I was looking at replacing my trailer lights…AGAIN! For some reason, I keep on buying these dang things. I am up to two to three sets per year. They just don’t like the water. Does anybody have any success with the “waterproof LED” lights that are available? They are more expensive initially, but they would be worth it, if they lasted a year or two? Anybody have any experience there?
I don’t have any experience with the LEDs, but keeping your lights out of the water is the best way to go. Mount them on your guide ons if you have them. If not, do what I did a few years ago. Mount the lights on 18" pieces of PVC pipe and stick em’ in your aft rod holders. Notch the bottoms of the pipe so they won’t turn. Run the wires inside the boat & down to the connector on your tow vehicle. Tape or tie wrap the loose wires every 12-18" to keep them nice & tidy. When you’re ready to launch, pull the lights out of the rod holders, wrap the wires around the pipes and put them in the truck. Takes about a minute.
Bob Van Gundy
Marine Designs,Inc.
Custom Aluminum Fabrication
803-727-4069
Keeping them out of the water is really not an option for me with my boat…no guides or aft rod holders, BUT great idea! Thanks for the advice though. I don’t see why a completely sealed waterproof light is so hard to build, especially for the LED’s that really don’t require any “breathing” room. I need to check to see if the LED waterproof lights have a guarantee. Thanks!
quote:
Originally posted by Happy BobI don’t have any experience with the LEDs, but keeping your lights out of the water is the best way to go. Mount them on your guide ons if you have them. If not, do what I did a few years ago. Mount the lights on 18" pieces of PVC pipe and stick em’ in your aft rod holders. Notch the bottoms of the pipe so they won’t turn. Run the wires inside the boat & down to the connector on your tow vehicle. Tape or tie wrap the loose wires every 12-18" to keep them nice & tidy. When you’re ready to launch, pull the lights out of the rod holders, wrap the wires around the pipes and put them in the truck. Takes about a minute.
Bob Van Gundy
Marine Designs,Inc.
Custom Aluminum Fabrication
803-727-4069
I did LED lights on a full trailer re-wire early last year. Granted, the boat didn’t see a whole lot of use, but the lights are still working. I also like the fact that they’re nice and bright. My boat has a wide ass, and is navy blue, so the more light for being noticed, the better.
‘05 Wellcraft 232 Coastal rockin’ a Yammie F225
‘00 Aqua Force Flats 15 w/ Yammie F25
"Kiss my ass, I bought a boat; I’m goin’ out to sea." (Jimmy Buffett covering Lovett)
If the lights are getting water inside the case then try unhooking them before you back in. Leave them unhooked until after you load the boat back up & then give them a few for the water to drain out before you plug them back up to the truck. If the water does not drain out so well drill a hole in the underside of the case for the water to drain out faster. If water holds in the case for a long time it will eventually destroy the connectors inside the case.
Or you can silicone the seams & wiring holes in the light cases.
Are you sure its not just a bad ground. Thats the only problem i’ve had with my LED’s in three years now. I remove the rusted screw, clean the area, and tighten back up with a new screw.
08 210 sea hunt 150 yamaha ‘86 14’ super scout too much yamaha
i have had a pair of watetight led lights but no matter what you get the water seem to find its way in. so i buy the cheap ones with a bulb because in saltwater all trailer lights seem to have short life anyway. my solution was to take a pair of normal cheap lights, drill a small hole in the bottom of them. water will get in them no matter what…this will let it drain out fast so i doesnt sit in there. i also take the lens off and spray all of the metal contacts with boeing shield or similar corrosion protection, just make sure you take bulb out before spraying the contacts. seems to work really well. do that and keep an eye on your ground conections every so often and they should last much long for you. and most importantly Alway unplug trailer lights before launching boat to help prevent electrolysis.
2005 Ranger Cayman 191
Ok…I decided to try out the LED’s. I bought them yesterday and will put on boat over the next few weeks. I bought the optronics waterproof LED light package. One thing I did notice is the Lifetime Warranty. Hopefully they will stand behind their warranty. One thing I do like about these is the separate ground wires for each light. This should help the grounding problem in my opinion. Help I said…
Thanks for the commentary!
get an old drop cord that has been cut and make sure it has not been chafed. if u have the pvc led lights then run the drop cord all the way from the top of the pole where the lights are (i solder/heat shrink/ liquid electrical tape my connections). make sure the connections are as close to the lights as possible. the only lights that will ALWAYS work are the ones that never touch water or never have a connection that touches the water. just make sure u run the wires (both) all the way to the tongue before splicing together.
ft worry.
You said it g8rnsc. Keeps them high and dry so they do not fail. I have the LED cap lights on top as well, makes backing at night a lot easier.
Same problem here with my LEDs. As a matter of fact I am replacing them today. I had the right rear catch on fire and burn up. A bit scary when a guy pulls up to you and yells your boat is on fire. Thank God it was only the light. Poured a new drink on it to put it out.
Going to Church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.
You are the offspring of 5 monkeys having But Secs with a retarded fish squirrel. CONGRADULATION!!!
On my second set of LED’s, not great but do last much longer than the old single bulb lights.
I still had half of the LED’s burning but just thought I would go ahead and replace since I trailer my boat all the time
Seems like I picked mine up at Tractor Supply
Sea Pro 210cc
Yamaha 200 4 Stroke
Dodge 1500 4x4 HEMI
If you are going to go with LED’s then spend a few extra bucks to get Optronics rather than the stuff at the chain marine stores. The other suggestion I have is don’t use the trailer body for the ground - it leaves you with too many connection points that can go bad. Get some 3 wire lamp cord to wire the trailer and use one wire as the ground. Seal every connection with liquid electric tape, covered with shrink tubing. Then put a dose of dielectric grease on the connections that can’t be sealed, like the bolt connection on the light bodies. I’ve been running my trailer for years with no problems.
Sea Hunt 202 w/150 Yamaha
if soldering isnt a hassel for you, do it. i usually solder, then heat shrink, then liquid electrical tape(when i dont want to do it again for a longggg time). it can pretty much chill in the water and u will be good to go. its all about attention to detail. one slip up can cause the whole thing to short. which can sometimes short out your vehicles running light system as well.
ft worry.
Amen Bro, get them out of h2o and your problems will be over.
quote:
Originally posted by cordrayj1get an old drop cord that has been cut and make sure it has not been chafed. if u have the pvc led lights then run the drop cord all the way from the top of the pole where the lights are (i solder/heat shrink/ liquid electrical tape my connections). make sure the connections are as close to the lights as possible. the only lights that will ALWAYS work are the ones that never touch water or never have a connection that touches the water. just make sure u run the wires (both) all the way to the tongue before splicing together.
ft worry.
I don’t know who makes the lights that Wesco uses but my original lights are still working fine and they are 11 years old and stay in salt water.
2486 WA Triton OX-66 250
pipe lights
install the guidepoles if needed
you wont regret it
I’ll third the pipelights. They’re up out the water, up where other drivers see them, and bright enough to see to back down dark ramps if you ride the brake.
DRIVE IT LIKE YOU STOLE IT!!!
The harder you work, the luckier you’ll get.
Yep on Pole Lights, this is what i put on.
2 in pole,ordered strip led’s on line,cap RE SMITH’s
Ran outdoor drop cord wire up pole all connections soudered & heat shrinked. I didn’t glue top cap on, fits tight, that way ever have to get to connections remove cap!! NO MORE Problems,Super Bright!!!
