Trailer wiring question - extension?

[Walküre]

Hi, all...

I have my home-built trailer just about done. Wiring before I install the box. I'm using the Hoppy powered converter. I have all the connections figured out, but I've seen several different ways of routing the wire and connector. Some roll it and hide it under the seat, and bring it out when needed, and some hide it inside the fender, and behind the license plate.

What I'm thinking of doing, is an extension of sorts. Over the years, I have accumulated tons of spare flat connectors, both male and female, as well as tons of wire. I'm thinking leave the Hoppy under the seat, plugged off when not in use, and make a male to female extension to reach from the Hoppy to the trailer connector, and zip tie it to the hitch, when I go on trips.

I did several searches, and never saw this solution, but I don't see any problem with it - anyone else see anything wrong with that approach? Makes too much sense to me not to have seen someone do it before, so that makes me question my thinking...

Thanks,

Roger

[Lucky Duck]

If I understand correctly what you're wanting to do, it's about like the way I did mine.  I made my connections behind the right side cover and instead of having an exposed plug for the trailer, I have about a 2ft cord coiled under the seat when not pulling the trailer.  When I pull the trailer, I take the cord from under the seat and it routes easlily into the right saddlebag, I bring the trailer plug into the saddlebag from the rear and connect them inside the bag. I have a Std with leather bags so the wires just slip under the top of the bag. Hard bags would need a different plan but you cold use the same idea, just connect them behind the bag maybe. I like this because the trailer wiring is protected and I think it's a little cleaner looking.

[Walküre]

LD - pretty close, but I would even eliminate the 2 foot lead, under the seat. I would just have the Hoppy converter there, and when I use the trailer (not very often until I retire in 7 years), I would plug in a 4 foot extension, down to the trailer. Basically just eliminates anything coiled under the seat. Just one more thing to misplace...

[chrise2469]

I did something similar.
My trailer needs a 6 pin, so I have the electrical connections adapter. There is a small cable that I keep under the seat.

Then an extension cable to the trailer.

Here's the cable when tucked away.


Hope this helps ya out.

[Walküre]

Chrise - yup, sure does. I made one up, and works like a charm. Still have to figure out how to wire the LED lights on my hard bags - they are back off, and I want to wire them as running and turn signals. The previous owner just replaced the reflectors with them, as running lights only, but with the Hoppy, I can use them as designed. Might have to make a quick loom, just for them, when not pulling trailer, off the Hoppy. Fun, fun, fun!

Thanks,

R

[R J]

You are making a mountain out of a mole hill....

You don't want the wire to show when not in use, right?

Make your connections under the right side cover.

Route this short wire, with plug in on it, up to the top of the battery.

Now, you can go 2 ways here.

1.    Put a link of wires with a connector to match the one on the top of the battery from the trailer.   If you have saddlebags you can lay it on top of the mounting brackets and tuck in under a couple of times.     When not in use, coil this monstrosity up and wire tie it to the trailer tongue.

2.    Same as #1. except put a connector on the tongue and another one on a separate wire to run up to the battery top connector.    When not in use, pull the wire from the trailer, coil it up and wire tie it to the tongue till needed.

3.    Easiest and simplest if ya had saddlebags.    Make your connections under the side cover, run this set of wires in a loom, down behind the shock to the swing arm, and follow the saddlebag rail to the rear.   You can or should be able to find a place to hide wires.   I had a 5 pin round plug in on the bike.   Here is a picture of the receptacle, find the wires.

Under the right saddlebag and above the right exhaust.  I'll see if I can find a better picture.



If you know where to look it is visible.
Otherwise, you will never know it is there except for the plug in.

[fudgie]

What I did put the stuff in the side cover towards the back so it doesnt interfere with anything. Ran the harness out along the swing arm, zip tied it to hard bag mounts, along the hitch, and out the bottom. I have a plug connector cover and loop it over the chain hook spots. It hangs down alittle but its not bad. Its there when I need it. Plus when you do use it you wont have to figure out how to secure it as you get ready to go down the road.

[sugerbear]

and don't let it rub on the paint anywhere. know what i mean?

[kyval]

In this matter, can the main trailer harness be folded inside the frame? If yes, then you will have to utilize the four foot extension for the entire span of the trailer. You can also cut the extender down and then splice it back together.

[MNBill]

Stuff the extra wires where the owners manuel is kept and put the manuel in a drawer in the garage

[Old Geezer Richard]

Hey Roger , can you give me some info on which model number Hoppy converter you got and how much .... did you order it direct from Hoppy or somewhere else ?

[Walküre]

Geez....I am using the Hoppy 46255 powered converter. It allows you to run the trailer lights directly from the battery, not from the cycle lights wires. Even with LED's, which are very low current draw, I prefer to do it this way - it's basically as if you had relays for all the trailer lights.

They are around $32 and up. Advance Auto has them, here's the link:

http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/1/1/680897-power-taillight-converter-by-hoppy-part-46255.html#

I didn't do much of a "price" search, as I found mine on ebay, for $20. You might include ebay in your search.

I took the trailer out for a 50 mile ride today, to try it out, as well as my new car tire. Other than the time that the trailer wheel dropped into a pothole, and the bike tires didn't, I wouldn't have known it was back there. I ended up making the extension, as I have LED lights for my saddlebags, and I made two looms for the lights - one for the bag lights with trailer lights, and another for just the bag lights. It allows me to use the bag lights as both running and turn signal lights, which is pretty cool.

Here's the page from ShopTalk that gave me all the ideas:

http://www.herberts.org/wayne/valk/trailerlights.htm



R

[Baloo]

If you are going to always pull the same trailer (yours), another idea could be to leave all the wiring on the trailer. Leave the converter on the bike with a connector and run the extra long trailer harness directly to the converter. Mine is zip tied to the trailer hitch of the bike and is hidden under it when the trailer is not connected. Hardly visible...

[Walküre]

Balloo - hadn't thought of that - doh!! Although I still didn't want any part of the loom, hanging out or rolled under the seat, when not pulling a trailer. My way solves that. The extension "hides" in the trailer at all times, so I don't forget it.

Hooked up the trailer and took it for it's first spin yesterday, since building it. Valk doesn't even know it's there! Took me about 5 minutes to hook it up, including a couple minutes adjusting the hitch on the tongue, as it was too tight, after mounting on the trailer. Got it on, but wouldn't "latch". Pull the seat, plug in the extension, put seat back on, two zip-ties tying the extension to the rail and hitch, and away I went.

It's exactly as I want it. Until I change it, of course...

[Chrisj CMA]

I totally agree with some kind of relay if you have regular lights.  Ive been pulling a trailer now for five years (no problems)...trailer has LED's and pig tail is just piggy backed into the main wiring harness at the base of the gas tank under the seat.  The pigtail runs down through the bottom of the battery box and around the front edge of the rear fender, under the fender secured to the existing wires and to the plug that is mounted on the hitch doc.  No taking off the seat, no wires are visible, nothing to forget, just plug in just like a truck set up or a U-Haul.  \