Rant about trailer lights

[2stroke1971]

Alright.
Been towing a boat around for 2 years now. Last year with my little old skiff, I had the regular "submersible" lights...and of course after about the 3rd time in the water, they corroded pretty badly and then came the ritual of spare bulbs and cleaning out the receptacles every other trip. (salt water only)

When I got a slightly newer, slightly bigger boat, I was determined to do it one step better so I got the LED blazer lights, submersible again, thousands of hours bulb life, yadda yadda yadda. Did a totally new install, new wires all the way, LED marker lights and all.

They have been in use since April, though I am a hard user (LOL) after all fishing IS an addiction....so they get dipped at least once or twice a week.
Both lights now have several LEDS that are out in the red area...one is missing three, one is missing four, and the entire tag light portion is dark.
Just to play devils advocate, lets say I actually had money, and went and bought a brand new $60,000 fishing boat with a trailer. Just what sort of lights would be on that one? Would I be replacing them 2 or 3 times a season?
Just wondering.

Im actually thinking of putting some of those goofy side poles on my trailer, and then putting the lights up on them so they never get dipped.

 

[Bifflefan]

Re: Rant about trailer lights

Im actually thinking of putting some of those goofy side poles on my trailer, and then putting the lights up on them so they never get dipped.

While dont know what kind lights a 60,000.00 boat trailer would have, you can use the lights you spoke of, or a magentic tow set that sticks to the trailer and you just pop them off when at the ramp. its just a thought.

 

[The Famous Grouse]

Re: Rant about trailer lights

Two thougths:

Do you unplug your lights before launching and recovering the boat?

Assuming the square trailer lights here, when installing lights, make sure you don't overtighten the nuts on the 2 bolts that hold them in place. Doing so will crack the housings and then your waterproof trailer lights are no longer waterproof.

I'd find out what the warranty is on Blazer lights. You might be able to get a new set.

What kind of lights do expensive boats/trailers have? The same POS ones you replaced.

Grouse

 

[flycaster]

Re: Rant about trailer lights

I recently had some of the LED's go out, purchased a new set and replaced the old ones.
Being the "nosey" kind of guy that I am, I investigated why the LED lights went bad.
What I found was that the back of the LED assembly, where the wires were attached, they had placed a gob of hot melt glue over the wire connection. Upon removal of hot melt glue, I found where the solder joint had corrosion on it and had the wire corrode off.

 

[a70eliminator]

Re: Rant about trailer lights

Two thougths:

Do you unplug your lights before launching and recovering the boat?

Assuming the square trailer lights here, when installing lights, make sure you don't overtighten the nuts on the 2 bolts that hold them in place. Doing so will crack the housings and then your waterproof trailer lights are no longer waterproof.

I'd find out what the warranty is on Blazer lights. You might be able to get a new set.

What kind of lights do expensive boats/trailers have? The same POS ones you replaced.

Grouse

Totally agree on the overtightening, a crack will not only allow water to penetrate but it won't let it drain.
I bought a set of submersible lights at K-mart about 25yrs ago and they still work, one of them does take on water from a little overtightneing crack, I just emty that one out twice a season and keep the sockets packed with vaseline, I also pack the seal groove with vaseline or OMC triple guard whichever I have handy.

 

[dutchdog]

Re: Rant about trailer lights

I buy led lights from a truck equipment store for my trailer lights. I buy the brackets, lights, and pigtails. Have yet to replace a light bulb. The are sealed, and rubber mounted for shock resistance. This is always the first thing I do to any trailer I buy. When splicing the wires I fill the butt connecters with silicone. I never unplug my lights at the ramp. The lights on my boat trailer are 5 years old now. They get submerged at least 2 times a week.

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Rant about trailer lights

If you are in salt, coinsider using guide poles on the trailer and put the lights up high enough on the guid poles to stay out of the water.

 

[Tig]

Re: Rant about trailer lights

a magentic tow set that sticks to the trailer and you just pop them off when at the ramp.

+1
I hate fixing trailer lights, so I did that 15 years ago and I am still on my first $25 set. I have four trailers. Each one may or may not get used in any given year. Any one is ready to go in 5 minutes. Best thing I ever did.

 

[Baytown.boy]

Re: Rant about trailer lights

If you are in salt, coinsider using guide poles on the trailer and put the lights up high enough on the guid poles to stay out of the water.

These are the ones I use, no problem, and you can see them real easy when backing down the ramp. Here in Texas some of the ramps are steep, and when your trailer goes down and your truck goes straight, you cant see the trailer, but you still can the light poles. Lights are on 2" PVC pipe by approx 4 feet long.. No blown bulbs and no rusted housings.

 

[Carusoswi]

Re: Rant about trailer lights

I've been unplugging my trailer lights since when I was a kid (and, believe me, that's more than a few years). My present rig was just two years old when, at the beginning of a season, trailer lights weren't working. I tried everything, including purchasing those square "submersible" jobbies from K-Mart. Apparently, they are designed to create some sort of air-lock as you back into the trailer. Of course, the effectiveness of that depends to a great degree on the angle or your decent into the water. Long story short (no pun intended), my problem had to do with a painted ground wire post that caused my lights to malfunction. Once fixed, I've yet to encounter the non-working trailer light problem in some 10 years of no-light-maintenance use.

My problem is a bit off-topic, but it is relevant in that I discovered this "submersible" K-mart tail light during my trouble shooting. To me it's a sales gimmick. Submersible to me would be a housing that kept water away from the bulb no matter what, or a bulb/housing design that could withstand the constant dowsing.

