Trailer Lights

[llPa1nll]

Ohhh! How I hate you!

[J Francho]

LOL.... Time for LEDs and a new harness?

[Nitrofreak]

LOL.... Time for LEDs and a new harness?

Did that 5 years ago, have not had an issue since, well worth the investment and much safer too.

[Siebert Outdoors]

Ditto JFrancho

[llPa1nll]

Yeah, I have the SeaSonic LEDs however they are loosing diodes on a rapid pace. It baffles me that they cant make a unit that would stay working. I like how the LEDs are 10x brighter than the bulbs and will last longer. I just cant get over that they still fail. Can't we make a light that will not stop working. I know its panned obsolescence, that they have designed these to not last forever. I just am not looking forward to getting them working again.

[Fishing Rhino]

Nothing lasts forever.

[BradH]

Agree, LEDs are Sweet! My first boat's trailer ate bulbs constantly. Best money I ever spent on that trailer was the $50 for a set of LED lights.

[Fishing Rhino]

I'm not sold on the LEDs. Ever notice how many of them are out on traffic lights, or truck lights? Granted, the lights still work and do their job even if half the diodes aren't working be it on taillights or traffic lights.

How many times have you seen a traffic light prior to the use of LEDs for them burned out and not working? I cannot recall ever seeing a traffic light where one of the signals was not working. I suspect they might have had more than one bulb in them, but I'm not sure. I've seen traffic lights get "stuck" or fouled up in some other way, but the problem was in the timing mechanism of the light system, not in the failure of an individual signal to light up.

[Nitrofreak]

I'm not sold on the LEDs. Ever notice how many of them are out on traffic lights, or truck lights? Granted, the lights still work and do their job even if half the diodes aren't working be it on taillights or traffic lights.

How many times have you seen a traffic light prior to the use of LEDs for them burned out and not working? I cannot recall ever seeing a traffic light where one of the signals was not working. I suspect they might have had more than one bulb in them, but I'm not sure. I've seen traffic lights get "stuck" or fouled up in some other way, but the problem was in the timing mechanism of the light system, not in the failure of an individual signal to light up.

I agree with both of your statements, "nothing lasts forever", old school ways of doing things will soon be a thing of the past, nothing lasts like you think it should anymore, im reminded of an old Merle Haggard song and a phrase from it sticks in my mind "were rolling down hill like a snowball headed for hell", but change is comming wether we want it to or not, I can not say that one brand works better than others, the ones that I purchaced seem to be ok so far.

There is only one bulb for each color lense of a traffic light, although the bulb itself has changed over the years and have also since gone to new technology like LED's.

[Fishing Rhino]

Regarding trailer lights, two suggestions.

1. Dielectric grease in all plug connections from the main plug at the vehicle to the plugs at the lights. Connections are a common cause of problems.

2. Put chaffing gear at all points where wiring passes through the trailer frame if your trailer does not have grommets or some form of protection where the wiring passes through the frame. If the insulation gets damaged at these areas, you're looking at replacing the entire harness.

I'd suggest using dielectric grease on all the bulbs, but most of the lights are sealed. If yours is not sealed, use dielectric grease on all the bulbs. It won't stop them from burning out, but when they do, it will make changing them a whole lot easier. It will also prevent corrosion at the connection. Corrosion can block the flow of current thus rendering a bulb useless.

[K_Mac]

I am completely sold on LED lights. Since putting them on my trailer (a couple of years ago) I haven't had to worry about lights. I still regularly check them, and so far they are working fine. When they start to fail I will simply install a new set. I would rather replace the entire set every several years than have to be aggravated by lights on nearly every trip.

[J Francho]

If the insulation gets damaged at these areas, you're looking at replacing the entire harness.

Not if you leave a bit of slack. Just clip the damaged section off, strip the ends, and solder and shrink wrap the connections.

[Nitrofreak]

Not if you leave a bit of slack. Just clip the damaged section off, strip the ends, and solder and shrink wrap the connections.

