A vehicle LED lighting outage detection circuit is disclosed for detecting a fault in the LED light and automatically increasing the power drawn from the light power supply in response to the fault. A complementary detection circuit is also disclosed for detecting the increased power draw and signaling a fault to an operator. The increased power draw can be selected to be in the form of a pulse that settles to a lower power draw state after a time to avoid excessive and wasteful power draw. The system can be mounted in a vehicle and, more particularly, to a semi- tractor truck.

A coupling control module according to the invention, comprises the coupling control module designed to transmit at least one configuration bus message to the at least one motor vehicle bus module via the bus interface, wherein the configuration bus message contains a configuration identifier to be entered in configuration data of the motor vehicle bus module, wherein the configuration identifier is provided so that when the motor vehicle continues to be operated, at least one motor vehicle bus module can execute at least one function according to the existence of the trailer coupling and/or according to bus messages received from the coupling control module on the basis of received configuration identifier.

A brake controller is provided as an inline plug between the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle or trailer. The electronics including an accelerometer and wireless communication radio are potted within a brake controller housing package. There is no conventional display or input controls on the exterior of the brake controller package. Input settings, and possibly output messages, are communicated through a smartphone or similar software or hardware application. The brake controller can identify a hazard lighting condition and avoid braking the towed vehicle during the hazard lighting condition, and can also distinguish when braking during signaling a turn, using the turn signals of the towing vehicle.

Disclosed are various embodiments for a retractable lighting device for illuminating trailers and other areas. A retractable lighting device is configured to transition between collapsed and non-collapsed states where the retractable lighting device may include one or more light emitting components. A controller may be communicatively coupled to the driving mechanism, wherein the controller is configured to transmit a signal to the driving mechanism that causes the driving mechanism to transition the retractable lighting device from a collapsed state to a non-collapsed state and vice versa.

A lighted guide post assembly for a boat trailer is provided. The assembly includes a square tubular angled support post that attaches to a boat trailer, a translucent circular outer tube that covers the square support post, and strips of lights that suspend within the interior of the outer tube between the outer tube and the square support post. This arrangement allows the guide post to glow on four sides without light bleeding together from adjacent sides of the guide post.

Various examples are provided related to boat loaders for trailers. In one example, a boat loader includes a primary tube extending between a first end and a second end and a light tube that can move within the primary tube. The light tube can include light elements extending along a portion of the light tube at a first end and a float attached to the light tube at a second end. The primary tube can be coupled to a trailer at the second end and the first end of the light tube can extend outward from the first end of the primary tube exposing the light elements as the primary tube is submerged in water and can retract into the primary tube as the primary tube is removed from the water.

A system and method for testing a tractor trailer is disclosed. The system includes a housing having connections for establishing an electrical and pressure connection to the electrical system and ABS of a tractor trailer, respectively, a circuit board that generates electrical signals and pressure signals corresponding to the connections, an electronic device for displaying the electrical signals and pressure signals, a wireless transceiver for transmitting the electrical signals and pressure signals to the electronic device, and a memory for storing the transmitted electrical signals and pressure signals. The method includes connecting the tractor trailer electrical system and ABS connections to the housing, powering on the tractor trailer, querying an electrical signal and/or pressure signal of the electrical system and ABS, wirelessly transmitting the electrical signal and/or pressure signal to an electronic device, and displaying the electrical signal and/or pressure signal on the electronic device.

An electrical resistance of a lamp in communication with a computer is determined. A respective classification for each of the electrical resistance, a vehicle length, and a trailer length is determined. Each classification is associated to a respective range of values of one of the electrical resistance, the vehicle length, or the trailer length. Based on the classifications a trailer that is attached to a vehicle is detected. One or more components of the vehicle are actuated to move the trailer.

Exterior lighting systems are provided for towed vehicles, such as towed RVs, which includes a control module for receiving conventional illumination signals from the towing vehicle through a conventional trailer plug, and supplementing those conventional illumination signals with synchronized supplemental LED lighting. That supplemental lighting can include “constant-on” flashing LEDs indicative of operator intentions in the towing vehicle, either at locations adjacent conventional exterior lighting or other locations on the trailer. The control module can also support supplemental exterior illumination of the RV when the towed vehicle is stationary and in use for camping or advertisement. The control module includes a failsafe mode in the event of a fault in the supplemental lighting (so as to maintain conventional exterior lighting capability), diagnostic LED output for troubleshooting, and an automatic reset feature.

The present invention relates to a brake controller for a towed vehicle braking system, including a housing or a loom, including an input connector for electrical connection to a towing vehicle and an output connector for electrical connection to a towed vehicle.