Tailgate Feeders-wiring

So I bought a new tailgate feeder. Been looking for a while and all of them come with the annoying wiring and remote that has to be plugged into the cigarette lighter. What a pain in the arse.

My truck has a 7-way trailer outlet plug so I got thinking. I rewired a pigtail out of the feeder with a flat 4-way plug. Then used a 7-way to 4-way adapter out of the truck.

The two wires from the feeder are plugged into the ground pin and the running lights pin. Now all I have to do to turn the feeder on is to turn on the headlights.

I guess if it's dark I'll have to leave the feeder unplugged until I get where I'm going to feed. Still, it beats the carp out of running wires all over the danged truck.

PS>>>>Academy has the ForEverlast tailgate feeders on sale for $98. Buccee's has the same feeder for $76. Just a heads up.

Have done it the same way but with the brake lead so when you press the brake pedal it would run the feeder.

x2

Then you have to ride the brake? Every time you stop, the feeder goes off?

Not necessarily "ride" the brake. The brake light switch comes on long before the brakes are actuated.
But yeah, it will feed everytime you stop, which if you are road feeding it aint that big of a deal.

Myself, I would think it would be better to build a lanyard that you can plug in to the cigarette lighter with a toggle switch. That way, you have complete control over the feeding.

Yep. That is what I do on my Ranger, but on a 12'+ run on the back of the truck it is easier to just plug into the trailer harness....

or wire it to the running lights

By plugging into the trailer light pin for the trailer's running lights that is what I've done but don't have to splice any wires on the truck to do it. I turn on my headlights and it starts feeding.

I wonder what it would be like to wire it to the turn signal? Would it spin enough? I guess if wired into the trailer brakes, you could spin the feeder by sliding the actuator on the brake controller.

The turn signal would cause it to only spin when the light was on so it would spin/blink.

I like the electronic brake controller idea....

I don't know if the trailer brake idea would work on the newer GM's and Fords with the integrated trailer brake system. Mine works off of hydraulic fluid pressure in the truck's brake system so you have proportional braking on the trailer. It might be the same as plugging into the brake lights.

Hmmm? Now you got me thinking.

Mike i made a tail gate feeder when we were hunting pigs. I to used the turn light. You can use it even in he dark that way. No wires to hang up or get tangled up in. I also put a old shirt around the feeder to keep it from throwing the corn off the road in high grass. It would throw the corn in about 2' path. It was home made, it would fit into the 2" reciver hitch. Can't see the pig's in the grass.
On a side note i just bought a feeder from Acadmey and made a mount for my 4 wheeler. The mount that comes with it is juke.