Sick and Tired of fighting lights so it was time for a rebuild.

riptide09

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Sep 11, 2009
Messages
297
The subject says it all. Sick and tired of fighting 12 year old electrical wiring and lights. The harness had been repaired multiple times and had a bunch of splices and repairs. The lights were no longer waterproof and always filling up with water. When the lights didn't work again yesterday it was time for a serious change.

Ran over to the local West Marine and got a sealed LED light kit (back taillights and bottom light bar), a couple of sealed LED side marker lights, a compete wiring harness and some anchor stainless steel butt connectors with shrink tube over them.

Approximately 5 hours later the trailer had all new lights and wiring and everything worked on the first try. It was really easy to string the new harness. Just electrical tape it to the old one and pull it through from the front to the rear. I used the West Marne brand 5 wire split harness. It required two splices, one on each side for the side marker lights and then you have the connections in the rear at the lights. A few ground connections and the brake connection and you are all set.

This was a job I should have done a long time ago. It was around $160 in parts. I know I could have gotten the parts cheaper over the net but I just wanted to get it done and not worry about it for the rest of year. If you keep having continuous problems like I have for the last few years it is well worth an afternoons work to have everything new.
 

Mel Taylor

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jun 25, 2009
Messages
489
Best two things I ever did to my trailer was rewiring it from stem to stern and adding LED lights (each equally important). Next best thing was adding guide ons to facilitate loading the boat straight on the trailer.
 

Stumpalump

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Dec 5, 2013
Messages
413
I saw a tee shirt in Arkansas that said "Boat trailer lights are not supposed to work! ".
 

kjsAZ

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jun 15, 2012
Messages
433
Best two things I ever did to my trailer was rewiring it from stem to stern and adding LED lights (each equally important). Next best thing was adding guide ons to facilitate loading the boat straight on the trailer.
+1 to the LED lights and new wiring and the guides. When I got my trailer it was a big mess and all the joints were made with standard automotive butt-splices with just a plastic sleeve. Got the complete tail light LED kit from HF for $40 (exactly the same as several name brands for a lot more money!) and all lights now work w/o a problem.
Nice thing is that the LED's are a lot brighter and easier to see which is a real plus being mounted that low. You can also dunk the trailer without disconnecting the plug as LED's don't burst with a "cold shock".
 
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tjatech

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Jul 24, 2011
Messages
33
Agreed - LED lights are the best thing I've done to my trailer yet. After fighting standard lights for years, I can't believe how much more reliable these are. Well worth the 30 bucks for the set. Even if yours are working fine now, just convert so you don't have to get pulled over when they do stop working (because they will, and I've been there).
 

jayhanig

Master Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jun 27, 2010
Messages
836
Best two things I ever did to my trailer was rewiring it from stem to stern and adding LED lights (each equally important). Next best thing was adding guide ons to facilitate loading the boat straight on the trailer.

Exactly so.
 

SwarmyWench

Cadet
Joined
Jun 25, 2014
Messages
23
Toke my trailer to DMV and they failed me for dim lights ... Put leds on with new wiring 1000 times better
 

riptide09

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Sep 11, 2009
Messages
297
I must say I am surprised by how bright the LED lights are. It was so nice to walk out this morning, plug everything in and just have it work. I am so used to carrying around a screwdriver, a bunch of bulbs, wire stripper, electrical tape and some jumper wires.
 
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