Boat Trailer lights

[Kuna Matata]

Re: Boat Trailer lights

I have some lights that are out and need to change them before the nice summer times hit soon. I dont know it i should just change to waterproof lights, LEDS, or some from autozone and just get some extra bulbs to change along the way. To change all the lights on the trailer to LEDs will be about $ 120 what to do.....

 

[j_martin]

Re: Boat Trailer lights

Waterproof lights in good shape are waterproof. Scotch-lok connectors usually used to put them in are not.

When I got my present trailer, I went through the connections and replaced them all with soldered and well insulated splices. When I load my boat, which is usually after dark, I have the trailer lights on under water so I can figure out where the end of the trailer is.

The only lighting problem I've had is when some blond opened her 2006 Hyundai driver's door against my trailer as I was pulling out of a parking space. I wiped the door off her car, and a marker light off the trailer.

 

[LippCJ7]

Re: Boat Trailer lights

That's always been my issue with trailers as well J_martin, seems even the best built trailers have poor connections!

 

[fishrdan]

Re: Boat Trailer lights

I'm the same as j_martin, leave my trailer lights burning as I'm usually launching/retreiving when it's dark. I've found that sealing the light housing with silicone goes a long way to keep the bulbs from popping. I breached both light housings (rock strike, garage accident) and then started popping bulbs left and right, water intrusion.

After the broken housings I put Harbor Freight under 80 LED lights on my jon boat trailer and they lasted just short of 2 years before going out, not too good... The circuit board, LED's and components are not sealed and the resistors eventually rusted, causing the LED's to stop working. I swapped these out for another set of incandescent lights,,, sealed them up with silicone. Have to see how long these last....

BPS has a set of "Optronics" (under 80) LED lights on sale and they look to be good quality, the light housing is sealed completely water tight. Once the incandescents go south, these are going on the trailer.

 

[ajgraz]

Re: Boat Trailer lights

I have some lights that are out and need to change them before the nice summer times hit soon. I dont know it i should just change to waterproof lights, LEDS, or some from autozone and just get some extra bulbs to change along the way. To change all the lights on the trailer to LEDs will be about $ 120 what to do.....

Some pictures or an exact description of what you have now would help us advise whether your lights should be replaced. But yes, if you are looking to replace the lights, I am with you on the high cost of (a good quality) set of LED's...that and the fact that they are not user-serviceable (i.e., you can't change a bulb by the side of the road) made me shy away from LED when I re-did my lights recently.

I went with the "old reliable" bell-style 702 Dry Launch tailights:
www.drylaunch.com

(Incidentally, these here on iboats are the same exact product) :
http://www.iboats.com/Seachoice-Sub...7107277--**********.733974096--view_id.259308
(No kit offered on iboats, just a left and a right tailight)

And this full-length, both sides grounded harness here in iboats:
http://www.iboats.com/Seasense-Full...27107277--**********.733974096--view_id.56639

I wired my forward side markers way up near the tongue with the gel-filled Scotchloks, and all my ID bar and clearance lights are wired up on the "high and dry" posts up inside the tailights. The upshot is, my harness has NO breaks or taps anywhere along it's submerged length, and I get to use good-old fashioned incandescent, easily serviced bulbs.

Just another option for you.

 

['78 Crusader]

Re: Boat Trailer lights

I've replaced the old style lights on both of my trailers with LED's and couldn't be happier. LEDs are the way to go IMO.

 

[Prophammer]

Re: Boat Trailer lights

I've been running my PM submersible lights (from Wal-mart) on my jon boat trailer going on 4 years, fresh and a little salt water, don't want to jinx myself by telling you how good they've been. My bigger trailer different story.

 

[KD4UPL]

Re: Boat Trailer lights

I never unplug my regular old unsealed incandescent trailer lights. If I did, it would also disconnect the wire from the back-up lights on the truck that disables the trailer's brakes. That would make it very hard to back up. It's also one more thing to have to remember before you pull out and hit the road. I haven't replaced any bulbs in 3 years of using this trailer. I'm sure sealed LED's and all that are great but I haven't found them necessary.