Another non-BRP trailer woe

[OverHillAndDale]

For those of you who will simply say "Get a BRP trailer", well the $ just weren't there.

For the record, I'm not the one who started this thread but I'm having my own non-BRP trailer woes.

I purchased a used Aluma motorcycle trailer a couple of weeks ago. Nearly all the lights are LED, although I think the license plate light might be incandescent. The lights all work if I connect them to a 12 volt sources, but if I connect my Spyder to them only some of the lights work.

Not sure, but I'm thinking the Can-Am harness just doesn't supply enough current for the running lights (the brake and turn signal lights fail when I connect the running lights, which include the possibly incandescent license plate bulb). So here are what I believe my options are:
- Find a way to get inside the small dome-shaped license plate light, confirm that the bulb is incandescent, remove it if it is, retest. Or
- Wire a relay to provide 12V battery power to the running light. This would involve splicing into the harness somewhere and a bunch of other nasty stuff.

So, has anyone got experience routing a wire from the frunk back to under the seat where I'd have to splice in?
Does this sound reasonable or is there a better choice?
Would I be better to just buy the Big Bike Parts harness that people sound like they're having better luck with?

You guys (and gals) are usually really helpful, so I'm counting on your expertise once again.

 

[billybovine]

BRP uses a Hopkins 5 to 4 fully isolated converter. I just looked on the Hopkins web site and that module is capable of 8 amps for each output line. So if your trailer is using more than 8 amps on the running lights and most of them are leds that trailer should be bright enough to blind someone. That almost as much power as your headlights use.

 

[OverHillAndDale]

This is very confusing ... the trailer lights work fine when I hook them up to a battery but start failing when I hook them up to the bike. Yes, I've confirmed the grounding of the trailer circuitry to the white wire.

Anyone else use an Aluma trailer with the BRP trailer harness?

 

[easysuper]

Thats what happed to both our trailers , and when we stopped in Bend Or. the tech changed out the module with on from Uhaul and they work perfectly 6 months and many many miles later. I don't know what it was with the BRP module but they both went out after about a week .

 

[OverHillAndDale]

Dang frustrating. More than the $ is just the effort of tearing into the bike and putting it back together. All the wiring harnesses on motorcycles have very short leads and are hard to get.

However, the more I look at the trailer the more I'm convinced that all its wiring is good. I went ahead and ordered a BBP harness that will be here on Saturday and if I can't get this working I'll remove the BRP harness and install the BBP harness.

My trailer would like 5 wires anyway, so it might be better in the long run.

 

[rbob]

auto module

Thats what happed to both our trailers , and when we stopped in Bend Or. the tech changed out the module with on from Uhaul and they work perfectly 6 months and many many miles later. I don't know what it was with the BRP module but they both went out after about a week .

Same here. I bought the cheapest convertor module from the local auto parts store and spliced the inputs to the l turn, r turn,brake,tail lights and the ground onto the braided ground strap located under the seat. The lights all work on the trailer as a test. I haven't gone anywhere or had them on for very long yet so that will be the next test. I also downloaded the service manual and got the color codes for the above input wires.
Bob

 

[JayD]

Aluma trailer

This is very confusing ... the trailer lights work fine when I hook them up to a battery but start failing when I hook them up to the bike. Yes, I've confirmed the grounding of the trailer circuitry to the white wire.

Anyone else use an Aluma trailer with the BRP trailer harness?

I am going through the same thing right now. Dealer told me that I need to self ground the trailer or I would continue to blow out the module.

 

[stillriding]

I am going through the same thing right now. Dealer told me that I need to self ground the trailer or I would continue to blow out the module.

I don't have an Aluma, but I had the same problem. When my dealer installed my THIRD module I had them ground both the module to the frame and the trailer to itself. These were suggestions provided by Spyderlovers members on this site. No problems since.

 

[jaherbst]

Never had any of these problems with my BRP RT-622 trailer.:joke: OUCH-sorry Just saying. I know they are expensive but for

the most part trouble free with reasonable maintenance. At my age a little more money for a lot less grief works pretty darn well.

Sorry your having all those problems.

Jack

 

[spyderCodes]

I'm only blue skying here, I haven't done it but why not try this
Opto isolator

 

[Bfromla]

I don't have an Aluma, but I had the same problem. When my dealer installed my THIRD module I had them ground both the module to the frame and the trailer to itself. These were suggestions provided by Spyderlovers members on this site. No problems since.

