How to Make a Tail Light Kit for the Curt Cargo Carrier # C18100

Updated 08/01/2013 | Published 07/30/2013

Products Featured in This Question

19x60 Curt Cargo Carrier for 2" Hitches - Aluminum - Folding - 500 lbs

(308)

$190.65

16-14 Gauge Butt Connector - 5 Pack

(31)

$4.30

12-10 Gauge Butt Connector

(23)

$0.86

Thinline LED Trailer Tail Light - Stop, Tail, Turn - Submersible - 11 Diodes - Clear Lens

(1465)

$16.44

Question:

I have a 2013 Nissan Pathfinder with factory trailer package. I am looking to install a taillight kit onto my Curt 18100 Cargo Carrier. I am prewired for 7 way blade trailer hook-up. I was considering using the Hopkins 7-Way Molded Trailer Wire Connector part number H20042 to connect to a slim LED 3 function tail light. Do any of your tail lights line up to the holes already drilled into the Curt 18100? Which tail lights or tail light kit do you recommend? Is the Hopkins 7-Way Molded Trailer Wire Connector part number H20042 an easy way to wire a tail lights, or is there a kit that is easier/cheaper? I am looking for any suggestions to make the wiring process quick and simple! Thanks

asked by: Howard E

Expert Reply:

I may have a few parts that you can piece together to install tail lights on the Curt Cargo Carrier, # C18100, but Curt does not offer a tail light kit that will fit this carrier.

If you are interested in the slim LED lights, you could install two of the Optronics Sealed LED Thin Line Lights, # STL69RCB, on each side of the carrier. You could route the wires through the existing hole and would only have to drill the holes for the mounting screws.

Once you have the lights mounted, you can wire them to a 7-way trailer connector like the Hopkins 7-way molded trailer connector to prevent having to use an adapter. You will also want to pick up at least four 14-gauge butt connectors, # 05731-5, and two 10-gauge butt connectors, # 05732-2.

You will see three wires coming from each light assembly. The white wire is for ground, the black wire is for the tail light function and the red wire is for the stop and turn functions. When splicing the wires to the Hopkins 7-way connector, the white wires from the tail lights will connect to the white wire on the 7-way. The black wires will connect to the green wire on the 7-way and the red wires will connect to the red wire on the 7-way for the left turn and brake and the brown wire on the 7-way for the right turn and brake.

It is important that you connect the wires by color rather than function. Hopkins and Optronics do not use industry standard wire colors, so the colors will not match up properly with the functions in this situation.