Does the Tacoma "sense" when a trailer is plugged in?...

on my old Tundra, when a trailer was plugged in the backup alarm automatically became active when you shifted into reverse.

My '14 Tacoma does not have this kind of backup alarm, but I'm trying to isolate an electrical circuit that becomes active when trailer is plugged in and when the rig goes into reverse, similar to the way the Tundra backup alarm worked.

I want to tap into this circuit to trigger the relay that controls my Anytime Back up Camera. Instead of mounting the extra camera in the front, I mounted it on my boat trailer.

I'd prefer not to have any kind of manual switch to change between the stock truck back up camera and the back up camera mounted on the boat trailer, but do it "automagically" instead. Any ideas on where I could find such a "trailer plugged in and truck in reverse" circuit to tap into?

 

Is the trailer 4-pin or 7-pin?

The 7-pin trailer triggers reverse lights on the center pin - so you could tap into that center pin wire and have the relay complete the circuit to the boat trailer's backup camera.

The Taco (3rd gen or 2nd gen) doesn't have the "smarts" for trailer detection and saving trailer settings like some other brands of truck do.

 

This

My cover has this on it.



Also here is a diagram I found
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/trailer-wiring.436731/#post-12646715

 

I'd have to tap into the trailer side of the plug, since I think this line would be energized anytime the truck went into reverse, even if a trailer wasn't plugged in?

 

Yes you would want it on the trailer end or you would have to wire in a switch to toggle between stock and auxiliary cameras.

 

Hmm, that's a good point. You'd have to use a multimeter to confirm that - but I'd think you're right.

If you're right, it'd be easier to just put a DPDT switch in and flip it to "trailer" mode for the camera signal line when you plug it in. That's just the signal - not the power - to be clear. The power for the backup camera is wired still to the middle plug on the trailer. You wouldn't touch the factory camera power. Related - the factory camera is 6v, whereas I tihnk the backup light for the middle pin is 12v - plan your camera voltage accordingly.

Here's how you'd wire the switch...

 

Thanks, and thanks for the heads up on the voltage difference. I did not and would not have thought about that.