:firstplace: No way we will be able to test:dontknow: but this many reports sure sounds like BRP found a way to electrically proprietary ¿¿:gaah::banghead::banghead:
This will go beyond the trailers & into other farkles:barf:

 

[spyderCodes]

:firstplace: No way we will be able to test:dontknow: but this many reports sure sounds like BRP found a way to electrically proprietary ¿¿:gaah::banghead::banghead:
This will go beyond the trailers & into other farkles:barf:

I doubt if there is any witchcraft involved.

 

[SpyderAnn01]

Never had any of these problems with my BRP RT-622 trailer.:joke: OUCH-sorry Just saying. I know they are expensive but for

the most part trouble free with reasonable maintenance. At my age a little more money for a lot less grief works pretty darn well.

Sorry your having all those problems.

Jack

It happened to me with my 2010 RT-622 trailer when hooked up to my 14 RT. The wiring harness was changed and it doesn't get along well with others. I blew two modules before BRP completely rewired my trailer and added the new grounding wires.

 

[Bfromla]

I doubt if there is any witchcraft involved.

Me too but some complicated enginering is right up their ally

 

[manxman]

Trailer Lights

For those of you who will simply say "Get a BRP trailer", well the $ just weren't there.

For the record, I'm not the one who started this thread but I'm having my own non-BRP trailer woes.

I purchased a used Aluma motorcycle trailer a couple of weeks ago. Nearly all the lights are LED, although I think the license plate light might be incandescent. The lights all work if I connect them to a 12 volt sources, but if I connect my Spyder to them only some of the lights work.

Not sure, but I'm thinking the Can-Am harness just doesn't supply enough current for the running lights (the brake and turn signal lights fail when I connect the running lights, which include the possibly incandescent license plate bulb). So here are what I believe my options are:
- Find a way to get inside the small dome-shaped license plate light, confirm that the bulb is incandescent, remove it if it is, retest. Or
- Wire a relay to provide 12V battery power to the running light. This would involve splicing into the harness somewhere and a bunch of other nasty stuff.

So, has anyone got experience routing a wire from the frunk back to under the seat where I'd have to splice in?
Does this sound reasonable or is there a better choice?
Would I be better to just buy the Big Bike Parts harness that people sound like they're having better luck with?

You guys (and gals) are usually really helpful, so I'm counting on your expertise once again.

I would make sure you have a very good ground, even if you have to run a separate wire..............

 

[wolfee]

I use an Aluma Trailer with the BRP wiring and have used it on two different bikes without any difficulty. Dealer installed for me on both bikes and used the wiring diagram that came with the Trailer.

Wolfee

 

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

All trailer wiring connectors have a pin for ground. That should tell you something, as in run a ground from every light back to the trailer plug and to the towing vehicle ground lead. I have never seen dependable grounding of trailer lights using the trailer frame and hitch connection.

 

[JayD]

Wiring Harness

For those of you who will simply say "Get a BRP trailer", well the $ just weren't there.

For the record, I'm not the one who started this thread but I'm having my own non-BRP trailer woes.

I purchased a used Aluma motorcycle trailer a couple of weeks ago. Nearly all the lights are LED, although I think the license plate light might be incandescent. The lights all work if I connect them to a 12 volt sources, but if I connect my Spyder to them only some of the lights work.

Not sure, but I'm thinking the Can-Am harness just doesn't supply enough current for the running lights (the brake and turn signal lights fail when I connect the running lights, which include the possibly incandescent license plate bulb). So here are what I believe my options are:
- Find a way to get inside the small dome-shaped license plate light, confirm that the bulb is incandescent, remove it if it is, retest. Or
- Wire a relay to provide 12V battery power to the running light. This would involve splicing into the

So, has anyone got experience routing a wire from the frunk back to under the seat where I'd have to splice in?
Does this sound reasonable or is there a better choice?
Would I be better to just buy the Big Bike Parts harness that people sound like they're having better luck with?

You guys (and gals) are usually really helpful, so I'm counting on your expertise once again.

I had the same problem with my aluma. I had toground the trailer to itself.

 

[Scoot2Mtns]

No problems with a Lumina trailer

Never had any of these problems with my BRP RT-622 trailer.:joke: OUCH-sorry Just saying. I know they are expensive but for

the most part trouble free with reasonable maintenance. At my age a little more money for a lot less grief works pretty darn well.

Sorry your having all those problems.

Jack

Not all non-BRP trailers are cursed. Just finished a 4000 mile trip with lots of pouring rain using a Lumina trailer. No problems, no leaks, pulled easy. I did caulk the seams when I first got it and added additional weather stripping to the opening but other than that just routine bearing greasing.