Once I solved my grounding issue, unplugging (a practice learned from my parents) is my practice, and I've yet to need anything for my trailer lights in 10 years.

I do like that light pole idea, not so much for the lights, but, I pull my rig with a small, low-to-the-ground sports car, which leave me pasting my head to the roof of the car to try in vain to see the trailer as it disappears down those steep ramps. You can't see the trailer in the back window or via the mirrors in those situations. Sometimes, sticking the oars (yes, I still use 'em) in the locks helps, and sometimes, I'll stick my orange "man-in-the-water" pennant in one of the oar locks to give a visual clue of the trailer as I back it in.

Pole lights look a little goofy when on the road, but would be a godsend for me when backing down steep ramps.

Caruso

 

[Lion hunter]

Re: Rant about trailer lights

Unplugging the trailer lights probably won't do much to solve your problem. Regular incandesant bults get alot hotter and blow when they hit the cold water. I wouldn't think this would be a issue with LEDs. I would try and seal every thing I could with RTV to keep the water out. But I think that you will still have problems eventually as a previous poster mentioned with the soldered connections. This insight was offered to me from a TV/computer repair person. Since they have taken the lead out of solder it is no longer as stable as it used to be. The new solder tends to get spider cracks when heated and creates shorts and bad connections. One of the reasons that sets don't seem to last as long as they used to.

 

[109jb]

Re: Rant about trailer lights

... square "submersible" jobbies from K-Mart. Apparently, they are designed to create some sort of air-lock as you back into the trailer. ...

My problem is a bit off-topic, but it is relevant in that I discovered this "submersible" K-mart tail light during my trouble shooting. To me it's a sales gimmick. Submersible to me would be a housing that kept water away from the bulb no matter what, or a bulb/housing design that could withstand the constant dowsing....

If you are talking about the bell jar type lights that are open at the bottom then in my opinion they are not a gimmick and are some of the best submersible lights you can get. Unless damaged they hold enough air is the housing to keep water off of the bulb/socket, just like pushing a glass upside down into the water. Unless you get the air out water can't get in. My 2 cents.

 

[2stroke1971]

Re: Rant about trailer lights

Thanks for the replies!
I think I might take one of them apart and see if I can resolder the wires and then coat them with some epoxy. Meanwhile, I might plan on fabbing up some side poles.
I dont unplug the lights when on the ramp...in fact they are usually on...is that bad? My better half is usually the one dragging the boat on up to me and she likes the lights on for that. (Almost always come in at night)
Come to think of it, the side poles would help with that also, besides having the lights out of the water.

 

[Baytown.boy]

Re: Rant about trailer lights

I was on another site, tinboats.com and found these trailer guide ons that could also be used as light poles. They are ladder stabilizer safety items from home depot, lowes, or harbor freight tools that can be bought real reasonable and put to good use. Cut the ladder stabilizer in half and you have two seperate poles. Or mount a 2" X 4" on them and use as side guide-ons see pics below

 

[Baytown.boy]

Re: Rant about trailer lights

I forgot one thing about the poles. In the dark, your backup lights on your truck/car will have some refelection off the poles making it easier to see where the trailer is when backing up.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Rant about trailer lights

These are the ones I use, no problem, and you can see them real easy when backing down the ramp. Here in Texas some of the ramps are steep, and when your trailer goes down and your truck goes straight, you cant see the trailer, but you still can the light poles. Lights are on 2" PVC pipe by approx 4 feet long.. No blown bulbs and no rusted housings.

You wouldn't have blown bulbs with these even if you submerged them becuase these are completely sealed lights. I have the same lights on a trailer that is 12 years old and they are on their original lights.

 

[reelfishin]

Re: Rant about trailer lights

I have a set of the square Harbor Freight lights on one of my trailers, after a season the right side would lose a few LED lights off an on. I finally got tired of looking at the lame light and pulled both apart. Unlike the larger, rectangular lights, the square lights are not water proofed of epoxy coated.

I resoldered the connections, tested the light, all was fine, then coated the whole circuit board in clear epoxy. (The same epoxy used when wrapping fishing rods). They have both been fine ever since. Both had the same solder and hot glue treatment. The problem was that neither was really sealed to keep out water. A light coat of clear RTV silicone sealer on the lens and some epoxy to seal the wire exit point also helped.

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: Rant about trailer lights

???

 

[Carusoswi]

Re: Rant about trailer lights

If you are talking about the bell jar type lights that are open at the bottom then in my opinion they are not a gimmick and are some of the best submersible lights you can get. Unless damaged they hold enough air is the housing to keep water off of the bulb/socket, just like pushing a glass upside down into the water. Unless you get the air out water can't get in. My 2 cents.

Not suggesting that they are a gimmick, and I understand the idea of pushing a glass upside down into the water. In my case, either the angle (which I assumed) prevents this principle from protecting the bulb (turn that glass to 45 or more degrees and see how much water gets in), or, perhaps, the seal between the lens and body of the taillight was not good.

Both bulbs in my tail lights blew the first time I submerged them when plugged-in. It's not a big deal for me. I unplug them, and that has worked for me over some seven or eight years, now.

There is no traffic facing those lights as I back into the water that needs to be signaled of my braking (or whatever) that justifies my keeping them plugged in as I back down into the water.

I've done it this way since when I was a kid, so it's just not a big deal for me to unplug before backing down the ramp.

I am glad the upside down glass thing works for you, however.

Caruso

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Rant about trailer lights

just forget about having lights and make sure people don't tailgate you! My pontoon trailer has only the reminants of what used to be a lighting system many, many years ago.

(I don't recommend this unless your ramp is only a couple hundred feet away via a dirt/gravel path)