I have had three curt relay boxes using their prefab connectors and never had any issues but solder with heat shrink properly done is much better. I prefer heavy wire to rear where I can have aux 12v battery and pure sine inverter to run tools, etc. OEM battery under rear passenger seat is big plus for wire length to tail gate.
That's encouraging to hear considering I'm only planning to haul about 1500 lbs of dirt bikes on a flat bed trailer.
I didn't get a hitch on my 2023 because I was told it was a constraint. So I followed what I was told "Ditch the hitch". I fixed it though I bought a 2024 with a hitch. LOL
MY24
Is there an angle I'm missing or is making our vehicles this smart a really dumb trend?
I told my Dealer exactly what I wanted, and was willing to wait for that. I didn’t care about “constraints” because I wasn’t in a hurry. It took 400 days for it to be delivered, but I don’t regret waiting.
You cannot add additional bulbs to the circuits on existing circuits without updating modules so they can handle the amount of current differences between the additional bulbs being there and working or not working. A possibility that when trailer plug is used they are on separate harness controlled by the canbus because the current needs for different trailers can be tested separately (or not at all, but that would still allow detection of trucks rear lights properly working or not). If trailer has brakes it could be determined if they are working. Note that trucks tilt sensors could be calibrated if it's known when the trailer harness is connected. Allowing the truck to adjust for additional tongue weight so truck will perform downhill assist properly. I had two recalls done today in my driveway and tech say after I asked that things were getting insane and that just replacing the tail light assembly could require updating software to verify things would work properly. He had just replaced a rear tail light on an f-150 with $100 deductable extended service plan warranty that cost would have been $1400. ( I might look for a good 1998 Ranger???)Is there an angle I'm missing or is making our vehicles this smart a really dumb trend?
On the customer side it seems all negative:
- Less DIY friendly
- higher likelihood things fail because of tighter (unnecessary) tolerances
- higher cost to fix minor things do to complexity in parts
- etc
What is the upside?
Seems like upside "could" be a system smart enough to tell you, subtly, your cheap bulb is failing or failed without you getting out of the car.
However, instead it seems to get us a vehicle that won't even start or covers your whole dash with repeated warnings until you buy an overly complex and expensive led with unnecessary integrated electronics.
There is a very practical simplicity to being able to connect a $10 light duty trailer light harness to your rear light wiring and just being done with it. What am I missing
I ordered an XLT with hitch and inverter and kept my order in place for an XLT LUX hitch, inverter I had made six months before. I got the lux in 13 months and the XLT with hitch five months later. So enough cancelled their hitch so I could get mine before some of them got theirs after dropping their hitch. Once I place the orders I made NO CHANGES.
