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Trailer Lights for a submersible trailer

9K views 25 replies 13 participants last post by  Osseous 
#1 ·
Just wondering if people have ideas/unique designs re the best way to wire lights for a submersible trailer. I was kicking around the idea of using magnetized removable lights and just taking them off when I dunk the trailer but I wanted to get other people's thoughts.
 
#2 ·
#3 ·
Pretty much all of my trailer light problems went away when I upgraded to LED lights and installed a ground wire (not using the frame for ground). I also put any wires running underneath in some flexible plastic conduit to protect them from gravel. The kit I got was not specifically rated for submersible, just the cheap of f the shelf LED kit from the local discount auto store. They are similar to these...

.http://www.sears.com/maxxtow-70205-...a=02866796000P&kpid=02866796000&mktRedirect=y

I regularly submerge them during loading and unloading and have had zero problems in over 5 years.
 
#16 ·
Pretty much all of my trailer light problems went away when I upgraded to LED lights and installed a ground wire (not using the frame for ground). I also put any wires running underneath in some flexible plastic conduit to protect them from gravel. The kit I got was not specifically rated for submersible, just the cheap of f the shelf LED kit from the local discount auto store. They are similar to these...

.Sears.com

I regularly submerge them during loading and unloading and have had zero problems in over 5 years.
Ken, can you explain where you're running the ground? I thought the ground wire from either a 7 way or 4 or 5 flat had to be attached somewhere on the trailer chassis/frame? Thx.
 
#4 ·
Sorry, Walmart l.e.d. submersible connections also need to be water tight. I.e. heat shrink. I've done this on 3 trailers as far as I know all 3 get dunked to the hubs and still signal.

Nonsense, I have not yet begun to defile myself
 
#5 ·
Just wondering if people have ideas/unique designs re the best way to wire lights for a submersible trailer. I was kicking around the idea of using magnetized removable lights and just taking them off when I dunk the trailer but I wanted to get other people's thoughts.
I am in the process of modifying my trailer and am installing all new lights. I found a great ebay store (2 Red RV Truck Trailer Stop Tail Turn Light 11 LED 15" Low Profile USA Made | eBay) as no-one around here carries much of a selection and I wanted very low profile lights. What I bought is all sealed LED's so they can get submerged, just remember you also need to seal your connections so use the solder/heat shrink or crimp/heat shrink connectors with glue to seal. Otherwise you'll get corrosion on the wire if running while submerged. The solid ground is a great idea, especially if you have a tilt bed.

I should be installing my lights by mid week, I'll take a bunch of pics and post them when I do. I am supper stoked with my concept....I hope it comes out as I'm envisioning.
 
#6 ·
Another vote for the sealed submersible LED trailer lights.

I did some looking around and ended up buying a kit that was at the top of the price list, thinking you get what you pay for. Which may or not be correct when dealing with LED lights.

I got mine because the regular bulbs were going out all the time on my original trailer lights plus the replacement regular bulb kit I installed to see if it would fix the problem. It did not.

Put in the LED system some time ago and zero problems since then.
 
#7 ·
When Schutzie went to the dark side and bought a SeaRay the trailer that came with it was, shall we say, well used and abused. He redid the brakes and lights, which caused him to become somewhat of an expert on what trailer lights need to be so they are "water resistant".

Understand, your lights are subjected to much more abuse just being on your trailer than being dunked for a few minutes. When he purchased replacement lights he had "water resistant" lights, at a considerable premium price. An old salt at the store showed him the difference between "water resistant" and "inexpensive" lights. The housing and light sockets were identical, cause see, most of them are made by one manufacturer. The difference was the connectors and that the more expensive lights had a truly water tight grommet where the wires went through the light housing.

So. Couple of options for you
1) Simply disconnect the lights before you back your trailer in. They'll be dry before you need them. The only issue here is remembering to unplug and plug in your lights.
2) Some care installing your new lights will pretty much eliminate any issues.
a)Mount your lights as high as you can and ideally to the rear of something that will deflect road spray. High on a fender for example.
b) Use a single run of wire from the light to the plug. Where you must splice, heat shrink the splice. Twice.
c) Whatever plug you use, make sure it has good seals and that the seal where the wires go in actually seals.
d) A bit of grease in the sockets, at splices, and on the terminals in the plug will greatly reduce corrosion.
Schutzie has almost no experience with anything but the old fashioned 1157 bulbs, (cause he's an old fart) but most of the failures he had with his trailer lights involved hot bulbs hitting cold water (they will break). In practice the housing is almost water tight; as long as the upper half of the housing is pretty much sealed, any water that gets in won't get to the bulb or socket because an air pocket forms in the upper half of the housing. The rest of the system is pretty bullet proof, provided you don't actually launch your trailer by accident. In which case, you have greater issues to address.

