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Author Topic: Anybody else hate dealing with boat trailer lights?  (Read 3231 times)

taxid

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Anybody else hate dealing with boat trailer lights?
« on: Sep 11, 2021, 08:01 PM »
Getting ready for my vacation and I noticed I had a connection come lose and thought no problem I'll just strip and reconnect. Wrong! Wire kept falling apart as I stripped the plastic, and the wire inside the plastic disintegrated in my hands. Ever have that happen? What's crazy is the wire is not that old. And I don't fish in saltwater here in the midwest.

One thing led to another and I ended up putting a completely new harness in, but strangely the turn signals and brake lights worked but no parking lights and no side lights, but I was sure I had the wires connected in the right places. After some help from my dad who worked with electricity for 20 years, after retiring from the military, we figured out the plug in connector from the vehicle to the harness was bad. Replaced and good to go except a weak ground on one of the side lights, which I can easily take care of with some sandpaper. What a beautiful sight to see all those LED lights working like they should be!

Wasted as lot of time attempting to get all the lights working!   ::) God Bless my dad!
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rivereddy

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Re: Anybody else hate dealing with boat trailer lights?
« Reply #1 on: Sep 11, 2021, 08:29 PM »
Don't get me started......

fish on,

rivereddy

Mac Attack

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Re: Anybody else hate dealing with boat trailer lights?
« Reply #2 on: Sep 11, 2021, 08:33 PM »
Install new LED system for $50 or less from Amazon and be done with it.

taxid

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Re: Anybody else hate dealing with boat trailer lights?
« Reply #3 on: Sep 11, 2021, 08:49 PM »
It may come to that, but right now the present LED lights are working.

One thing I didn't mention is the color of wires are reversed on this trailer vehicle green on left side and yellow on the right) otherwise the turn slignals flash on the wrong side. It must be the vehicle wiring a Saturn Vue.
“The trouble with quotes on the Internet is you never know if they are genuine.” —Abraham Lincoln

Raquettedacker

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Re: Anybody else hate dealing with boat trailer lights?
« Reply #4 on: Sep 12, 2021, 05:20 AM »
Install new LED system for $50 or less from Amazon and be done with it.

  X2 …….
Sometimes we live no particular way but our own.....<br />Strangers stopping strangers just to shake there hand...<br />\"Dying is the easy part. Learning how to live is the hard part....\"

taxid

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Re: Anybody else hate dealing with boat trailer lights?
« Reply #5 on: Sep 12, 2021, 05:21 AM »
  X2 …….

Remember now I did that two years ago. That's where I bought the system with the corroded wire.

I will say it's nice not having to worry about loose bulbs, corroded bulbs, or burnt out bulbs.
“The trouble with quotes on the Internet is you never know if they are genuine.” —Abraham Lincoln

krispcritter

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Re: Anybody else hate dealing with boat trailer lights?
« Reply #6 on: Sep 12, 2021, 05:25 AM »
Dielectric grease is your friend. I used to have to replace the plug on my vehicle every other year from road salt attacking the connections. Now I every so often squirt some dielectric grease into the vehicle plug and make sure I have some on the trailer plug, good contact every time and no more corrosion. I also put a dab under the screws for the ground connection and have not had a problem since. If  your replacing the lights and the wiring use the grease on all connections.
To make small fortune in business, start with a large one.

fishinator

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Re: Anybody else hate dealing with boat trailer lights?
« Reply #7 on: Sep 12, 2021, 05:34 AM »
Running a ground to every light, instead of using the frame as a ground, helps a lot.

old man river

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Re: Anybody else hate dealing with boat trailer lights?
« Reply #8 on: Sep 13, 2021, 06:05 PM »
   yes I feel using dielectric grease helps
one thing  I do to help protect the bulbs is
to unplug trailer lights before launching boat
it doesn't take much to blow the bulbs
,being hot and  hitting cold water in fall

I also keep spares bulbs  in my   boat
just remember to hook up  lights before going back on road
ralph

Mac Attack

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Re: Anybody else hate dealing with boat trailer lights?
« Reply #9 on: Sep 13, 2021, 06:16 PM »
   yes I feel using dielectric grease helps
one thing  I do to help protect the bulbs is
to unplug trailer lights before launching boat
it doesn't take much to blow the bulbs
,being hot and  hitting cold water in fall

I also keep spares bulbs  in my   boat
just remember to hook up  lights before going back on road


LED

taxid

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Re: Anybody else hate dealing with boat trailer lights?
« Reply #10 on: Sep 20, 2021, 08:05 AM »
   yes I feel using dielectric grease helps
one thing  I do to help protect the bulbs is
to unplug trailer lights before launching boat
it doesn't take much to blow the bulbs
,being hot and  hitting cold water in fall

I also keep spares bulbs  in my   boat
just remember to hook up  lights before going back on road

The LED lights are sealed so never any issues with bulbs. That said, I still unplug when the trailer goes into the water out of habit.
“The trouble with quotes on the Internet is you never know if they are genuine.” —Abraham Lincoln

rivereddy

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Re: Anybody else hate dealing with boat trailer lights?
« Reply #11 on: Sep 20, 2021, 11:57 AM »
Yup, I also unhook my LEDS before dunking the trailer.  Rather than mess with bulbs, I went to the local U-Haul and bought a trailer
light back up kit. It has leads from a 4 way flat to two taillights that mount onto the trailer via strong magnets. I get running, braking and
turn signals from this set up.  All one has to do is place the lights on the frame and plug it in .  It takes less than a minute and nothing ever gets wet. The rig weighs about 7 pounds and rides with some other tools under the seat.  Cost about $30. t has a 4 way flat so this wouldn't work with rigs with brakes however.

glad your boat survived its dunking,

fish on,

rivereddy

Hardwater2

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Re: Anybody else hate dealing with boat trailer lights?
« Reply #12 on: Sep 20, 2021, 06:15 PM »
All trailer lights it seems are a pain in the butt!! Especially if you live in the North ;D

taxid

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Re: Anybody else hate dealing with boat trailer lights?
« Reply #13 on: Sep 20, 2021, 08:25 PM »
Yup, I also unhook my LEDS before dunking the trailer.  Rather than mess with bulbs, I went to the local U-Haul and bought a trailer
light back up kit. It has leads from a 4 way flat to two taillights that mount onto the trailer via strong magnets. I get running, braking and
turn signals from this set up.  All one has to do is place the lights on the frame and plug itin .  It takes less than a minute and nothing ever gets
wet. The rig weighs about 7 pounds and rides with some other tools under the seat.  Cost about $30. t has a 4 way flat so this wouldn't work with rigs with brakes however.

glad you boat survived its dunking,

fish on,

rivereddy

That's interesting!
“The trouble with quotes on the Internet is you never know if they are genuine.” —Abraham Lincoln

taxid

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Re: Anybody else hate dealing with boat trailer lights?
« Reply #14 on: Sep 21, 2021, 09:01 AM »
My lights worked flawlessly on the trip other than a weak ground on one of the side lights which I didn't have time to address. All connections are sealed with shrink tubing over crimp connectors this time.

Never did mount the Terrova. Just didn't have time for it and didn't want to mess with it until I got back.
“The trouble with quotes on the Internet is you never know if they are genuine.” —Abraham Lincoln

 



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