then you need to install a relay to ensure that the lights on your towed car always act in accordance with the signals sent by your RV via the wiring harness. Without a relay, the brake signal from your towed car will override the turn signal sent by your RV when you slow down to make turns, creating a potential hazard.



11156001 Hopkins Plug-In Simple Dinghy Towing Harness

Replaces 56001



This Product Fits The Following Vehicles



California residents: click here


Customer Satisfaction Score:


Customer Reviews

Hopkins Custom Tail Light Wiring Kit for Towed Vehicles - HM56001

Average Customer Rating:  4.5 out of 5 stars   (13 Customer Reviews)

Wire your vehicle and get the signal lights required for flat towing without having to splice into your wiring with this custom, plug-in harness. Integrated diodes prevent feedback from RV for safe operation. Wires as combined lighting system.

by:

This system directly plugged into my ford edge as depicted. The system worked for several years however all of a sudden just the real right dual tail lights for braking would not work. It was this system when taken out of the circuit. Thus this is a replacement purchase for the same product, one that failed and required disassembly, tracing ordering new replacement, the cost and then installing. So worked initially and again BUT like many foreign make items may have the minimun capacity designed and built in. Good Luck.



by:
2012 Ford Edge

I installed the HOPKINS light kit HM56001 on the 2012 Edge last night.

I give it five stars. The videos on etrailer were great and the kit really did plug in and was ready to go in about 2 hrs.

Beat the heck out of cutting and splicing in diodes.

Robert

2/22/2020

zero issues, still works perfect and no feedback into the vehicles wiring



by:

Photos and videos always help me to see and decide exactly what I need. etrailer seems to always have what I need, prices are always competitively good, packaging and shipping is the best.



by:
2013 Ford Edge

Product concept is excellent. Installation is much easier than cutting in individual diodes for each circuit. However Hopkins needs to tighten up quality control on the electronic components as this is the third time I have replaced the component module due to failure.



by:
2013 Ford Edge

Easy to install worked okay. Just wish it operated all the stop/turn lights & not just half of them.



by:
2014 Ford Edge

Viudeo to install is very helpful, quality product Etrailer is the best



by:

Great kit, wiring was easy and product has been working great.



by:

works as intended very pleased easy ins tall



by:

Excelente



by:

Easy install. Only took a little over an hour.



by:



by:



