A simple idea got complicated.

[Occupant5143]

I had planned to add a high mounted LED brake light up on the back wall of my trailer to help ensure that drivers could see my brake lights (especially since my right taillight is partially obscured by the ladder). I even ordered the light itself. When I did my wire planning I realized that the turn signal and braking indicator used the same filament of the light bulb on the taillight I had planned to connect to. If I wired the LED brake light the way I had planned then it would blink whenever I used that turn signal as well as when the brakes are applied. Not good.
I needed a way to separate out the brake indication from the turn signals. As it turns out a converter exists to do just that. It's called a 2 wire to 3 wire taillight
converter and Amazon sells it for less than $19. Then I realized I was going to have to connect the converter to the tow vehicle wiring at the front of the trailer then run the wiring down the length of the trailer and up to where I planned to mount the brake light. That sounds like more work than I had in mind.
Another complication arose. Some states - Arizona included- say that if you have any kind of signalling device but it doesn't function properly that would give law enforcement a good excuse to pull you over. Yikes, I don't need the aggravation even though my intent is to improve safety.
I think I'll skip this mod. I just thought I'd put it out there.

[wahoonc]

Should be able to put the converter at the back of the trailer. Here is a link to a tutorial from e-trailer.com.

Aaron

[wildwest450]

You're just going to be rear ended by someone texting anyways, 50 brake lights wouldn't help.

[Occupant5143]

Originally Posted by wildwest450

You're just going to be rear ended by someone texting anyways, 50 brake lights wouldn't help.

Maybe I ought just get one of these.

[wahoonc]

Originally Posted by Occupant5143

Maybe I ought just get one of these.

Nope need a small nuclear device to drop on the road in front of them!

We have had several of our company trucks rear ended by inattentive drivers in city traffic. It had gotten so bad with our maintenance vans we installed 360° "dash" cams. The units paid for themselves in the first two incidents. Proved our guys were doing what they were supposed to be doing. Hard to argue with time stamped video evidence.

Aaron