Trailer Lights

[UncleWillie]

Re: Trailer Lights

...Thats what burns stuff up in motors or inductive components, NOT the low voltage, but the by-product of low voltage which is high current (amps).

Resistive components do not suffer for this problem only inductive parts like motors & relay coils.
But they still are bound by the same principles so that is why the 6v light bulb will draw twice the amps that a 12v light bulb will but it just wont suffer from the same resulting by product of low voltage which is increased current draw (amps) over its normal draw, in fact because of the increased resistance resulting from the lower voltage it will produce less amp draw and less wattage output.

So a fixed resistance 3w bulb that draws 1 amp @ 12v, will need to draw 1.5amp @ 9v, and 2 amp at 6v to produce the same 3w, which is an exact increase in amps directly proportional to the amount of reduced voltage...

A FIXED Resistance 12W Bulb would draw 1amps @ 12v, and it would NEED to draw 2 amps @ 6v to maintain 12Watts.
But because it IS a FIXED Resistance it WILL only draw 0.5amps at 6v and consume only 3Watts and be Very Dim indeed.

Your logic assumes that a 3 watt bulb will continue to draw 3 watts regardless of the voltage applied.
That would surely make all the RV folks happy if their 40 watt bulbs lit up just the same on 12 volts as they did on 120 volts. They would not have to buy all those expensive 12v 40 watt bulbs to use when they are on battery power.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Trailer Lights

Using the same logic... and I mean THE EXACT SAME LOGIC limitout is using my dually that gets 15 mpg empty and goes 600 miles on the 40 gallon in the tank WILL HAVE TO get 30 mpg and go 600 miles if I only put 20 gallons in the tank!

If I only spend $20 on my niece's gift instead of $40 she'll HAVE to appreciate my expense twice as much and be just as happy as she would be with the bigger gift.

I'm loving this.

The only bad part is that now when I turn the dimmer down on my lights I now know that they will just magically suck more amps through the wires and burn at the same brightness.... Guess I should write GE a letter and tell them to stop making dimmer switches.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Trailer Lights

A FIXED Resistance 12W Bulb would draw 1amps @ 12v, and it would NEED to draw 2 amps @ 6v to maintain 12Watts.
But because it IS a FIXED Resistance it WILL only draw 0.5amps at 6v and consume only 3Watts and be Very Dim indeed.

Which I showed in my experiment but apparently Limitout didn't understand the results.

 

[gm280]

Re: Trailer Lights

WOW I have been a Engineering technician in Electronics for well over 38 years, and I am not touching this argument one bit. I'll let these two combat each other until they come to an agreement. The only thing I will say is this is so simple to breadboard up and solve all questions in case somebody doesn't like the math results. If the power factor in a bulb maintains its wattage capabilities, can you imagine once the voltage got to mere millivolts what the amperage would be............................. SMH!

 

[limitout]

Re: Trailer Lights

Which I showed in my experiment but apparently Limitout didn't understand the results.

I don't know if anyone was able to notice but I can be hard headed sometimes when I "think" I know im right

A FIXED Resistance 12W Bulb would draw 1amps @ 12v, and it would NEED to draw 2 amps @ 6v to maintain 12Watts.
But because it IS a FIXED Resistance it WILL only draw 0.5amps at 6v and consume only 3Watts and be Very Dim indeed.

Your logic assumes that a 3 watt bulb will continue to draw 3 watts regardless of the voltage applied.
That would surely make all the RV folks happy if their 40 watt bulbs lit up just the same on 12 volts as they did on 120 volts. They would not have to buy all those expensive 12v 40 watt bulbs to use when they are on battery power.

today is a new day and I see where I was wrong now and you guys were right because I couldn't get the practical life long experience with motors out of my head.

my argument ONLY applies to motors

 

[limitout]

Re: Trailer Lights

OK - so now you have 6 -9 amps if it doubles or triples. Still fine

now add in the trucks lighting system amperages because it is running off of that circuit

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Trailer Lights

now add in the trucks lighting system amperages because it is running off of that circuit

Only if someone cobbled your trailer lights into the truck light circuit. Most modern pickups have the trailer stuff on separate fuses and wiring.