They also have weather proof butt conectors that work really great too !!!

[J Francho]

Those connectors are what prompted me to replace the harness on my trailer. Yeah, they work, but they also failed on my trailer. They were nothing but problems. Solder and shrink wrap, man.

[Fishing Rhino]

Not if you leave a bit of slack. Just clip the damaged section off, strip the ends, and solder and shrink wrap the connections.

Why would you want to do that when a bit of chaffing gear at each of those places protects the insulation. Preventing the damage is better than repairing the damage.

[J Francho]

What I am saying is that if it gets damaged, plastic grommets and all, it is a simple fix. Is it necessary for you to analyze every post I make? You're being melodramatic. The point is a little damage isnt the end of the harness.

[stanlje2]

I always unplug my lights before backing the boat in the water. That seems to help with me since the lights and connections are not 100% waterproof. Haven't had to replace lights since 2008.

[grampa1114]

This has been a very enlightening post.....if I was just starting out with a boat trailer, I think that I'd go with LED lamps and check all the chaffing spots for protective devices, and if I ever had a problem, then I'd repair it by soldering and shrinkwraping the connections and then protecting those spots again. I would use dielectric grease on all my connections and when I got to the boat ramp, I might not unplug my lights(might forget to plug them back in) they are sealed and waterproof anyway and if they leak then they should be replaced. That is what brings me to this forum in the first place. Every piece of information is important, as is every person's opinion, melodramatic or otherwise. JMHO

Grampa

[stanlje2]

This has been a very enlightening post.....if I was just starting out with a boat trailer, I think that I'd go with LED lamps and check all the chaffing spots for protective devices, and if I ever had a problem, then I'd repair it by soldering and shrinkwraping the connections and then protecting those spots again. I would use dielectric grease on all my connections and when I got to the boat ramp, I might not unplug my lights(might forget to plug them back in) they are sealed and waterproof anyway and if they leak then they should be replaced. That is what brings me to this forum in the first place. Every piece of information is important, as is every person's opinion, melodramatic or otherwise. JMHO

Grampa

If its part of a system, you dont forget. Just like you wouldn't forget to tie your boat down when you pull it off the ramp. Also, I have owned boats all my life, saltwater as well as freshwater and and much as we would all love for the light and connections to be water proof, they are not. I'm not referring to the light housing it self, but also the connection within the trailer. Water causes lights to blow. Its not a fix...just my experience.

[grampa1114]

Hmm...experience....well....the trailers that I was towing in 1977 had taillights that leaked if they weren't correctly sealed, that's true. The trailers that I have towed since 1995....a rangertrail....had sealed lights and lasted the entire time I owned the rig....8 years....Now it's a Triton trailer and still haven't blown a bulb. I guess people just have different experiences.

Grampa

[llPa1nll]

Well after a closer inspection it looks like I must have did a number on the wiring harness. The ground wire was pretty damaged and was corroded pretty good. I cut out the damaged parts stripped, connected, heat shrinked them. Good as new, however the rear drivers side light unit has a number of LEDs that are out. I think it is still usable but will need to be replaced in the future if any more continue to go out.

[J Francho]

You can get a single taillight for around $20. I did exactly that when I dragged one through half of North Carolina, heh. It may not match exactly, though.

[K_Mac]

If its part of a system, you dont forget. Just like you wouldn't forget to tie your boat down when you pull it off the ramp. Also, I have owned boats all my life, saltwater as well as freshwater and and much as we would all love for the light and connections to be water proof, they are not. I'm not referring to the light housing it self, but also the connection within the trailer. Water causes lights to blow. Its not a fix...just my experience.

That is one major difference in LED and incandescent lights; I don't have to unplug the LEDs. Installed properly there is no reason to do so. While I have never forgotten to tie down a boat or do the other items on my check-list, I have backed into the lake with my lights plugged in. I now plug them in when I leave home, and unplug them when I get back. They work every time, and are far more visible than standard lights. I will never have another trailer without LED lighting-at least any longer than it takes me to install LEDs.