by: 08/29/2023


13
13

See what our Experts say about this Hopkins Tow Bar Wiring

  • Will the Roadmaster FuseMaster Fuse Bypass Fit a 2011 Ford Edge
    Yes, the Roadmaster FuseMaster Fuse Bypass, # RM76511, will work on your 2011 Ford Edge. Using this fuse bypass will not affect the tail lights on your Edge or the tow dolly because they will receive power from the tow vehicle. If your tow dolly does not have tail lights and you plan on using the tail lights on your Edge, then you will also want a tail light wiring kit. Use # HM56001. These wiring kits connect inline with your tail light wiring at the tail light assemblies and provide...
    view full answer...
  • Trailer Wiring Recommendation for a 2015 Ford Explorer
    If your 2015 Ford Explorer has the tow package I have a trailer wiring option for you that won't require any splicing, but the # HM56001 would not be the correct kit. Instead you would want the # C56172. If you don't have the tow package you will need to splice your taillight wiring to install the correct kit. For that you would want the part # C59496.
    view full answer...
  • Trailer Wiring Recommendation for a 2010 Ford Edge
    I have a much easier solution for installing trailer wiring on your 2010 Ford Edge that would not require you to convert your taillights to a 2011 Edge. Instead you would want the Tow Ready Kit part # 118551 which is a custom fit harness for you vehicle. It would just plug right in line with your vehicle taillights for an easy install that would give you a 4-way. I attached an install video for this for you to check out as well.
    view full answer...
  • Most Hidden Base Plates for 2014 Ford Edge, and Parts Needed to Flat Tow
    I spoke with my contact at Roadmaster and he confirmed that the # 524426-1 base plate that fits the 2014 Ford Edge with adaptive cruise control will not fit the Edge without adaptive cruise control. The fascia is different between these two different style Edges, so the base plates are not interchangeable. Between the Roadmaster # 4408-1 and the Blue Ox # BX2628 base plates for your 2014 Ford Edge (non-EcoBoost), it appears that the Roadmaster # 4408-1 would be more hidden due to the...
    view full answer...
  • Recommended Wiring Harness Option for Flat Towing 2015 Ford Explorer
    For your 2015 Explorer, you'll need to hardwire a flat towing wiring harness into place. I'd recommend the # RM-154 kit. The wiring harness splices directly into the taillight circuits of your Explorer, as demonstrated in the video I've linked. The video shows the harness being installed on a Ford Edge, so the wire colors you splice into will be different, but the video should still give you a good idea of what the install will involve. The HM56001 you referred to is a vehicle specific...
    view full answer...
  • Hopkins Universal Tow Bar Wiring Fits a 2014 Ford Explorer w/Separate Brake Lights and Turn Signals
    Yes, the Hopkins wiring harness # HM55999 can be used on your 2014 Ford Explorer with separate wiring system. The converter will combine the circuits so the brake lights on the Explorer will operate as both brake lights and turn signals but only when the vehicle is being flat towed. When not flat towing it the lights will operate like normal. Having the lights combined is the minimum that is legally required but if you want to maintain the separate brake lights and turn signals even when...
    view full answer...
  • Troubleshooting Tow Bar Wiring On 2013 Ford Edge
    I think that you may not have the ground securely fastened to a clean metal surface. When you are testing with the circuit tester you are actually completing the circuit and that can make you believe all the wires are installed and attached properly. A loose ground can cause any number of things including the problem you are seeing. Check out the attached video at the 10:17 mark and you can see how they attached the ground wire. You may find that takes care of the problem. When the system...
    view full answer...
  • Best Parts for Flat Towing a 2013 Ford Edge AWD V6 Without Adaptive Cruise Control
    Here are the parts I recommend installing to flat tow your 2013 Ford Edge: - Blue Ox Base Plate Kit # BX2628 - Roadmaster Nighthawk All Terrain Tow Bar for Blue Ox Base Plates # RM-677 - Hopkins Custom Wiring Kit # HM56001 - Charge Line Kit # RM-156-25 - Brake-Lite Relay Kit # RM-88400 - Brake System # DM86VR (motorhome hydraulic brakes) OR # DM26VR (motorhome air brakes) - High-Low Adapter (see attached article - bracket height is 26-1/2" for base plate kit) This combination of...
    view full answer...
    Image 1 for
  • Tow Bar Wiring for a 2015 Ford Edge with LED Tail Lights
    For your 2015 Ford Edge with LED tail lights you can use the 4-diode kit # RM-154. I have linked a video showing an example installation on a 2014 Edge. Another option that bypasses the vehicle wiring altogether so you don't have to splice into it is a magnetic kit such as # RM-2120. I have included links to additional information on tow bar wiring for you.
    view full answer...
  • Installing an Even Brake Supplemental Braking System in 2013 Ford Edge V6 FWD
    You are correct a braking system is required for flat towing. The Even Brake # RM9400 receives signal from wireless transmitter in the motorhome when the motorhome is braking. This signal is then sent to the Even Brake ICX receiver in your 2013 Ford Edge and the brakes are applied proportional to the braking of the motor home. The Even Brake power is supplied either through your vehicle 12V accessory port, or an accessory 12V Outlet like # RM-9332. You can either run this additional 12V...
    view full answer...
  • Parts Needed To Install Tow Bar Lighting and Charge Line Kit 2013 Ford Edge
