Running lights - do you have them? - Fiberglass RV
Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×


Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 05-08-2018, 07:18 PM   #1
Senior Member
 
Patricia D.'s Avatar
 
Name: Patricia
Trailer: 1975 Ventura
Ontario
Posts: 353
Running lights - do you have them?

I am having a problem getting the running lights on my Ventura to work. i assume that the problem is in my car's wiring because the lights work with other vehicles. The brake lights and turn signals are fine.
I noticed today that other brands of trailers (Boler specifically) do not have running lights at the top of the trailer. Or perhaps the lights low at the back sides are running lights? So my question is, do you have to have running lights to drive during the day on the highways of Canada, in particular.
I would like to take the trailer to BC to have a family member work on the electrical system.
By the way, the car is a 2009 Toyota Venza in case anyone has this or another Toyota that has been tricky to wire and has some hints.
Attached Thumbnails
IMG_0195 (1).jpg  
Patricia D. is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-08-2018, 08:00 PM   #2
Senior Member
 
David B.'s Avatar
 
Name: David
Trailer: Former 13’Scamp, now Snoozy
Arizona
Posts: 2,316
Registry
Patricia, if your trailer’s tail lights are working with the tow vehicle lights on, then the problem is in the trailer and not the TV. I suspect that the upper running lights are conneted (poorly) to your tail lights “running lights circuit”. If your trailer’s running tail lights do not come on when the TV lights are on, then I would look at your pig tail connections, using a simple test light into the TV plug first, and if that checks out OK, then open up the trailer’s pigtail and check the wires for corrosion or fractured wires. Best of luck.
Dave & Paula
David B. is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-08-2018, 08:03 PM   #3
Member
 
Name: Ken
Trailer: None
Florida
Posts: 82
Quote:
Originally Posted by Patricia D. View Post
I am having a problem getting the running lights on my Ventura to work. i assume that the problem is in my car's wiring because the lights work with other vehicles. The brake lights and turn signals are fine.
I noticed today that other brands of trailers (Boler specifically) do not have running lights at the top of the trailer. Or perhaps the lights low at the back sides are running lights? So my question is, do you have to have running lights to drive during the day on the highways of Canada, in particular.
I would like to take the trailer to BC to have a family member work on the electrical system.
By the way, the car is a 2009 Toyota Venza in case anyone has this or another Toyota that has been tricky to wire and has some hints.
If I'm not mistaken you have a tail light converter that takes the cars wiring and matches it to the trailer if you are using a four wire plug. You could test it with a trailer harness tester plugged into the vehicle harness. If you do not show any tailights at the output odds are the little electronic converter gizmo has failed if you do not see obvious damaged wires.

Edit, or the little clamp on connector they use to attach most wiring harnesses is not making a connection. That is a bit harder to check.
You could look at the little blue connectors I've pictured and see if one has a problem if the tester shows the taillights are out.

1st picture tester, 2nd connector
Attached Thumbnails
trailer tester.jpg  
Attached Images
 
Kenton is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-08-2018, 09:28 PM   #4
Commercial Member
 
tractors1's Avatar
 
Name: Charlie Y
Trailer: Escape 21 - Felicity
Oregon
Posts: 1,583
I doubt that running lights are required these days in Canada, as none of the Escape trailers currently manufactured have them, nor have I seen them on other trailer maker websites.

In the USA they are required if the trailer is over 80 inches wide, otherwise nope.
__________________
Charlie Y

Don't drill holes, try custom storage you design: https://RVWidgetWorks.com
tractors1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-08-2018, 11:36 PM   #5
Senior Member
 
John in Santa Cruz's Avatar
 
Name: John
Trailer: Escape 21, behind an '02 F250 7.3 diesel tug
Mid Left Coast
Posts: 2,940
Quote:
Originally Posted by tractors1 View Post
I doubt that running lights are required these days in Canada, as none of the Escape trailers currently manufactured have them, nor have I seen them on other trailer maker websites.

In the USA they are required if the trailer is over 80 inches wide, otherwise nope.
my 2014 E21 has them



also yellow marker lights on the top front corners.
John in Santa Cruz is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-09-2018, 08:30 AM   #6
Commercial Member
 
tractors1's Avatar
 
Name: Charlie Y
Trailer: Escape 21 - Felicity
Oregon
Posts: 1,583
In Oregon vehicle code, the term "running lights" refers to the top lights on the front and back of the trailer, not the corner marker lights.