A greater concern is the brakes and bearings; if you regularly submerge them launching or recovering your boat you will need to become intimately familiar with your brakes and bearings and such. I found that at minimum, an annual detailed inspection was mandatory. Plus, it was a good excuse to drink beer and cuss.
 
#10 ·
6 paddle boats stacked on a trailer still weigh less than 1000 lbs. Still no need for trailer brakes. You're not stacking 6 expedition setups; no way, no how. 2 fully rigged and loaded boats might run 3K. Still no need for trailer brakes...unless your pulling it with your Prius. in which case you'd need auxiliary power as well
 
#11 ·
When I go on these High School Deso trips, I usually am hauling all the gear for the entire trip, less a cooler or two. I take a flat bed and head out I-70 from Denver and it isn't unusual to run into snow and slick roads on the way. I most definantly have my trailer brakes on and working. When you go over Colorado mountain passes on a regular basis......it's a good thing to have brakes on a trailer.......no matter what your hauling.
 
#13 ·
I have brakes on my trailer, but my trailer isn't used for hauling just rafts. it gets to haul gravel, sand, and whatever else throughout the year as well. I don't mind that the trailer does some of the breaking on hills when pulling the rafts, doesn't bother me one bit.
 
#14 ·
Hey, great! Glad you like them and I understand multi-purpose. But for me and my raft trailer the less maintenance the better. My comment was that they weren't necessary for your average RAFT trailer. Feel free to flame away.
 
#15 ·
Sealed LED lights are great. Elkhaven I like the ones in the link. Whatever lights you have / buy, buy a spare or 2 as they will break, get damaged, etc. Most trailer wire issues are related to the ground. Run a dedicated ground wire or if you have a tilt, instal a screw where the tilt and bed meet and the screw can rub as you drive creating a good ground from bed to tongue. If you don't want to solder and heat shrink your wires, use Waterproof Wire Connectors. if your trailer doesn't have the "E-Z Lube" system, use bearing buddies.
 
#18 ·
Thanks, I looked a while for the lights... when I finish and post pictures it will make sense why I really wanted that style light. I do use waterproof crimp and seal type connectors, not the water proof wire nuts. I hate wire nuts (after wiring a house this year, we just don't get a long all that well) and wouldn't recommend them on a trailer application. I have used that WP style and found the grease they're filled with only magnifies my hatred of the damn things :mad: even though I know they have their applications

I do have ez-lube hubs and love them. I've owned the original trailer for 8 years and bought it used. It's probably 15 years old and I rebuilt the hubs last year prior to our Oregon trip. They didn't really need it, but once I had them apart to check I replaced all the hardware anyways. All my other trailers have bearing buddies.

I got my trailer painted and built the roller last night. Wiring and lights tonight. Deck tomorrow night if all goes well.
 
#17 ·
ducttape, Instead of running the ground wire from the harness to the frame and the ground wire from the light to the frame, run the ground wire from the harness to a ground wire that is dedicated and runs to the lights. This picture shows the 7 pin harness with dedicated ground (white)
 
#23 ·
There are more pictues in the Trailer porn thread but here are a few details of the lighting to help out.

Automotive exterior Bumper Vehicle Auto part Car
Table Floor Wood Furniture Wood stain


I posted a link somewhere to the ebay store I bought them through. I like to buy local, but I could find nothing low profile like that here. Pacific steel (our local metal fab supply house) did have the button lights.

all the wiring runs through the box tubing and the lights each require a 5/8" hole for the long lights and a 3/4" hole for the button lights.

The back up lights also came from the ebay store and are super bright but I haven't really gotten to use them yet. I can't wait for a late night take out :)
 
#24 ·
There are more pictues in the Trailer porn thread but here are a few details of the lighting to help out.

View attachment 9914 View attachment 9915

I posted a link somewhere to the ebay store I bought them through. I like to buy local, but I could find nothing low profile like that here. Pacific steel (our local metal fab supply house) did have the button lights.

all the wiring runs through the box tubing and the lights each require a 5/8" hole for the long lights and a 3/4" hole for the button lights.

The back up lights also came from the ebay store and are super bright but I haven't really gotten to use them yet. I can't wait for a late night take out :)
Where did you get the roll bar? Been having a hell of a timebfinding one...
 
#25 ·
I built it. It's 1.5" emt with HDPE bushings I turned on a lathe. The brackets are 2x2x1/4" angle iron with a 1/2" bolt pushed through and welded for an axle. I then cut down the angle iron to be shorter than the roller and rounded all the corners. The brackets bolt on through the deck so I can replace the roller if something happens to it.
 
#26 ·
Home Depot has threaded pipe in their plumbing section. They have threaded 90 degree angles with footings that are drilled for screwing to a deck. One pipe, two 90 degree footings and some PVC equals a really simple and cheap roll bar. No bearings to freeze up- works great. I put a little grease on the pipe and cut the PVC into three sections before mounting it on the pipe and screwing everything down. Really happy with the results. Think it cost $50

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