Where is TowBrite manufacturered?
All TowBrite wired and wireless tow lights are manufacturer by Canadians in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They are hand assembled with parts sourced from Canada, the USA and internationally. Our warranty is honoured and maintained in Ottawa.
I’m wiring up a trailer plug on my truck right now, which should I install?
It really doesn’t matter which type of trailer plug you install on your towing vehicle. TowBrite Wireless Tow Lights are available in all common forms of trailer plug. You really should match it to what your trailer(s) are already wired for. However, if you have no particular requirements, go with a 7-pin flat blade or 7-pin round receptical. The 7-pin TowBrite transmitters have the circuitry integrated entirely within the male trailer end which is better shielded from the elements and more convenient.
I can't find the exact product that I want on your website
We manufacture these tow lights in Ottawa and have tons of parts available to craft the design that works for you. Just let us know how you envision your tow light works and we can probably build it at roughly the same price as our pre-configured products. Don't hesitate to inquire!
I’m using my TowBrite lights on a boat trailer, can they be submerged?
TowBrite Wireless Tow Lights are very water resistant. They can handle hard rain, sleet, snow, road spray and other high humidity situations. We even demo our lights fully submerged in water. However, it’s best to detach your wireless tow lights before backing your boat and trailer into the water – the batteries are not especially fond of being completely submerged.
Are wireless tow lights legal to use?
The answer to this question depends on where you live. In the USA, The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) created a temporary exemption permitting the use of wireless tow lights in all fifty states until February 9th, 2018. (more details on the FMCSA website https://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=FMCSA-2015-0238-0021)
In Canada, the answer is more ambiguous. We’ve never heard of anyone being fined or questioned about the safety and legality of wireless tow lights in any province in Canada. Each province however is responsible for their own regulations in this regard, but none seem to have any official position.
TowBrite wireless tow lights are certified by both the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Industry Canada (IC).
FCC ID: 2AWK3-TBR433TX
IC: 26388-TBR433TX
Can I use wireless tow lights when towing a aluminum or fiberglass vehicle?
Yes, however you’ll need to find a safe way to secure them. Light duty tow lights usually include magnets to secure them to the vehicle, however this obviously would not work with a fiberglass vehicle (such as a Corvette), an aluminum vehicle (such as a Tesla) or a plastic body vehicle (such as a Saturn or Smart). In these cases, you’ll need to find a way to strap the tow lights to your vehicle.
One common solution is to put the wireless tow lights into rear facing window (windshield or rear glass) of the car - depending on which way you're towing.
How do the magnet ratings work?
TowBrite uses two different rubber coated magnets. The 66mm magnets have a break away force of 25kg, and the 88mm magnets have a break away force of 45kg. While stronger magnets may existing on the market, anything strong then this may damage the paint of the vehicle that you are towing.
By default, our light duty tow lights come with two 25kg (55lbs) giving 50kg or 110lbs of force. As an option, you can have two 44kg (97lbs) magnets for an additional charge.
TowBrite had it's magnets tested as per the videos below.
How often should I recharge my wireless tow lights?
It’s probably a best practice to charge your tow light whenever you are not using them. You cannot overcharge your batteries, so don’t worry about that. Some TowBrite owners keep a permanently mounted charging cable in their truck or tool box so that the unit is recharging anytime it’s not being used. It would be very unfortunate to receive a ticket for failing to have proper lighting should the batteries on your TowBrite die due to lack of charging.
How long do the batteries in my TowBrite last?
This really depends on your exact model of TowBrite and how much you use them. Stop and go traffic (lots of braking) depletes the batteries faster for example. You should expect 10+ hours out of most of our products with freshly charged batteries. New lithium battery products can have usage times of 24 to 72hrs.
How can I make sure the batteries in my TowBrite last a long time?
Just like car batteries, the batteries in your TowBrite will slowly lose charge over the months. If you're just an occasional user of your TowBrite (for example you only use it to move your RV or boat a couple of times a year), you should put your tow light on a trickle charger on occasion to keep it topped up. Most importantly, never run your battery down to nothing and then leave it that way for a long time, especially not in cold weather. Just like any other battery, this can reduce its life significantly.