I learned this while building a custom stickie pick up camper in 1985 as I didn't see any reason to have the three centered lights at the top (front and rear) and leaving them off would mean fewer potential leak holes. I had to check with Oregon DMV to have them look up the requirements and definitions.
__________________
Charlie Y

Don't drill holes, try custom storage you design: https://RVWidgetWorks.com
tractors1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-09-2018, 09:10 AM   #7
Senior Member
 
Name: Steve
Trailer: Escape 15A
Minnesota
Posts: 452
Registry
Trailer light converters are cheap and unreliable... I have often seen them cause issues with vehicle lights, let alone trailer lights, and replacing the converter often solves the problem.
Steve Carlson is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-09-2018, 09:17 AM   #8
Senior Member
 
Jon in AZ's Avatar
 
Name: Jon
Trailer: 2008 Scamp 13 S1
Arizona
Posts: 11,925
Registry
Quote:
Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz View Post
my 2014 E21 has them
also yellow marker lights on the top front corners.
The Escape 21 is over 80" wide, so they are required in the US.

When I learned that 80" rule, it made more sense why Scamp, Casita, and many other smaller molded trailers are exactly 6'8" wide.

I did not know that "running lights" only referred to the upper clearance lights, not the lower side marker lights. Learned something new today.

If I had them, even if not required, I'd probably try to get them going, though. Anything you can do to make yourself more visible at night is good.
Jon in AZ is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-09-2018, 09:28 AM   #9
Senior Member
 
Trailer: Scamp 16 ft Side Dinette
Posts: 1,279
Get Grounded

With a 4 pin connector, one of the pins is the ground wire.
On the TV side, that ground may just attached to the frame somewhere, may be exposed to corrosion. It is best to have the ground wired all the way to the battery.
Likewise on the trailer side, are all the lights connected to that ground wire?
If you have the old incandescent bulbs in the side markers or running lights, that may not be making good contact in the socket.
Wayne Collins is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-09-2018, 10:18 AM   #10
Junior Member
 
Name: guy
Trailer: Ventura
Alberta
Posts: 10
Wink Marker lights 72 Ventura

I have a "72" Ventura and had the same problem. The body is fibreglass and the lights need a ground wires found that mine had bad connection and to replace the connections in the front under the seat and same in the back under the seats, Good luck ,
Guy
yug1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-09-2018, 11:42 AM   #11
Senior Member
 
Name: Tom
Trailer: Sprinter 'til I buy
Denver, CO
Posts: 944
I thought they were referred to as "Clearance Lights", named, so that you can check your mirrors at night and tell whether you cleared that low overpass. Did you hear a bump?

...Apparently you didn't. Now you might want to move it, see the "No Parking" sign?
Attached Thumbnails
low540100d4b6382.preview-620.jpg  
Tom 72 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-09-2018, 01:39 PM   #12
Senior Member
 
Name: Kelly
Trailer: Trails West
Oregon
Posts: 3,047
Quote:
Originally Posted by Patricia D. View Post
I am having a problem getting the running lights on my Ventura to work. i assume that the problem is in my car's wiring because the lights work with other vehicles. The brake lights and turn signals are fine.
I noticed today that other brands of trailers (Boler specifically) do not have running lights at the top of the trailer. Or perhaps the lights low at the back sides are running lights? So my question is, do you have to have running lights to drive during the day on the highways of Canada, in particular.
I would like to take the trailer to BC to have a family member work on the electrical system.
By the way, the car is a 2009 Toyota Venza in case anyone has this or another Toyota that has been tricky to wire and has some hints.
Your car is required to have running lights for day use given its age and of course it already does have them on it. So no worries there. But are confusing the situation. Your trailer is an entirely different vehicle as far as the law goes.

