We'll be towing our '03 disco II BEHIND our motorhome in the coming months. I have a 4-pin set up on the motorhome. Two questions.

1. Anyone have a recipe - step-by-step- instructions on how to tap into the rover's lighting system so that I have turn signals, brake lights and reverse lights, etc.?

2. I'll need to turn the ignition key to the II position in order to tow the Landy behind the MH. This is going to create a battery drain, especially for some long hauls. Anyone out there know to to keep power on the landy, without draining the battery? Can I tap into the motorhomes's deep cycle batteries and run power from the MH's battery to the Landy?

I will have a portable auxillary brake system for the rover and it also needs power from the Landy - from the cigarette lighter - in order to apply pressure to the rover's brake pedal.

Thanks,
Rob

 

Why do you need to use the Rovers brakes? I assume it is a class "A" motor home, which has large tractor trailer sized brakes on it so the extra 4500lbs should not be a problem.
Your transfer case will need to be in neutral, you can always leave the engine running, or run dual batteries or strap a 1000 watt generator to the roof of the Rover and run a battery charger.
I do not know how you would tie into the Rovers lighting, I'd take it to a travel trailer shop that can do it for you and let them do it right the first time.
I have seen people make a light bar (like a bike carrier) that goes into the trailer hitch receiver on your Rover, you then plug that into your flat four on the motor home and string the wire harness along the side of the rover.
Thats all I got man, sorry.

 

Even with the oversize brakes, most state laws dictate that auxilarry brakes must be in use while towing. Living in the Northeast, we may happen to travel to Canada, and they are sticklers about towing and that your "toad" have some sort of auxilary brake system...it's not like I'll be doing 80 MPH and a cop will pull me over. It's more of being a law-abiding citizen. Also, inertia in having to make sudden stops will really push the rig foward (yea, you are spot on....Class A, 36', gas), and that's alot of weight pushing on my hindside.

Thinking of just putting magentic trailer lights; might be the cheapest and easist method of getting lights.

Do you have any thoughts on battery drain with the Landy?

Thanks for the reply.

 

I understand completely with the following the law, nothing spoils a vacation more than the man with a badge.
Gas? Man I feel bad for you, what do you get, 4mpg?
Magnetic brakes might work, I have no experience with them.
As for the battery drain, you are either going to have to run the battery dead or leave the engine running.
I have seen plugs on the front of "toads" with a heavy duty plug, like those on electric forklifts, that you could wire to the Landy's battery and then the other end to your tow vehicle and then when they are plugged in your tow vehicle's charging system keeps the Landy charged.

 

4 MPGs with a windsail afixed on top of the MH, going down hill...

8 mpgs with the v-10. Not bad considering the v-10 is huffin' and puffin' 22k pounds. With the toad, drops to 7.

Was towing a mini-cooper, but sold it about a week ago and purchased the Landy. Tired of towing "front wheels up" with the mini.

Noticed your Avatar from MI. Trying to pillow talk my wife to go to MI. Specifically, Petosky. Also, maybe Traverse City. Hear Mackinac Island is a must see, though cars need not apply.

Have you been there? Any ammo to help my cause would be great. She's vying for Hilton Head...been there 3 years now....time to try something new this summer. Travelin with 2 young kids and 2 dogs.

Rob

 

Traverse City is awesome, my wife is from there, thats where we met, her fam still lives there, Grand Traverse Bay is beautiful.
Not much to do though, other than shop (tourist prices), hike, mountain bike, swim, wine, food...those kinds of things, lots of history, small zoo, great boardwalk and The Great Wolf Lodge.
Petoskey is the same.
Mackinac City is great, small town, lots to see, Fort Michilimackinac is one of them, and of course the Mackinac Bridge.
Mackinac Island, no cars since the '50's?, except the fire trucks, you have to get to it by ferry boat.
Mackinac Island has one of the oldest military forts in the US, it was built by the French in the 1700's? to fight the Indian's and protect the Straights of Mackinac from enemies.
It's fun to go through the grave yard on the island, bikes, horses and foot travel only.
You can rent bikes on the island, cheaper than bringing your own, hotels and restaurants and fudge galore on the island.
The Grand Hotel you can visit, or eat dinner (black tie only), rooms are like $300/night, oldest hotel in the US.
Sault St. Marie is good too, visit the Soo Locks and take the water tour, a boat ride through the locks into Lake Superior and see Canada's largest hydro electric power plant, but the locks are the main attraction.
Tahquamenon Fall's is gorgeous, nice little hike to the lower falls, short row boat to the upper falls where you can wade in the root beer colored water.
Sleeping Bear Dunes was just ranked one of the top ten most beautiful places in the US, thats by Traverse City, ~30 miles away by Empire.
Back in the U.P. by the Soo Locks is White Fish Point, the Shipwreck museum, thats where the Edmund Fitzgerald sank.
Come to MI man.
DNR - Department of Natural Resources

 

I need to tow a U-Haul trailer soon to get stuff stored forever in a storage locker.
Any idea where the towing wires are kept?

Seems connecting for towing is always a nightmare.
Never a an adapter that just works.

 

My '03 owner's manual (page 142) states that the wiring harness for towing can be located behind the right (passenger) tail light cluster. The manual further states that the wiring harness is a multi-pin trailer lighting socket.

As I recall, u-haul stuff is typically 4-pin set-up. Therefore, you'll have to find an adapter somewhere to connect the two sockets.

Hope this helps.

G. Bob

 

This is correct. AB sells the converter, as I'm sure U-Haul does too. Just remember we have separate turn and stop lights. You'll need a kit similar to this. CLICK ME.

 

So here's a thought:

What if I were to take this wiring harness located in the Landy's tail light, get this 4 pin convertor that was noted in the previous thread, get a 4 pin extension and run the extension from the Landy's tail light wiring harness to the Motorhome's 4 pin set up. Would I then get turn signals, brake lights, running lights?