Trailering Lights on Tugs

[Kamalani]

I'm hoping someone will shed some "light" on the reason for the miniature LED lamps on sides & transom of tugs which have the bow plug wired to the trailer. Mine don't seem to light, but I'm not sure what to expect when they do work. Are they all clearance lights, or do they also function as stop/turn signals as well? :?

 

[Levitation]

Yup, they work... You have to have/make an adapter to connect the wire to the trailer plug - the wire colors match trailer plug standards... Then you have brake and turn signals and running lights on the boat...
I found that my left turn and right running light were cross wired at the factory which were not able to find on the boat so we "corrected" it at the trailer plug...

 

[Maxx]

Actually, dad, It was a cross of the yellow (Left turn) and the brown (running lights). 😀

Now I just need to convince my dad to let me wire in a turn signal switch for while he is on the water just for laughs!! :evil:

 

[doke01]

Where do you find this plug on the tug? ...nice rhyme.

 

[Kamalani]

On the R-21, it's forward on the starboard "bulwark" almost to the bow stem. (Sounds kinda funny to use this terminology for a 21' boat.)

 

[wynn 'n anniedear]

I found mine in the chain locker of my r25

 

[tuggertoy]

Maxx,

That is funny. It would have the most comedic effect if the Charlotte Ann were wired so that she was making a perpetual turn to port.

Sorry denny-o, you know us kids these days, we ain't got non respect.

Eric

 

[Levitation]

Yup Eric... I only had children so that someone would always be there to tell me I'm wrong :mrgreen:

 

[tlkenyon]

The guy I bought Nellie May from said that plug was for trailer lights but that he did not have the plug for the tug. I can do the adapter for the connection to the trailer, but where can I get a plug that fits the tug plug? I guess I'm kinda bugged about the tug plug.

 

[RProffer]

My trailer did not have the cable going to the bow when I got it. The factory sent me the cable, but will not tell me how to wire it. They said they have a patient on the lighting and the wiring is proprietary information. Go figure!!!

 

[captainmike]

I towed an 18 foot Regal bowrider with my King trailer that came with my boat and the plug that goes into the bow of my Ranger M21 for the LED side marker and red stop and turn led's on the boat plugged right in to the socket on the bow of the Regal.

When towing the boat back from florida to Massachusetts the LED's came in handy as the port stop light on the trailer stopped working but I was still legal with the boat LED's

So contacting the trailer company might be helpful to answer wireing questions

 

[abcandjrc]

Both connectors are standard marine electrical items. The one which connects to the boat matches the one which connects the masthead wiring to the funnel.

I'm sure you could find them at a marine outfitter but your best bet would be to just contact the Ranger factory and have them send you a cable, ready-made.

 

[WinterIslandYY]

F.Y.I.
The flat plugs used for the lights are standard automotive plugs and can be purchased at any NAPA type store. The trailer will need to have a harness spliced in at the wishbone or get a "Y" harness to plug in at the vehicle. All the wires are by a standard and should be color for color.
Cheers,
Peter

 

[abcandjrc]

To follow up my earlier post:

I was in a chandler's today and remembered your enquiry so looked and found the connector you probably need.

If the connector to the hull is the same as on our R21-EC, and it probably is, it is a Sea Dog Line - 426234-1. It is a 4-pole connector with a triangular "key" and a threaded lock-ring. That number is for a package with a male/female pair. But even at that, they were about $17 so you should be able to fabricate a harness relatively inexpensively if you haven't already purchased one from Ranger.

 

[K7MXE]

I just went out and checked the number of my spare connector and its pretty close, 426234 (SEADOG) and that is for just the connector that fits on the trailer. EQ Harbor Services fixed me up with a spare when I bought the trailer as Les said I would need it sooner or later and hopefully later is a long way off. Bob Heselberg Eatonville Wa

 

[Andrew Custis]

The wires match up color wise to the trailer. Should be nothing to hide here. We do have a patent on it but if you have a Ranger tug, I do not see an issue with this. Run a cable from the bow plug on the tug and splice into the trailer wiring. Easy to do. I have seen some R21's where the wiring on the plug did not match the wiring to the trailer so you might have to pull apart the plug on the bow.