    Hopkins has a custom fit tow bar wiring kit that fits your 2013 Ford Edge with the part # HM56001 that installs by plugging inline with the taillight wiring harness. Then for a umbilical to connect from this to your RV 7-way you would want the part # HM47075 which has an extra pin you can use for the charge circuit. To then add a charge line you'd need to install the part # RM-156-25 on the Escape and then change the 4-way of the Hopkins kit to a 5-way with the part # 20017.
    view full answer...
  • Recommendations for Flat Towing 2014 Ford Edge Behind Motorhome
    If you have a 2014 Ford Edge with a 4 cylinder engine, it will need to be towed on a tow dolly like the Roadmaster Tow Dolly with Electric Brakes - 4,250 lbs # RM-2050-1. This system does require the Pollak Black Plastic, 7-Pole, RV-Style Trailer Connector - Trailer End # PK12706 to allow trailer brake function which you will need. You can also tow 6 cylinder models this way if you choose. If you have a 6 cylinder model, then you can flat tow your vehicle with a speed restriction of...
    view full answer...
  • Can a 2013 Ford Edge Be Flat-Towed with All Four Wheels Down
    The 2013 Ford Edge can be flat-towed with all four wheels down behind a motorhome so long as you don't have a model with the I4 2.0L Eco Boost Engine. I have attached a list of parts below to flat-tow the above vehicle. Roadmaster Crossbar-Style Base Plate Kit part # 4408-1 Roadmaster Falcon All Terrain Tow Bar part # RM-522 RoadMaster 68" Single Hook, Coiled Safety Cables part # RM-643 Hopkins Custom Tail Light Wiring Kit for Towed Vehicles part # HM56001 SMI Stay-IN-Play DUO Supplemental...
    view full answer...
  • Tail Light Wiring Differences Between the 2008 Ford Edge and the 2011-2013 Ford Edge
    The Ford Edge went through a style change in 2011 and one of the changes involved the tail lights. The earlier generation Edge, including the 2008 models, used a combined wiring system. This means that the same bulb and circuit was used for the turn signal and the brake light. In 2011, the Edge was changed to a separate wiring system. There are separate bulbs for the turn signal and brake lights which means there are separate circuits for the turn signals and brake lights. These wiring...
    view full answer...
  • Adding a Trailer Wiring Harness to a 2013 Ford Edge that Already has a Tow Bar Wiring Harness
    What you can do is install Tow Ready trailer wiring harness # 118515 on your 2013 Ford Edge. You will basically be daisy chaining its connectors in line with the # HM56001 and vehicle wiring connectors. I spoke with our shop manager to verify that this will work and he said that it would! Installation of the trailer wiring harness does require a direct connection to the vehicle battery (to power the trailer lights). I have included a link to a help article with tips on routing the power wire.
    view full answer...
  • What Do I Need To Flat-Tow My 2011 Ford Edge
    I have a solution for you. You will need five to six different items depending on vehicle and motorhome. A base plate, Tow-Bar, Braking System, Wire Harness, High-Low adapter and Safety Cables. I recommend the Blue Ox Base Plate Kit - Removable Arms # BX2628, it provides a custom fit to your Ford Edge and the arms can be removed from the plate when not in use so you can't see them. Next I recommend a tow-bar like the Blue Ox Avail Non-Binding Tow Bar - Motorhome Mount - 2" Hitch - 10,000...
    view full answer...
  • Braking, Wiring, and Charge Kit for Flat Towing 2013 Ford Edge
    The best permanent install style tow bar braking system is the Demco Stay n Play part # DM86VR so you are definitely on the right track. The Hopkin lighting kit part # HM56001 installs easily as it is custom fit for your 2013 Ford Edge and doesn't require any splicing. The coiled adapter part # HM47075 and the charge kit part # RM-156-25 would be all you'd need in addition as well.
    view full answer...
  • Replacement Trailer Wiring Harness for 2013 Ford Edge
    Either the converter box is bad or the wiring just isn't making a solid connection. Easy way to test this is to test for voltage on the input side of the box with a circuit tester like part # PTW2993 when applying the right turn signal. If there is voltage there but not on other side of the box then the issue is the box. If not then the connectors just aren't making a solid connection. We have the best luck with the Tekonsha harnesses so if you need a replacement the part # 118515 would...
    view full answer...
  • Tow Bar Lighting Recommendations for a 2012 Ford Explorer
    While we do have tow bar lighting options for your 2012 Ford Explorer none of them are custom fit options like the Hopkins you mentioned that is designed to fit the Ford Edge. For lighting you can use the diode kit, # RM-15267, and not have to worry about cutting into the taillight housing. This will splice into your taillight wiring to allow your tow vehicle to control the taillight assemblies of the towed vehicle. This comes with a round 6-way connector that you will install on the front...
    view full answer...

Do you have a question about this Tow Bar Wiring?


Info for this part was:

Employee Joe V
Test Fit:
Joe V
Employee Brent H
Test Fit:
Brent H
Employee Shane H
Test Fit:
Shane H
Employee Leah B
Edited by:
Leah B
Employee Andrew K
Video by:
Andrew K
Employee Dustin K
Video by:
Dustin K
Employee Michael B
Video by:
Michael B
Employee Lindsey S
Written by:
Lindsey S
Employee Michael H
Expert Research:
Michael H
Employee Jameson C
Expert Research:
Jameson C
Employee John H
Expert Research:
John H
Employee Jeffrey L
Expert Research:
Jeffrey L
Employee Joshua S
Video Edited:
Joshua S
Employee Jacob T
Video Edited:
Jacob T
Employee Andrew L
Video Edited:
Andrew L
Employee Chris R
Video Edited:
Chris R
Employee Cole B
Installed by:
Cole B
Employee Bradley B
Installed by:
Bradley B
Employee Wilson B
Updated by:
Wilson B
Employee Alexander C
Updated by:
Alexander C

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