Hopkins Custom Tail Light Wiring Kit for Towed Vehicles
Item # HM56000
Our Price: $74.94
Confirmed to Fit
2012 Ford F-150
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- Reviews (46)
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2012 Ford F-150 - Hopkins Custom Tail Light Wiring Kit for Towed Vehicles
- Wiring Harness
- Plugs into Vehicle Wiring
- Tail Light Mount
- Custom
- Hopkins
Wire your Ford F-150 and get the signal lights required for flat towing without having to splice into your wiring with this custom, plug-in harness. Integrated diodes prevent feedback from RV for safe operation. Wires as combined lighting system.
Features:
- Lets you wire your vehicle to accept your RV's tail, brake, and turn signal lights for flat towing
- Wires towed car as combined system so that brake and turn signals travel along same wire
- Provides 4-way flat plug at front of towed car to connect to motor home
- Plugs in quickly and easily - no cutting or splicing of wires
- Connection points are located behind your vehicle's tail lights
- Prevents electrical feedback to safeguard towed car's electrical system
- Weatherproof box keeps built-in diodes protected
- Won't interfere with electrical system when towed car is not hooked up to RV
- Custom designed for your vehicle
- Includes wiring harness, mounting bracket, and installation hardware
- Extension loop for connecting towed car to RV - (HM48235 - sold separately)
- Brake light relay (RM-88400 - sold separately) may be required if used with supplemental braking system
- 90-Day warranty
Wiring Your Towed Car with Hopkins
Wiring your car for flat towing has never been easier. No more testing wires or splicing into your electrical system. No need to painstakingly position multiple diodes beneath your vehicle. No worries about voiding your warranty. With this custom-fit towed vehicle wiring kit from Hopkins, all you have to do is plug the harness into your vehicle's existing wiring, which is located behind your car's tail light assemblies. No cutting, tapping, or splicing is required.
After plugging in the wiring harness, use the included bracket to mount the 4-way flat connector at the front of your towed car. An extension loop (HM48235 - sold separately) is required to connect your towed car to your RV.
Separate vs. Combined Lighting Systems
Some automobiles operate on a 3-wire system, wherein the brake signal and the turn signals travel along different wires to illuminate different lights. (Typically, these vehicles have amber turn signals.) This is referred to as a "separate lighting system." When you hook up for flat towing using this harness, your towed car's lighting system will operate in a combined fashion regardless of whether it typically has combined or separate lighting. This means that the brake and turn signals sent by your RV to your towed car will be carried on a single wire. As a result, your car's brake lights will do the flashing for the turn signals. Your vehicle will still function as designed when not hooked up to your RV.
Do You Need a Brake Light Relay?
Because this harness wires your vehicle as a combined system, a brake light relay (RM-88400 - sold separately) may be required if you use a supplemental braking system with your towing setup. A supplemental braking system depresses the brake pedal in your towed car every time you apply the brakes in your RV. So, if your towed car's brake lights illuminate when the brake pedal is pressed and the engine is off - as is the case when towing - then you need to install a relay to ensure that the lights on your towed car always act in accordance with the signals sent by your RV via the wiring harness. Without a relay, the brake signal from your towed car will override the turn signal sent by your RV when you slow down to make turns, creating a potential hazard.
11156000 Hopkins Plug-In Simple Dinghy Towing Harness
Replaces 56000
California residents: click here
Customer Satisfaction Score:
92% were satisfied with this product
8% of customers were not satisfied
- Wrong item was ordered
- Defective
- Product did not meet expectations
Customer Reviews
Hopkins Custom Tail Light Wiring Kit for Towed Vehicles - HM56000
Average Customer Rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars (46 Customer Reviews)
Wire your vehicle and get the signal lights required for flat towing without having to splice into your wiring with this custom, plug-in harness. Integrated diodes prevent feedback from RV for safe operation. Wires as combined lighting system.by: Larry 08/19/2022
Great wiring kit. Everything fit and worked perfectly on my 2013
F-150
by: William05/25/2023
Big job, completed in 4 hours by myself. Not bad for a person 81 years old. Once again great instructions.
by: Randy H08/09/2019
FordF-150
With the Hopkins HM56000 I was able to easily wire my Ford F150 for towing behind our motorhome in no time at all. I read the instructions and watched and install video and it went in per instructions with no problems at all. I have used it a number of times since install and lights were great! Good price, easy install and it works!
Randall H.
8/10/2020
one year later and still works great! Follow the instruction, no short cuts and no problem.
by: Great Product09/19/2019
If you have the option to use one of these custom fit kits for your trailer or tow vehicle wiring or both, don't hesitate to purchase. These kits make wiring a snap and both can be used in series if necessary without cutting or splicing any factory wire. I used this in comping with a T One kit for my Trailer hitch vehicle with no issues.
by: Ron06/27/2020
I was ready to switch to a more permanent lighting system since we plan to keep the 2009 Ford Escape for awhile. This harness is designed specifically for the Escape and was pretty easy to install after watching a video provided by etrailer. My only challenge was converting the 4 pin connector to the 6 pin that was previously installed on the Escape. The wiring diagram provided by etrailer made that easy as well. I am slow and inexperienced, so it took me about 4 hours. I did not find the double sided piece of tape that was supposed to be provided, so I made use of some strong velcro.
by: Dan09/05/2017
Ford Escape
Plug and Play!
