Rocket Scientist trailer light wiring

Towed a stranded dump & pup yesterday (yes we can tow combo's here in Oregon). (fun stuff)

Rig total length was too long for my light bar cord so I ran a standard trailer cord from my tow truck to the pup for rear lights.

Took off fine nice and slow tows great, here we go. Fairly heavy traffic on the boulevard so I'm taking it easy and coast up to the first stop light. Gaining confidence and more comfy with how the rig is handling, I am mentally checking my route and planning where to drop the pup because the truck needs a major mechanical.

The next light catches me where I can't coast down and as I am finishing my stop KA-WHAM-O!!! WTF was that? Jump out and check, everything looks fine. Figured it was some glitch with my brake buddy. Get back I and pull away so I don't block any more traffic on the boulevard. KA-WHAM-O!!! it goes again!!! Now I am really worried, Dump Driver is with me and notices that the pup tongue is stretched out!!! How did that happen?

Turns out some Rocket Scientist has used the +12 wire in the trailer light cord to activate the servos to release the extend-able tongue. So when I plugged in my light cord to illuminate the trailer it activated the release on the tongue!!!! So I was going down the road with the pup acting like it was connected with a slinky!!!!! (really fun on those tight right handers!)

The Gods smiled on me (my towing karma took a hit) and we made it to the shop without further indecent. (no thanks to the rocket scientist)

MORAL of the story is "Keep your light cord standardized"
and to the towers "don't trust others junk".
Heads UP!

The next one like that I tow will just have 4 ways on and the truck brake lights from the brake buddy, doing without turn signals is better than the chance of loosing a pup!

 

Got bit by this again last night!!!!
Towed a loaded End Dump with a busted gearset off the freeway.

Rocket Scientist Mechanic has used the 12 volt supply pin for the trailer to activate an air powered tail gate release and lift system.

I'd pulling away from the pullout where I picked him up, and the driver is doing the usual thing drivers do when they get in my pass seat, HOGGING my pass side mirror!!!
PLEASE WHEN YOU RIDE IN ANOTHER'S TRUCK DON'T LEAN FORWARD AND BLOCK THE REAL DRIVERS VIEW OUT THE PASS MIRROR.

Sorry, I digressed. As we pull out into traffic he exclaims "Why is the tail gate open!!!!????" I'm adding, on a trailer loaded with 80,000# of rock....! (FAWK!)

Damit you guys! The trailer light connector is not the place to attach your gimmick!
Someone might plug a standard wired tractor into it!
I know the thought process is "who else is going to tow my trailer"..... ME!
And what if you have to rent or borrow a tractor to make money with the trailer?

I'm just lucky I'm not out there still cleaning up 80,000# of rock off the freeway.....
I wonder if the driver and the mechanic would have helped clean it up?
I asked the driver, he said "No it's air powered" [/facepalm]

In my defense. It was dark and I was slogging around in the muck and distracted pulling axles and dodging the idiot traffic that was racing by. I thought about it, but it was an end dump "What could go wrong?". Also I did not have air applied to the trailer when I plugged in the lights so I did not hear the gimmick activate.

 

Follow up:

Little rock if any was dumped on the freeway (I hope). Nobody honked at me....
If there was any up against the gate it would be on the ground in the muck where he stopped.

I am going to run the 12 volt feed to my trailer light connector through a switch in my tow control panel with a big GIANT RED LIGHT on it!

I am leaving myself open to a ticket and a full anal probe by the mounties if I go dragging something around with just the 4 ways on. Not to forget the liability if there was an accident and I did not have the lights properly connected. Or the clean up if I dumped rock on the freeway, or worse yet, if that pup had sheared the slide stop and took a divergent path into a school bus. FILM AT 11!!