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Wired/ wireless way to trigger brake lights?

2K views 19 replies 9 participants last post by  AZ Off Road 
#1 ·
I got stuck in some really chitty stop and go traffic coming back from Flagstaff couple weeks ago. I almost got rear ended a couple times by the same guy in a lifted truck. I have already been love tapped by some other guy in a lifted truck the weekend I got my trailer. No damage was done but I know it happened.

And there's a reason. The tail lights on my trailer are pretty much on the ground. They're bright but bright on the ground. So I started thinking I need to string up brake lights (yay for LED's) to the gate of my trailer. However everywhere I was looking looked like it'd get broken by dropping the gate down and driving the car up. This will be my last resort if I can't figure out how to do the following. I know I can get some thin strip style lights and put it in the channel, it'll possibly survive. My other idea though is so much cooler :)

I want to tap into the brake light switch on my x3 or the tail lights and brake lights. Without a key in the car.. possibly wirelessly, and possibly with it's own brake light power. I have a 20,000 MaH battery that I'm sure will last a few days for tail light duty.

Anyone seen a wireless or extended brake light tap for a 4 pin trailer plug? And vise versa to the car? (worst case i get all fancy and build a RaspberryPI and run it to my chase light.
 
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#2 ·
so you want to activate you X3 brakes using your trailer brake lights as a trigger?

geez a good way to complicate things. But you do you Boo.

If it were me I would add lights on the ramp gate and protect them with tubing then wire to trailer.
 
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#3 ·
I figured the x3's tail lights would get attention a bit quicker as usually people end up staring at it and not seeing the trailer. I've been looking for some lights that could get up by the lip of the gate but when I drop it in dirt it looks like they'll end up crushed. Going to have to go to the side of the gate if I can't find a way to tap to the plug.

Yes I over complicate nearly anything. I also have that replacement rotor for ya.
 
#8 ·
No I wanted to add this. So the trailer lights still function. I'm looking more into the strip lights up higher. I cant put them near the end of the gate because when I'm up in flag and drive up the top 6 inches of the gate gets mashed into the sandy dirt. My driveway and my buddies on the other side of town. I'd have to attach to the vertical runners on the ends of the gate. If it wasn't 109ish in the backyard yesterday i would have looked haha.
 
#7 ·
Post a pic of the back of the trailer so we can get a better idea of what you’re dealing with . Can you raise the current lights somehow ? Like an extension of some kind ?
Post pics !
 
#9 ·

I think I’ll go halfway up the gate with some 15 inch strip lights. The other thing will be where to run the wires so they don’t get trashed opening and closing the gate


Looks like I could make a small loop here for the wires. I don't have a welder or that skill in my toolbox.


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#14 ·
Lol Customer takes full responsibility but that's not a bad idea. I took the 'easy' route and ordered some led taillights off amazon and will someday drill holes in the gate and mount them. It's easy because in Phoenix the metal is near the melting point around 4pm so I can just push the drill bit through the steel.
 
#15 ·
Just go get a set of the magnetic mounting trailer lights at Harbor Freight and tap into your trailer wiring. They won’t move and you can mount them on the top rail
or anywhere on the gate. I use them on my trailer after we chopped the rear ramp.



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#17 ·
Order up the led sign that you can send special messages to the retards behind you.

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