No issues installing this harness. It only requires two connection points, one at each tail light. The connectors fit perfectly. The only challenge is routing the wiring forward under the body, but that's not the vendor's problem. On my Ford Escape I chose to route the wiring forward on the driver's side to avoid all the exhaust components rather than on the passenger's side as recommended in the instructions.
Minor gripe - the double sided tape necessary to attach the diode pack to the body was missing from the kit. Fortunately, I had some on hand, but it would have been irritating if I hadn't.
by: Bill G. 12/02/2016
We are out of state and when we entered a different shipping address, we received a phone call on our home phone to confirm that this order was legitimate. We really appreciate that extra layer of security provided by etrailer.
Will be installing the wiring kit today. Thx!!
by: Aaron 11/21/2022
Painless installation
by: Rick01/08/2018
FordF-150
I purchased the light wiring kit so I could tow my F150. The how to video was spot on and the install was easy for me.
by: Tommy S07/31/2016
Have had no problems with the Hopkins wiring I purchased last here. Instillation was quick and simple. Worked great out of the gate.
by: Ken06/03/2019
Try to make the most direct route from tail light to tail light. My first wire route from tail light to tail light the wire came up short. I had to make a more direct route for it to reach, but it did the second time.
by: Michael 07/11/2021
2008 Ford Edge
Did not say excellent because of installation. Not as described in instructions. Had to improvise.
Haven’t towed vehicle yet, so not sure if it works properly.
by: Gerald D04/05/2017
2012FordF-150
The wiring harness fit the plugs on my truck well ,it was simple to install.
by: Yvonne Gagen09/08/2014
Finally a product that was super easy to install (we are seniors and did the installation in no time at all). Sorry I can not send pictures but did not have a camera available. Thank you for the fast and efficient delivery of your product.
by: Jennifer S11/11/2016
To whom it may concern,
I must compliment Jennifer S. for her professionalism, knowledge and diligence, explaining the product and finally shipping on time. If the product is half as good as the service I received. We will let you know how the product works after instillation.
Regards,
David Cohen
by: Richard H.10/14/2013
2013 FordF-150
The wiring kit fit my Ford F 150 perfectly no cutting or splicing wires.
by: terry m12/06/2016
2015 FordF-150
Works great, but I will not take pictures because you can't see the product after installation.
by: Dave01/10/2018
great product, very easy installation. I installed everything myself in just a few hours.
by: John B04/10/2016
Great product...as described. Great instructions & easy to install. Also customer service was very helpful & provided me with excellent service. Would recommend to my friends.
by: Harry T12/22/2014
2010 Ford Escape
Easy installation, looks good on the ca r.
by: Dennis J.07/23/2016
Easy installation. Working well.
by: Ken Turner07/02/2015
Easy to install
Kenneth T.
7/1/2016
Works great
by: John S.03/01/2017
2013 FordF-150
Great Product, Good Price and was very easy to install
by: John09/04/2018
2013 FordF-150
Product was as described , easy to install, works great,
by: ernie01/23/2017
great job fast delivery, very impressed. have not installed. will let know.thanks
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Show More Reviews
See what our Experts say about this Hopkins Tow Bar Wiring
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view full answer... - Can Hopkins Custom Tail Light Wiring Kit for Towed Vehicles HM56000 Operate in Both DirectionsHopkins Custom Tail Light Wiring Kit for Towed Vehicles # HM56000 is directional; it cannot function in both directions. It can only take in the combined RV lighting signals and separate them for the towed vehicle's separate lighting. The custom connectors and pigtails are not available separately.
view full answer... - Tail Light Wiring Differences Between the 2008 Ford Edge and the 2011-2013 Ford EdgeThe Ford Edge went through a style change in 2011 and one of the changes involved the tail lights. The earlier generation Edge, including the 2008 models, used a combined wiring system. This means that the same bulb and circuit was used for the turn signal and the brake light. In 2011, the Edge was changed to a separate wiring system. There are separate bulbs for the turn signal and brake lights which means there are separate circuits for the turn signals and brake lights. These wiring...
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view full answer... - Tow Bar Wiring Recommendation for a 2014 Ford F-150We have exactly what you will need. First you will want the Hopkins Tow Bar Wiring part # HM56000. This will plug in line with your trucks taillights circuits to control them while being flat towed. This harness has a 4-way connector that can easily be converted to a 7-way with a # 47345. You will just need to plug the adapter into the 7-way socket on your tow vehicle and then plug the # HM56000 into it.
