Towed vehicle mounting

[3175375]

I am installing a tow kit in Lucy, my fiancé’s 2021 Bronco 4WD 4 door.
It’s a Blue Ox set.
Got one side done.
Electrical will be done once the mechanical mounting is done.

Driver’s side, fwd is to the left:

View from underneath, fwd is to the left.

I’ll cut the rods hanging down after I finish up the safety cable that’s looped around the front crossbeam.
This all gets covered up with a plastic cover. Also, a no scar mod (to the vehicle, hands not included).

 

[3175375]

I had to cut the bottom cover a bit for the tow brackets to fit, but I am satisfied.
On to install the wiring kit.

 

[300rag]

I am installing a tow kit in Lucy, my fiancé’s 2021 Bronco 4WD 4 door.
It’s a Blue Ox set.
Got one side done.
Electrical will be done once the mechanical mounting is done.

What are you using for a brake actuator?

 

[3175375]

What are you using for a brake actuator?

Still need to get one. Air Force One appears to be a good solution.

 

[3175375]

Still need to get one. Air Force One appears to be a good solution.

I ordered a Blue Ox Patriot 3 BRK2019.

 

[300rag]

I ordered a Blue Ox Patriot 3 BRK2019.

I used the older version Patriot when I had mine. Worked quite well.

 

[3175375]

Well, I installed the wiring kit that I ordered from Unleashed Tuning, specifically made for the Bronco.

The kit installed fairly easily.
However, their kit has the same design shortcoming that I have seen in every towed vehicle wiring - that is the kit doesn’t illuminate or tie into the license plate light.

As far as I know, this is illegal and you can be stopped for it.

I had to add this functionality to my Fiesta, using blocking diodes, and will do so for this installation as well.

I believe that the 3rd brake light also isn’t tied into the design and I will have to check to see if that’s also legal (not having it while towing it).

How come companies do it right?

 

[patrick66]

^^^Why would you tie into your tag light? It is part of the running light function, so if you are wired up right and have taillights, your tag light should work, as well. Same with the third brake light. They don't care if you have a trailer hooked up or not, as they are upstream of the trailer wiring connector.

I owned a trailer dealership for seven years, and my son was a manager/installer at U-Haul for several years. Trust us here.

 

[3175375]

^^^Why would you tie into your tag light? It is part of the running light function, so if you are wired up right and have taillights, your tag light should work, as well. Same with the third brake light. They don't care if you have a trailer hooked up or not, as they are upstream of the trailer wiring connector.

I owned a trailer dealership for seven years, and my son was a manager/installer at U-Haul for several years. Trust us here.

The towed vehicle harness breaks into the towed vehicle at the tail light housings. I bet that they inserted blocking diodes to only illuminate the tail and brake lights.
I had this same thing occur when I paid an RV shop to put the towed vehicle wiring in my Ford Fiesta.

 

[patrick66]

It took my addled brain to realize you're towing the Bronco, not towing with it. In any case, your tag light and TBL should work with the tow wiring harness you're using. The TBL is connected to your Bronco brake lights, and your tag light is connected to the running lights. Neither have a separate circuit.

 

[3175375]

It took my addled brain to realize you're towing the Bronco, not towing with it. In any case, your tag light and TBL should work with the tow wiring harness you're using. The TBL is connected to your Bronco brake lights, and your tag light is connected to the running lights. Neither have a separate circuit.

The wiring harness that runs up to the 6 pin socket on the front of the bronco (which attaches to the towing vehicle) tees in between each tail light housing and the factory harness that used to attach to the tail light housing.
I am positive that they installed blocking diodes in there to prevent the rest of the vehicle lights from illuminating.
The 3rd brake light and license plate light do not illuminate in this configuration.

I am not so concerned about the 3rd brake light and will splice in a blocking diode and run the output of it to the license plate light, so I will have it lit when towing and the blocking diode will prevent the harness to the towing vehicle connector from being energized when the bronco provides power to the license plate light (tail lights on).

 

[patrick66]

That certainly is odd.

 

[3175375]

That certainly is odd.

They did it for 3 reasons, I suspect:
1) easy to install

2) the towing vehicle won’t power up any other systems that may cause a battery drain

3) minimizes the loading on the towed vehicle

Just a data point, their LED Bronco lighting kit illuminates the yellow turn signal lights when the brakes are applied from the towing vehicle. Several Bronco owners pointed that out and I believe someone reported it to the highway safety board and they are now changing the design - speaks volumes of their poor engineering…