Has anyone Installed trailer lights
Thread Starter
1st Gear
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
From: Portland TX
Has anyone Installed trailer lights
I have recentley purchased a Sea Doo and installed a hitch on my 2001 vet. I went to cut in to the wiring for the lights, but was hesitant to cut any wirers with so many back there. Found that the main harness was easy to locate behind the license plate but I am not sure which brown, green and yellow wires to splice to. Has anyone had any success installing trailer lights. Just thought I'd ask before I started cutting the wrong wires. Thanks
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 3,107
Likes: 7
From: Sandy Ego Ca.
You should put your flame retarding suit on now..........
I put some on my Camaro so I could pull a small trailer (Ive still got scorch marks from that)..
But it was pretty straight forwad..cant imaging it would be much more difficult on a vette....
I put some on my Camaro so I could pull a small trailer (Ive still got scorch marks from that)..
But it was pretty straight forwad..cant imaging it would be much more difficult on a vette....
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 25,889
Likes: 7
From: Virginia Beach
CI 3-5-6-7-8 Veteran
I did... I pulled the 2 inner tail lights and the backup/plate panel to get access to the wires. I had a buddy w/ a multi-meter help me though.
I pulled my race tires/tools on a small trailer for over 2 years. I also moved my '96 XP around some but never launched it w/ the vette.
You'll get tons of ignorant morons in here balking at the idea of a hitch on a vette.
I had the wiring plug up in the area where your license plate lights are... I ziptied it up there, so I could fish it out when I needed it but it was hidden when I didn't.
Unless I pointed out my hitch you'd never see it. But I trailer the car now
I pulled my race tires/tools on a small trailer for over 2 years. I also moved my '96 XP around some but never launched it w/ the vette.
You'll get tons of ignorant morons in here balking at the idea of a hitch on a vette.
I had the wiring plug up in the area where your license plate lights are... I ziptied it up there, so I could fish it out when I needed it but it was hidden when I didn't.
Unless I pointed out my hitch you'd never see it. But I trailer the car now
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 34,873
Likes: 487
From: Lacey WA RVN 68-69
NCM Sinkhole Donor
Trailer light wires are the same color as the wires to the cars rear lights. It's a simple matter of matching the colors together.
White wire: Ground
Brown wire: Tail lamps
Yellow wire: Left Turn and Stop
Green wire: Right Turn and Stop
The car will not have a white wire in the harness; the 4-pin trailer wiring harness assembly will only have it. It's important to have the white wire on the car side grounded properly. Attach a ring terminal to the white wire on the car side and use a sheet metal screw to attach the terminal to a good metal ground. You can use a test light or a Ohm meter to verify a ground location on the car.
To connect the colored wire ends, use Scotch-Lok connectors. These are available at parts stores in the electrical wiring parts section. You simply push one end around the car wire and insert the connector end into a hole. There is a metal U-shaped pice that you push down which slices into the wire covering and creates a contact with the wire. A flap snaps over the connector to keep it tight and seal it from moisture.
You will probably notice that the turn signals will flash at a faster rate due to the additional load from the extra light bulb on the trailer. You can either replace the flasher with a HD version or use LED trailer lights.
You may also have to change the tail lamp fuse to the next larger size. You are adding a number of extra bulbe to that circuit (2 trailer tail lights and at least 4 small clearance lamp bulbs) and it could be overloaded. The car's wiring wil be fine but the stock fuse may not handle the extra electrical load.
The only thing to be careful of in towing a trailer with the Vette is to not have a lot of weight. While the C5 hitches are rated as a Class II and good to about 3500lbs, the car's frame and suspension is not up to that weight.
Also, when you add the tongue weight (10% of the total trailer weight) to the car, you have to add that weight to the cargo capacity of the car. By the time you add whatever you are taking with you, friend, coolers, life jackets, or whatever, the total cargo weight of the Vette is maxed out or even beyond. If you can, get somebody else to haul cargo for you.
Keep in mind that most See-Doo trailers are short and have a failry short tongue. Backing up can be a PITA especially when you may not be able to see to the rear with the outside mirrors.
Don't use a boat launch that is too steep
It can be hard on a clutch pulling the loaded trailer out. If the launch is too shallow, you may find the back of the car in the water in order to get the See-Doo off 
Not a good thing.
Towing race tires on a small trailer is one thing but I think I would look twice here with a Ski-Doo. Too many things can go wrong primarily in the launch/load side of towing.
White wire: Ground
Brown wire: Tail lamps
Yellow wire: Left Turn and Stop
Green wire: Right Turn and Stop
The car will not have a white wire in the harness; the 4-pin trailer wiring harness assembly will only have it. It's important to have the white wire on the car side grounded properly. Attach a ring terminal to the white wire on the car side and use a sheet metal screw to attach the terminal to a good metal ground. You can use a test light or a Ohm meter to verify a ground location on the car.
To connect the colored wire ends, use Scotch-Lok connectors. These are available at parts stores in the electrical wiring parts section. You simply push one end around the car wire and insert the connector end into a hole. There is a metal U-shaped pice that you push down which slices into the wire covering and creates a contact with the wire. A flap snaps over the connector to keep it tight and seal it from moisture.
You will probably notice that the turn signals will flash at a faster rate due to the additional load from the extra light bulb on the trailer. You can either replace the flasher with a HD version or use LED trailer lights.
You may also have to change the tail lamp fuse to the next larger size. You are adding a number of extra bulbe to that circuit (2 trailer tail lights and at least 4 small clearance lamp bulbs) and it could be overloaded. The car's wiring wil be fine but the stock fuse may not handle the extra electrical load.
The only thing to be careful of in towing a trailer with the Vette is to not have a lot of weight. While the C5 hitches are rated as a Class II and good to about 3500lbs, the car's frame and suspension is not up to that weight.
Also, when you add the tongue weight (10% of the total trailer weight) to the car, you have to add that weight to the cargo capacity of the car. By the time you add whatever you are taking with you, friend, coolers, life jackets, or whatever, the total cargo weight of the Vette is maxed out or even beyond. If you can, get somebody else to haul cargo for you.
Keep in mind that most See-Doo trailers are short and have a failry short tongue. Backing up can be a PITA especially when you may not be able to see to the rear with the outside mirrors.
Don't use a boat launch that is too steep
It can be hard on a clutch pulling the loaded trailer out. If the launch is too shallow, you may find the back of the car in the water in order to get the See-Doo off Not a good thing.Towing race tires on a small trailer is one thing but I think I would look twice here with a Ski-Doo. Too many things can go wrong primarily in the launch/load side of towing.
