Association Forum - Who makes good LED trailer lights?

Assn Members Area · Join

Home.

Association Forum

Ships Store

Cruising

Racing

Technical Tips

Photo Gallery - New

Boat Search - Updated

Manuals & Brochures

Swap Meet

Links

Officer Flag Line & Staff

Bylaws & Constitution

Members Area

Join the Association

Notice:
The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.

Association Forum

Username:	Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?

All Forums

Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

General Sailing Forum

Who makes good LED trailer lights?

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Author

Topic

delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

Member Avatar

USA
4479 Posts

Initially Posted - 09/12/2010 : 21:13:30

I discovered today that my "new" LED trailer lights are full of water which explains why I've been having problems with them. They're remarkably good at holding water in, so much so that they look normal.

I ran all new wiring today thinking that was my problem because there was some corrosion going on at the connections. When I got to the lights, I pulled them off and noticed the water inside, they both are leaking around the mounting studs, and the "marine" wire looks to be corroded all the way down it's length. Grrrr... This trailer has been submerged three times since I installed these lights!

Has anyone installed LED lights that have worked out well for them?

David
C-250 Mainsheet Editor

Sirius Lepak
1997 C-250 WK TR #271 --Seattle area Port Captain --

Edited by - on

britinusa
Web Editor

Members Avatar

USA
5404 Posts

Response Posted - 09/13/2010 : 03:09:11

We installed lights from my fav store HF, but they all failed within a couple of dunks

My local NAPA store had the center light bar and the side/brake/turn lamp sets in stock, and so far no issues at all.

BTW, I cut open the HF lamp sets, figured out where the issue was (corroded cable and a one lamp bar out). Cut out the individual lamp strips that still worked. I dremelled them down to the size of a festoon lamp and they are now installed in one of my original cabin lamp fixtures (the 6" white round fixtures) and work like a charm.. all except that my power drain meter cannot detect when they are turned on!

Paul

Edited by - on

dmpilc
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
4593 Posts

Response Posted - 09/13/2010 : 07:24:51

1. Northern Tool.
2. How about the place where you take your trailer for servicing?

Edited by - on

Dave5041
Former Mainsheet Editor

Members Avatar

USA
3758 Posts

Response Posted - 09/13/2010 : 09:49:12

I put the WM kit specific to my model trailer on several years ago. One light failed about 6 months after WM announced a recall on certain part numbers. They replaced the lights and I haven't had any problems since with launch and recovery twice a year in salt and fresh water.

Edited by - on

dmpilc
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
4593 Posts

Response Posted - 09/14/2010 : 20:25:02

Do you get the Overton's catalog? Might want to check them out also.

Edited by - on

cat25
Navigator

Members Avatar

USA
140 Posts

Response Posted - 09/20/2010 : 14:09:54

Try dry launch lights. There not led but they are good.

Edited by - on

delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

Members Avatar

USA
4479 Posts

Response Posted - 09/20/2010 : 15:08:35

I found some [url="http://seasense.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=shop.flypage&product_id=772&category_id=47&manufacturer_id=0&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=26"]SeaSense lights[/url] at a local boat shop last week & installed them yesterday. I explained my problem to the salesman, and he knew exactly what I was talking about and showed my why these particular lights will (or should) solve my problem. The entire light is sealed, the carriage bolts that attach to the trailer go through plastic channels that aren't central to the light enclosure. If you crank down on them hard enough to crack them, it's just the channel that gets damaged, not the LED enclosure. The power wires go through an epoxy blob so they're unlikely to leak. I have high hopes, they seem well built.

Edited by - on

piseas
Former Treasurer

Members Avatar

USA
2017 Posts

Response Posted - 09/20/2010 : 15:29:28

David, looks like you found the answer but are there lights made that are magnetic? which you would remove while putting in water?
Steve A

Edited by - piseas on 09/20/2010 16:01:30

delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

Members Avatar

USA
4479 Posts

Response Posted - 09/20/2010 : 16:00:17

They are not magnetic, they're bolted to the trailer frame, so they'll be submerged each time I launch & recover.

Edited by - on

Chris Z
Captain

Members Avatar

452 Posts

Response Posted - 09/20/2010 : 16:57:00

I have bought a set from Walmart for my C25 trailer and my fishing trailer. I have not had a single problem. The ones on my fishing trailer go in once a week.

Edited by - on

Stuff4Toys
1st Mate

Members Avatar

USA
83 Posts

Response Posted - 09/25/2010 : 17:35:33

I like products from Optronics, won't find 'em at WM

Edited by - on

Ed Cassidy
Captain

Members Avatar

USA
365 Posts

Response Posted - 09/25/2010 : 20:31:46

The Optronics kit I got at the local parts store had a lifetime warranty. I'm going to test it now that both taillights had failures.
Ed

Edited by - on

Elfreda
Deckhand

Members Avatar

2 Posts

Response Posted - 04/19/2012 : 19:15:01

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by britinusa
 We installed lights from my fav store HF, [url=http://www.ledstrips8.com/wholesale/what-is-smd-5050-or-smd-5050-products/]smd-5050[/url] but they all failed within a couple of dunks

My local NAPA store had the center light bar and the [url=http://www.ledstrips8.com/wholesale/12-volt-led-lights-or-led-lighting-for-bulb/]12v led lighting[/url] side/brake/turn lamp sets in stock, and so far no issues at all.

