Adding A Third Brake Light To A Motorhome With Separate Wiring

Question:

Would this help me install a tailgate LED strip light with 4-pin connector with combined signal/brake to a motorhome with separate signal and brake lights? I need to add a third brake light and would like more reverse lighting for the motorhome. But wiring is proving to be a challenge! Cant run through 7-pin on motorhome because vehicle thinks its towing and all sorts of crazy faults and things start happening 2022 Ford Transit 350 HD. Need a solution that would allow me to hardwire strip light to motorhome lights directly. Also, the reverse, signal, and brake lights on the motorhome are LEDs. The strip lights are LED. If I hook everything up directly to light wires at back of lights on motorhome, would I have to worry about CAN bus issues or overloading power?

asked by: Jennifer T

Expert Reply:

Without knowing exactly which light you're wiring up as the third brake light it's a bit hard to say exactly what you need. That being said if the motorhome has separate wiring (separate lights for each function) and your strip light uses a 4-pole connector you could use the Roadmaster Brite-Lite Wiring Converter # RM-732 you referenced. You'll cut the 4-pole connector off and connect the left turn/stop and right turn/stop wires from the light to the 2-wire side of the converter. The 3-wire side of the converter will connect to the motorhome's tail light wiring for the signal. The reverse light wire can be ran directly to the reverse light circuit in the motorhome's wiring.

You'll be drawing power directly from the lights so there is the chance that you could overload the circuit, but with all LED's on both the tail light and strip light you will most likely be fine. If you can determine the load capacity of the circuit (check the fuse and wire sizing of the light) and then subtract the amperage of the tail light you can then see if you'll have enough capacity to power the strip light. LED's draw almost nothing so I'd be shocked if you actually overload the circuit.

expert reply by: Kevin C