Hopkins 46255 Power Taillight Converter

• Each unit can power up to 2 sets of stop/turn signals
• Has a replaceable 4-wire flat extension
• For vehicles equipped with independent bulb turn signals and brake lights or common bulb systems

Easy Installation. I purchased this for my mini cooper so that the lights will work on my teardrop camper. Now the lights work. Thanks Amazon!!

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After replacing my old truck (member of the family, but at 18 it's time for them to go out into the world) I needed to add the U-Haul "standard" 4 lead trailer wiring to the replacement vehicle (2008 Toyota Tacoma).

I chose the 46255 converter because it provides separate power to the trailer lights, instead of the more common direct tap into the existing lights. This ensures that the turn signal flasher speed does not change when the trailer is connected and that a problem with the trailer wiring will not prevent the vehicle lights from working.

Installation is straightforward, but the separate power feed requires tapping into a 12 volt point that is always on (not key controlled) to ensure that the trailer lights (tail, hazard) always work. The Tacoma fuse box is under the hood and the fuse slot that powers the optional factory/dealer installed trailer wiring is easy to find. The terminal on the fused connector provided with the converter can be trimmed to fit in that fuse slot, providing a labelled source of power.

Running the power lead to the back of the vehicle is slow if you don't have a lift to provide easy access, but can be done (minimum ground clearance on the Tacoma is 8 inches).

The wiring at the lights can be tapped either in the harness on the frame rail or inside the light cavity in the fender. I chose the light cavity as the connections are better protected from water and dirt, although the tap connectors provided with the kit are filled with a water-resistant compound to provide reliable connections under less-than-perfect conditions. If you have a passenger vehicle (car, van, suv), you would typically be making connections inside the trunk or cargo area where they would be protected from the weather. Having access to a copy of the vehicle service/wiring manual is helpful, as you don't have to test the wires to see which one is tail, brake, etc.

All the added wiring on the truck is supported by the provided zip-ties every 12 to 15 inches. I used a heavy duty nylon zip-tie to mount the converter box under the truck instead of the light weight zip-ties provided with the converter I want the installation to last as long as I keep the vehicle.

When I connected the power lead at the fuse box, everything worked as expected there is no better recommendation than that.

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After blowing the non-serviceable tailight converter in my 99 4Runner I put in an aftermarket(not going to pay Toyota $250 for a new harness). Then the aftermarket converter couldn't take my camper lighting and I blew that too. So I researched and installed this Hoppy unit. It runs all of my trailer lights like a charm. My camper has 11 tailight/marker lights that are nice and bright now. Very pleased.

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This is the best kept trailering secret out there! You are probably reading this wondering "WHAT DOES THIS DO?" I bought it for my jetski to protect the factory wiring of my car so if I accidentally left the wiring plugged in while the trailer was in the water it would protect my car's wiring. This connects directly to your car battery's 12v+ and uses its OWN relays to power your trailer's wiring. Thats it! It uses your car's wiring as the signal inputs for its internal relays so your car wiring never has a load on it for the turn signals and brake lights and whatnot beyond the standard load of the OEM stuff. Plus this downconverts 5-wire signals in your car to the 4-wire trailer wiring safely. Protect your expensive car's wiring with this gem!

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Was originally looking for a plug and play adaptor for my X5, but couldn't find one that was available quickly. This unit took about 30 minutes to install and work great. Plus it doesn't interfere with the tricky BMW electronics.