Fontaine Renegade Rear Trailer wiring

**Hanadarko** · 05.27.2012

Anyone familiar with the Fontaine rear 4" round lights trailer wiring?
It uses what appears to be the 3 prong but requires MALE pin bulbs and the 1 pin
is not offset like a regular PL3 connecter on virtually every 4" round light out there...
Its ROUND...

Trailer wiring End looks like this:

Fontaine Renegade Rear Trailer wiring-66815.jpg

The lights have MALE PIN connectors on them and mate to the Fontaine tails which have
FEMALE ROUND ends. It's an odd 3 pin in the shape of a Y vs the offset PL3.

I want to replace the tail lights with GC Pearls, which have regular PL3 female connector.

-JD

**bender** · 05.27.2012

You can buy Trucklite brand PL3 pigtail harness for each lamp and install male bullet connectors on the pigtails to mate to your trailer wiring.

**Hanadarko** · 05.27.2012

Originally Posted by bender

You can buy Trucklite brand PL3 pigtail harness for each lamp and install male bullet connectors on the pigtails to mate to your trailer wiring.

I'm not sure that will do what I want, but...let me explain..

The trailer has the above hardwired socket. I would need something that would mate to it.
Grote makes lights that mate directly to this pigtail...but they dont sell an adapter to PL3.

I think I need a Y shaped MALE 3 pin that will mate to the trailer and then give me a PL3 MALE.
That would work...

Unless I am missing your thought?

-JD

**bender** · 05.27.2012

Oh OK, I see what you've got now. You're trying to avoid altering the factory Fontaine harness plug. I don't know of a way to do that. I would remove the plug, connect and seal the wires and be done, but I can understand if you don't want to butch it up.

**Hanadarko** · 05.27.2012

Originally Posted by bender

Oh OK, I see what you've got now. You're trying to avoid altering the factory Fontaine harness plug. I don't know of a way to do that. I would remove the plug, connect and seal the wires and be done, but I can understand if you don't want to butch it up.

Bingo. Some of the OEM 4" tail lights were tossed and GROTE makes an LED that connects directly up to the Fontaine wiring.
I was hoping to find an adapter so I didnt need to hack the factory wiring but I don't see any other options at this point.

I can cut off the goofy end, and connect up a new PL3 MALE and seal things up with solder and heat shrink.

-JD

**bender** · 05.27.2012

Trying to retain the factory Fontaine plug could cost you endless hours of hunting and chasing, not to mention possible insanity. It ain't worth it just to uphold Fontaines image!

**Hanadarko** · 05.27.2012

Imagine my surprise when I found the OEM 4" lites are actually HARD WIRED into a poly connection within the LED light.
No wonder the prior owner simply swapped them out (as they failed) with GROTE.

-JD

**Pablo-UA** · 05.27.2012

The sealed LED lamps are available on market now. I can see all styles for any market, with rear fog lamp, with yellow dir. light (for EU), of round, square form.... really all you want, generally made in China, Turkey and Poland. Cheap and reliable, work fine with bad wiring, becouse of low current LED needs.

**truckmechanic** · 05.28.2012

I would just swap the pigtails and be done with it solder and heat shrink them or use the butt connectors with heat shrink i would solder the.make it as easy as can be to find a replacement light out on the road if need be that's just my .02

**Pablo-UA** · 05.28.2012

do not use solder on trailers. corrosion may damage junction in a half of year. cooper + lead + water + road salt = .....

Trailer rear end is very corrosive place.

use twisting and heat shrink with glue inside. Wurth is the best,but cheaper chenese glue heat srink is good enought.