Tow harness attachment on car?

[fortow]

The location of that connector in SmartWillie's post is where the breakaway switch is installed on my car.
I opted to not use the wiring harness to the smart car's rear lights - instead I use magnetic tow lights connected directly to the motorhome and attached to brackets I install in the tow hook locations on the rear of the car. This had no effect on the electronics of the car, no need to use the car's power, and only takes several minutes to hook up.

Legalities aside, you might also consider that the car is so short and narrow that the motorhome's rear lights are easily seen by any following vehicle and that any vehicle following would never come as close as the towed car anyway.

[hampyoung]

Fortow:
"Legalities aside, you might also consider that the car is so short and narrow that the motorhome's rear lights are easily seen by any following vehicle and that any vehicle following would never come as close as the towed car anyway."

My thoughts exactly; and we may still do that. But it would be hard to see the motorhome's right side blinker.

Thanks for your help,
H

[SmartWillie]

Hamp,
Here is a view of the Center Studs for Electrical Connection on the Blue Ox BX1989 base plate. Blue Ox sent a couple of adapters if you wanted to use 4 pin connector. The six pin connector bolts directly to the studs. I chose to use the 6-pin connector so that I can route 12 volt power from the coach to the smart battery in the future. I routed the wiring from the front connector to a large rubber grommet in the battery area of the smart then under the carpet to the tail lights. I used 4 diodes to hook up the tail and turn signal lights. Works great. So far have only towed "Shortie" about 250 miles.
Willie

[kannonvaggon]

Hampyoung,

I saw yer message and gave my mostly useless reply.
Just got back to the stick home after another little trip. We was in the Music City this time. Next trip will be out to the desert where any proper-thinkin man will be in the middle of winter ....

My plug is directly under the license plate and the weather-proof cap does clear the license plate frame fine. It is mounted to the the bar that goes behind the grill section with standoffs. Mine happens to be a 4-pin connector. I dunno if the shop used an adapter or not.

We have towed a bit over 3000 miles now without tearing up the clown car nor wiping out innocent citizens along the wayside ...

OUR Cabrio still likes just a hint of a bungee.... other than that it's like warm butter. Smooth and easy.
We've had no electrical issues at all. My problem is that every freakin time I need to unhitch this car at home it's RAINING. I can drive two days gettin home in bright sunshine with a clean Cabrio.... but within a couple hours of home it starts raining so the ridiculous little car is FILTHY and I get wet unhitching the thing.
Must be bad karma from a previous life ....

[hampyoung]

Having spent the last 2 days installing the base plate on our smart; I can say that the instructions are just great -- right up until it gets complicated and where more detail and explanation would be helpful. There are errors in there (I'll detail later) and overall, I think the main support bracket should have been 10% smaller.
We're just finishing up the wiring and figuring out which diamond-shaped grill pieces to cut out for the various parts to stick out through the grill.

Hamp

[rbro59]

Just wanted to add another idea to the converstion. I purchased a wireless lightbar from Towmate and use this system on my Smart. The light bar has suction cups and I mount it on the inside of the back window of the Smart. The sending unit plugs into the electrical plug on the motor home and that's it, no wiring needed. You can check it out at
Towmate.com. At first it might seem expensive but after wiring 4 different tow vehicles it made sense to me. Check it out, I am very happy with the unit.

Dick
2009 Pure