Why are the running lights on my TowBrite on all the time?
By default, TowBrite wireless tow lights have the running light on at all times. While not required in the USA, this is a safety feature that most of the world has adopted.
It is possible to re-wire TowBrite transmitters and the lights themselves to transmit the running light signal over the backup or brake signal (if the backup is not in use, or the brake signals come over left and right turn signals). We can assist you in doing so, but be sure to check your local laws to see if this is permissible. It will also greatly increase your battery life.
How often should I replace the batteries in my TowBrite?
Replace them when they fail, or when their running time isn’t long enough for the type of towing that you do. Typically, you should expect to replace your batteries every two or three years. This is a very simple job that anyone can do with simple hand tools. Try not to run your batteries very low and then leave them to freeze. If you are not confident in swapping out the batteries, TowBrite can do this for you.
The lights on my TowBrite are flashing incorrectly
You may have a non-standard trailer plug configuration on your truck. This is can easily rectified by changing the wires around on either your truck, or the TowBrite transmitter. We can help you do this.
What currency is everything listed in on this website?
Customers located in Canada will see Canadian Dollar prices. Customers located in the USA will see US Dollar prices. However, if you are located in the US and plan to ship to Canadian address (or vice versa), the currency as you check out will be set to the shipping address. International customers will always use US Dollars. You can also switch between currencies in the top right of the page.
My truck runs a 24v system, does TowBrite support 24v?
Yes, TowBrite does support 24v systems, with a few minor caveats. All TowBrite transmitters support 24v (up to 32v). The batteries in TowBrite tow lights are all 12v, therefore you need a 12v charging source.
The 24v system in trucks is created by connecting two 12v batteries in series. Since the tow lights need to charge off of 12v, you can connect the charging cable to only one of your two batteries - we can help you figure this out.
Alternatively, you can use any household 12v battery charger to charge your tow lights. Finally, if you have a 24v system, you cannot directly connect your tow light to your truck, since the lights themselves only support 12v, you must always use the wireless functionality.
How much is shipping?
Shipping on TowBrite tow lights is free in most cases. If you live in or near a major city in Canada or the USA, shipping is free. If however you live in a remote location, Hawaii, the Yukon, Alaska, Nanuvut, an island or other hard to reach location, give us a call for a shipping quotation. We'll still heavily discount your shipping costs so that you're only "topping-up" the shipping charge as compared to someone who lives in a major centre. We can also work with you to ship to a near-by location with affordable shipping rates.
We are also happy to ship internationally and can work with you to get the customs paperwork sorted. You may also opt to exclude the batteries from your tow lights to further reduce shipping costs and easy the transport process. We can ship by air cargo (departing from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) or through LCL (departing from Montreal or Toronto ports).
My TowBrite tow lights appear to flash every 10 seconds
This is normal behavior with some high end trucks which have one or more of the following systems:
- Trailer anti-theft
- Trailer detection
- Trailer Android or iPhone apps
The flashing is the truck detecting if the trailer (or in this case the TowBrite transmitter) is still there. This is normal, but your truck dealer might be able to change the time between these detection flashes. The following is our list of these vehicles:
- 2019-2020 GMC Sierra & Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD/3500HD. Dealer can increase the time between flashes to 42 minutes. https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2020/MC-10187410-9999.pdf (here's a local copy of the same file in case it's not available on the NHTSA website)
My truck has trouble detecting the TowBrite transmitter
Just as above, some high end trucks try to detect trailers and profile them. Trailers with little electrical load, such as a simple boat trailer with LED lights and TowBrite transmitters might not be detected by the truck. Curt and other manufacturers have come up with a solution. https://www.curtmfg.com/part/57003
TowBrite can also modify your transmitter when ordering so that it *should* be detected by most trailer detection systems. Please contact us after you've made your order and we'll make sure you get exactly what's needed for your vehicle.