BTW, I cut open the HF lamp sets, figured out where [url=http://www.ledstrips8.com/wholesale/flexible-led-strip/]led "flexible strip"[/url] the issue was (corroded cable and a one lamp bar out). Cut out the individual lamp strips that still worked. I dremelled them down to the size of a festoon lamp and they are now installed in one of my original cabin lamp fixtures (the 6" white round fixtures) and work like a charm.. all except that my power drain meter cannot detect when they are turned on!

Paul

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

If you crank down on them hard enough to crack them, it's just the channel that gets damaged, not the LED enclosure. The power wires go through an epoxy blob so they're unlikely to leak. I have high hopes, they seem well built.

Edited by - on

OJ
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
4382 Posts

Response Posted - 04/20/2012 : 13:25:29

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Ed Cassidy
 . . . The Optronics kit I got at the local parts store had a lifetime warranty . . .
Ed
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">Trailer-Rite installed Optronics tail lights - materials seem to be high quality - so far so good. Not sure about the side marker lights.

http://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Lights/Optronics/STL78RB.html

Edited by - OJ on 04/29/2012 06:11:52

hewebb
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
761 Posts

Response Posted - 04/21/2012 : 05:23:42

Bought my water proof LED lights at Tractor Supply

Edited by - on

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Djibouti
9080 Posts

Response Posted - 04/21/2012 : 06:31:27

I'm curious... Why LED's? They're great for conserving batteries between charges, but that conservation becomes a premium requirement to justify their cost... Now you're buying them to submerge in water (salt?) on a trailer hooked up to a running tow vehicle? I've never had trailer lights that didn't leak eventually, but I never worried too much about the cost of replacing ordinary lights now and then, and my car's alternator never struggled with their draw.

Edited by - on

Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
5368 Posts

Response Posted - 04/21/2012 : 08:19:26

Dave,
I gotta agree with you - LED trailer lights are a solution looking for a problem. That said, I've stopped at truck stops and have found LED replacement bulbs for conventional 1156 and 1157 bulbs, but that's because truckers turn off their engines but not their lights when they sleep and need to conserve on battery power. Think anchor lights.

Edited by - on

Dave5041
Former Mainsheet Editor

Members Avatar

USA
3758 Posts

Response Posted - 04/21/2012 : 09:14:05

LED trailer lights can be completely sealed units, WM's and just about all quality ones are, eliminating any risk of internal water, corrosion, and failure. They are brighter and don't need to be unplugged when you back into cold water. Trailer lights, even those not submerged, are an ongoing problem from rain, spray, road salt and anything else that finds it's way in. It is definitely not a solution in need of a problem. I have several years on my lights and consider them a blessing. I rewired my trailer this year with dedicated ground wires and uninterrupted wire runs to all lights and expect to live happily ever after.

Edited by - on

GaryB
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
4303 Posts

Response Posted - 04/21/2012 : 12:52:33

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Stinkpotter
 I'm curious... Why LED's? They're great for conserving batteries between charges, but that conservation becomes a premium requirement to justify their cost... Now you're buying them to submerge in water (salt?) on a trailer hooked up to a running tow vehicle? I've never had trailer lights that didn't leak eventually, but I never worried too much about the cost of replacing ordinary lights now and then, and my car's alternator never struggled with their draw.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Because the bulbs don't fail as often from vibration while traveling down the road. How many trailers of all types have you followed on the road that had one or more lights not working. LED's are less prone to vibration failure. That's why semi rigs are going to them more and more.

In addition they are normally brighter than the old style lights.

Edited by - GaryB on 04/21/2012 12:54:09

harris
Deckhand

Members Avatar

USA
2 Posts

Response Posted - 04/29/2012 : 05:32:11

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by GaryB
 <blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Stinkpotter
 I'm curious... Why [url=http://www.niceledlights.com]LED[/url]'s? They're great for conserving batteries between charges, but that conservation becomes a premium requirement to justify their cost... Now you're buying them to submerge in water (salt?) on a trailer hooked up to a running tow vehicle? I've never had trailer lights that didn't leak eventually, but I never worried too much about the cost of replacing ordinary lights now and then, and my car's alternator never struggled with their draw.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Because the bulbs don't fail as often from vibration while traveling down the road. How many trailers of all types have you followed on the road that had one or more lights not working. 's are less prone to vibration failure. That's why semi rigs are going to them more and more.

In addition they are normally brighter than the old style lights.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

All time right here also LED Stripes, LED Lamps, LED Flashlights, LED Bulbs, and many other high quality LED products. You can try to this.

Edited by - harris on 05/07/2012 00:02:55

Frank Law
Navigator

Members Avatar

USA
159 Posts

Response Posted - 04/29/2012 : 12:42:33

Regarding lights--- On one of my smaller boats I mounted the trailer lights on a board and just put them on when trailering and lifted them off at the ramp.. lights never got wet ..no problems
Frank Law
"ABOUT TIME"
1983 #3519
SWK , SR

Edited by - on

Topic

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Jump To:

Association Forum

Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.