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view full answer... - Brake Light Relay Recommendation for a 2014 Ford F150 Being Flat TowedThe only way I can safely recommend you install the Roadmaster Brake Light Relay part # RM-88400 in your 2014 Ford F150 is according to the installation instructions. Don't worry, if you follow the instructions and install the relay correctly your F150 would be just fine. I attached an install video for you to check out.
view full answer... - Troubleshooting Tail Light Wiring Kit on 2014 Ford F-150Since you know you have a good ground what you need to do is use a circuit tester such as # PTW2993 and test harness # HM56000 individually for function when not connected to your truck. Doing this will let you know if there is an issue with the converter or not; if there is an issue then you have a faulty converter and you will need a replacement. This is uncommon but happens on rare occasion.
view full answer... - Tow Bar Wiring/Lighting Kit Recommendation for a 2014 Ford F-150Roadmaster, the manufacturer of a diode kit that has been confirmed to fit your 2014 Ford F-150 says that their kit part # RM-154 has been confirmed as a fit for your vehicle. However, we have an even easier to install wiring kit that you may also be interested in. The Hopkins Tow Bar wiring kit part # HM56000. This kit plugs in line with your taillight wiring harness and operates the taillights like a diode kit. Its a very easy install, check out the install video I attached that shows...
view full answer... - Parts Recommendation to Convert a 4-Way on a 2002 Toyota 4Runner to a 7-WayYou are going to need two things before you can tow your new trailer and I would recommend you install them before you head down there. First, to convert the 4-way of your 2002 4Runner to a 7-way and allow you to install a brake controller you will want the Universal Installation Kit for Trailer Brake Controller # ETBC7. I attached an install video and installation instructions for you to check out as well. For a brake controller I would recommend the Prodigy P2 Brake Controller part...
view full answer... - Can Trailer Wiring Function be Tested without Trailer ConnectedYou can definetely test the pins of your trailer connector for correct voltage without a trailer connected. If you check out the video I attached you can see how this is done with a similar 4-way connection. Another option you have would be an emulator tester like the part # 6562 which would plug right into your 7-way (if that's what you have) and with it's light displays for each circuit you'll know if all of the circuits are active.
view full answer... - Adapting a 7-Way Trailer Connector on an RV to a 4-Way Flat on a Towed VehicleIf the coach uses the 7-Way RV style connector with blade style pins then you can use coiled adapter, # HM47065, with the Hopkins Custom Tail Light Wiring Kit, # HM56000, or similar tow bar wiring that has a 4-Way flat end. If the coach has a 7-Way round pin connector then you can use an adapter such as # 47405. But you will likely need a 4-Way extension, # HM47115, to reach from the front of the vehicle to the coach. If your coach has a 6-Way round pin connector then you would use an...
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view full answer... - Recommended Parts To Flat Tow a 2010 Lincoln MKXI have attached for you below the components I recommend using to flat-tow a 2010 Lincoln MKX. Roadmaster Crossbar-Style Base Plate Kit part # 4408-1 Roadmaster Falcon 2 Tow Bar part # RM-520 RoadMaster 68" Single Hook, Coiled Safety Cables part # RM-643 Hopkins Custom Tail Light Wiring Kit for Towed Vehicles part # HM56000 Demco SBS Air Force One Supplemental Braking System part # SM99243 This will be a great, easy to use setup which will last the life of the vehicle. The majority of...
view full answer... - Can 2010 Ford F-150 Automatic be Flat Towed I took a look at the online version of the owner's manual for your 2010 Ford F-150 and it looks like if you have the automatic transmission it is not recommended to flat tow the truck with all 4 wheels on the ground. Doing this may cause damage to the transmission so your safest route is to use a car hauler to pull the truck with all the wheels off the road. If you wish to proceed with flat towing though you would need to install a lube pump kit, which we do not currently offer. I do...
view full answer... - Tow Bar Wiring For 2014 Ford F-150 SVT RaptorFor flat towing your 2014 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor, the easiest wiring kit to install is the Hopkins Custom Tail Light Wiring Kit # HM56000. This kit will plug into your vehicle's existing wiring at the taillights. I have attached an installation video of this wiring on a 2014 F-150 for you. If your RV has a 7-way connector, I recommend using the Blue Ox 7-wire to 6-wire, Coiled Electrical Cord # BX88206. Extensions help to connect the wiring from a tow vehicle to a towed vehicle. Since...
view full answer...
Do you have a question about this Tow Bar Wiring?
Info for this part was:
Edited by:
Leah B
Video by:
Andrew K
Video by:
Dustin K
Video by:
Zach D
Written by:
Lindsey S
Expert Research:
Michael H
Expert Research:
Jameson C
Expert Research:
Adam R
Video Edited:
Joshua S
Video Edited:
Jacob T
Video Edited:
Chris R
Installed by:
Cole B
Installed by:
Bradley B
Test Fit:
Shane T
Test Fit:
Randy B
Test Fit:
David F
Test Fit:
Ryan G
Updated by:
Wilson B
Updated by:
Alexander C
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Larry
8/20/2023
Still working perfectly. A quality wiring harness. It helped to have the truck on a lift.