If I have read the following document correctly then given the age of your trailer you are allowed to install them if you want to but it does not state in this document that you are required to install them. If it was a requirement then it would have said you are required to put them in. http://cvse.ca/vehicle_inspections/P...unningLamp.pdf
k corbin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-09-2018, 01:49 PM   #13
Senior Member
 
Name: Daniel A.
Trailer: Bigfoot 17.0 1991 dlx
British Columbia
Posts: 741
Registry
Day time running lights in Canada are only headlights, every car or truck sold in Canada since 1990 have them. One still needs to turn the headlamp switch on for the taillights to work.
Daniel A. is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-09-2018, 01:53 PM   #14
Senior Member
 
Name: Kelly
Trailer: Trails West
Oregon
Posts: 3,047
Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Carlson View Post
Trailer light converters are cheap and unreliable... I have often seen them cause issues with vehicle lights, let alone trailer lights, and replacing the converter often solves the problem.
The trailer light wires come from the vehicle, they have nothing to do with the circuits that are coming out of the converter. So therefore the converter itself is not involved in the trouble shooting tree diagram for solving tail lights, marker lights or running lights. Yes the converters can be bad but you are confused about what circuits they are powering.
k corbin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-09-2018, 01:55 PM   #15
Senior Member
 
Name: Kelly
Trailer: Trails West
Oregon
Posts: 3,047
Quote:
Originally Posted by Daniel A. View Post
Day time running lights in Canada are only headlights, every car or truck sold in Canada since 1990 have them. One still needs to turn the headlamp switch on for the taillights to work.
It think you got that right, it clarifies the issue. So many similar names are being used for different items.
k corbin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-09-2018, 02:09 PM   #16
Senior Member
 
Name: Steve
Trailer: Escape 15A
Minnesota
Posts: 452
Registry
Quote:
Originally Posted by k corbin View Post
The trailer light wires come from the vehicle, they have nothing to do with the circuits that are coming out of the converter. So therefore the converter itself is not involved in the trouble shooting tree diagram for solving tail lights, marker lights or running lights. Yes the converters can be bad but you are confused about what circuits they are powering.
I was talking about the converter in the tow vehicle wiring harness that combines the turn and brake signals (for those vehicles that have amber turn signals), not the 120V to 12V converter in the trailer.
Steve Carlson is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-09-2018, 06:52 PM   #17
Senior Member
 
Name: Jann
Trailer: Casita
Colorado
Posts: 1,307
Quote:
Originally Posted by Patricia D. View Post
I am having a problem getting the running lights on my Ventura to work. i assume that the problem is in my car's wiring because the lights work with other vehicles. The brake lights and turn signals are fine.
I noticed today that other brands of trailers (Boler specifically) do not have running lights at the top of the trailer. Or perhaps the lights low at the back sides are running lights? So my question is, do you have to have running lights to drive during the day on the highways of Canada, in particular.
I would like to take the trailer to BC to have a family member work on the electrical system.
By the way, the car is a 2009 Toyota Venza in case anyone has this or another Toyota that has been tricky to wire and has some hints.
Canada requires only daytime running lights which is your headlights on during the day. If your vehicle does not have daytime running lights then you must turn on your headlights. It is so drivers can see you coming. I don't believe your trailer lights have to be on during the day.
Jann Todd is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-09-2018, 06:56 PM   #18
Senior Member
 
Glenn Baglo's Avatar
 
Trailer: Escape 17 ft
Posts: 8,317
But, you do have to turn your headlights on in a tunnel ( signs will advise ), even though you have daytime running lights. Turning on your headlights also turns on the taillights.
__________________
What happens to the hole when the cheese is gone?
- Bertolt Brecht
Glenn Baglo is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
light, lights


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Where did you get your new signal/brake/running lights? OnTheRoad Modifications, Alterations and Updates 9 09-09-2015 02:08 PM
need help!! Surf-Side tail lights, where can i get them. Evinger1 Problem Solving | Owners Helping Owners 4 04-29-2015 11:20 AM
have U heard o them! FRED SMAILES General Chat 5 01-16-2015 07:05 PM
Tacoma people: kind of step bar or running bars do you have? lpk49 Problem Solving | Owners Helping Owners 12 04-30-2013 07:33 PM
Brake Lights, Turn signal lights, marker lights, oh my! glamourpets Problem Solving | Owners Helping Owners 19 01-03-2013 10:10 AM

» Upcoming Events
No events scheduled in
the next 465 days.
» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 07:20 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.