Parts Needed to Add Brake Controller to Trailer and Third Brake Light

Question:

2 questions: 1. I want to put a center brake light up high on the back of my trailer. How do you wire that? 2. Ive read about folks installing a proportional brake controller on a camper trailer that has a separate 12v system battery, solar panel. They say that the brake light wire only triggers the controller to wake up and sense the inertia, which then applies the brakes if necessary, which are powered by the on-board battery and not the tow vehicle battery. So with a 4 pin connector the turn signal wires yellow, green double as the brake lights. I suppose I could connect one wire to the brake controller, but it would wake it upfoot every time you put on the turn signal. If I connected both wires to it, there might be feedback from one turn signal to the other. Is there some device available that would allow me to connect both Y and G wires to it and it would only pass the signal thru if both wires were energized? that way the controller only wakes up when both Y and G are energized, which would only occur when the brakes are applied.

asked by: Steve J

Helpful Expert Reply:

You are going to have to install a 7-way on your trailer if you plan to activate trailer brakes which we have an easy kit for that with a junction box # HS381-9000 for upgrading a 4-way to a 7-way. You also would not want to try and activate trailer brakes with a battery as the battery would eventually drain. You need the power source coming from the vehicle from a brake controller. We have the Curt Echo # C51180 which is a 7-way connector mounted brake controller. You'd need to have a 7-way on the trailer and tow vehicle with the 12 volt accessory circuit complete and you'd be set. If you have a 4-way on your vehicle what you'd need is the part # 37185 to convert it to a 7-way. You'd need 10 gauge wire like part # 10-1-1 and a breaker to run the black wire to the positive post of your battery.

To answer your third brake light question you'll need a converter so that you can get a dedicated brake light signal. For that you'd want the # 118158 which when wired to your trailer wiring will give you a dedicated stoplight circuit on the red wire.

expert reply by: Jameson C