LED trailer lights

[Brian Palmer]

Anybody have a good source for waterproof LED trailer lights,specifically the amber side marker and clearance lights?

West Marine has them for about $8.50 each.

I'm looking for LEDs because I keep blowing a 15-amp fuse in the tow vehicle with the regular lights and the clearance lights need to be replaced anyway.

Thanks,

Brian

[paladin]

if you keep blowing a fuse I would look seriously for some bad wiring and a temporary ground.....

[Brian Palmer]

Thanks, Paladin

So you don't think the load from the incandescant lamps on the car and trailer is just adding up to more than 15 amps?

Is it possible that corrosion in one of the existing lights has created a short or temporary ground? When we were out last weekend I blew a brand new fuse (as soon as I put it in), so I cut the pigtails to the two side marker lamps that were already out (have been for a while) and the two pigtails to the two clearance lights on the fenders (they have been problematic, but sometimes work). That seemed to solve the fuse problem and the brake, turn, and running lights on the back worked fine, but legally I need the clearance lights because the trailer is over 80" wide.

-- Brian

[paladin]

nope....trailer bulbs are either 12 or 24 watt at the brightest.....even on high power it would be about two amps draw per lamp....even if the tail lights and brake lights equalled 4 bulbs total it would still be 8 amps max.....ya gots other problems....

[Charlie Santi]

Brian why don't you take your current set of lights and convert them to LED. You make the cluster bulb by soldering anode to cathod in series until the working voltage of the LED adds up to between 12.6 and 14. Set the assembly into epoxy in the base of the original light and allow to cure. They work very well for me I have made several sets. I buy the LED's on ebay in bags of 100 for $8-$10 a bag. If intrested in trying it I will make up a diagram and voltage chart to post.
Charlie

[Figment]

I'll lay $20 that Chuck is right. It's a wiring thing.

I never met a trailer that didn't need rewiring. I found that running dedicated ground wires (rather than using the trailer itself) improves the reliability of the system remarkably.

I constantly waffle on the debate between using very very good lights and using cheapos. The good stuff is worth the money without a doubt, but I rarely went a season without busting a light against a submerged rock or a shrub at the edge of the parking lot, etc.

[Thorne]

Rather than chase around with bulbs, just purchase a pre-made trailer harness and rewire completely -- easy and effective. Go with either LED or bulbs as you wish, but the problem you describe has gotta be worn or corroded wiring in the harness somewhere. Also clean that groundwire attachment point!

The very last thing you want to do is damage the wiring or circuits in your tow vehicle, so fix the issue ASAP.

Good luck -- just fininshed welding up the Mark 4 fender and bunk supports on my little trailer and hope I never have to fool with that stuff again...I want to go somewhere and NOT have something on the trailer fall off.

;0 )

[Kim Whitmyre]

Brian why don't you take your current set of lights and convert them to LED. You make the cluster bulb by soldering anode to cathod in series until the working voltage of the LED adds up to between 12.6 and 14. Set the assembly into epoxy in the base of the original light and allow to cure. They work very well for me I have made several sets. I buy the LED's on ebay in bags of 100 for $8-$10 a bag. If intrested in trying it I will make up a diagram and voltage chart to post.
Charlie

I'm interested, Charlie

[Brian Palmer]

Thanks, Charlie, that's an interesting idea, but I think a new harness is probably the answer and a better use of my time. The cost of the lights isn't as much of an issue as a limited amount of weekend time to muck about with this before the season comes to an end.

-- Brian

[Eric D]

Charlie,
I am interested as well, please post a picture tutorial or whatever to further describe please.

[paladin]

Eric......check the bulbs in use on your trailer and tell me the part number.....I have a chart that tells the luminosity of numerous bulb types and I have created a list of light outputs of specific led's so I can create a drawing or word picture for you.....my scanner is down for a couple of days.....send me the info by private mail and I'll draw it and drop it in the snail mail for you...

[Brian Palmer]

Note the cut in the insulation where the pigtail got caught under the sharp edge of the lamp base instead of running cleanly through the little cut-out. I could actually hear it sizzling as it shorted out against the fender when I hooked the lights back up to try to trace the wiring problem again this afternoon.

Thank you all for steering me in the right direction to look for a wiring problem. 'Course if I replaced the lights, this would have been fixed automatically.

Thanks just the same.

-- Brian

[Tylerdurden]

I quit screwing with trailer lights, I go to the truck parts store (freightliner) and get standard LED's of the 4" variety. Grote makes some good ones. Havent had one flood out yet. Only issue is I had to plasma cut some bracket's for them and weld them on but the way low maintnence is great. Make sure you get the harness plugs for them and most come with a wad of dialectric grease in place so no worrys.
Other than that I used tinned wire and heatshrink with adhesive at all connections which are soldered.
If you make a good harness it will pay off in spades.