 

[limitout]

Re: Trailer Lights

Only if someone cobbled your trailer lights into the truck light circuit. Most modern pickups have the trailer stuff on separate fuses and wiring.

I never said I had a new truck, mine is a 1998, only the headlights are on a separate circuit because it has daytime running lights

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Trailer Lights

This has gone far enough

This thread was started by kevinwburke to talk about HIS trailer... If you want to keep talking in circles about your own truck and trailer start your own thread...
In fact every post after #20 needs to be removed or moved to a new topic named "silly argument"

 

[QC]

Re: Trailer Lights

+1000 ^^^^^

All I can say is that if you do not have extensive experience in a specific area you should not post speculation and claim it is absolute. We would really like to maintain the technical integrity here

 

[UncleWillie]

Re: Trailer Lights

edit

wimusky

 

[WIMUSKY]

Re: Trailer Lights

This thread has been hijacked as far as it's going to go. We don't need other members jumping on the bandwagon. If you have comments that pertain to the original question, then by all means reply.

The voltage, amps, watts discussion is done.

 

[limitout]

Re: Trailer Lights

This has gone far enough

This thread was started by kevinwburke to talk about HIS trailer... If you want to keep talking in circles about your own truck and trailer start your own thread...
In fact every post after #20 needs to be removed or moved to a new topic named "silly argument"

this back and forth was started by my comment about MY truck blowing fuses as an "on topic" note of caution to kevinwburke to watch out for because I added too many lights to my trailer. using too many trailer lights can and do cause blown fuses and overheated wires on some vehicles.


I have admitted my thought process on the subject of amps and voltage drop was wrong as it pertains to fixed resistance light bulbs. sadly that subject went on for way too long.

We would really like to maintain the technical integrity here

as would I, which is why I went back and removed any incorrect statements I may have made that could be misleading to other members who read it. apologies were also made where needed.


kevinwburke (if you are even still around) im sorry all this went on in your thread, it certainly wasn't intended to.

 

[UncleWillie]

Re: Trailer Lights

...How hard it is to run wires (closed tubes) if you replace all?...

Back on subject! :joyous:

Replacing the wire in the tubes is easier than installing them initially.
Pull out the old wires except for one, and use that wire to pull the new wires through.
It is as easy as it sounds.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Trailer Lights

snip the plug off the front and then remove the marker lights... attach the new wires to the front of the old and pull em through

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Trailer Lights

I am in the process of rewiring my trailer an bought one of these:
Amazon.com: Conntek 7 Way Plug Inline Trailer Cord with 7 Gang Junction Box, 6-Feet: Patio, Lawn & Garden

Will make it way easier hooking up the new wiring to the pigtail going to the connector.

I had those blue splice connectors in a few spots on my trailer and the wiring within a foot of each of these is completely corroded and can not be used so new wire is going in.

 

[dingbat]

Re: Trailer Lights

I am in the process of rewiring my trailer an bought one of these:
Amazon.com: Conntek 7 Way Plug Inline Trailer Cord with 7 Gang Junction Box, 6-Feet: Patio, Lawn & Garde

I see someone finally stole and marketed my setup.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Trailer Lights

I looked for something like that locally and couldn't find it so I used a gasket sealed plastic junction box from home depot. I made my connections inside it w ox-guard and wire nuts and sealed wire entry n exits w 5200

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Trailer Lights

I like the fact it has connections inside so you just put a ring connector on the end of the wire instead of soldering or connecting the wires together.

 

[limitout]

Re: Trailer Lights

would this be better mounted on the top of the tongue or the side? cant really see how its designed to drain and keep out moisture