trailer lights?

[bloocrab]

OK...so it seemed simple enough....you know ..brown to brown, yellow to yellow...green to greenhorn.....

If I don't put the truck headlights on, the trailer lights work perfectly, however.....when I put the truck lights on, the trailer lights don't respond at all...

Anyone ever have this phenomenon happen to them? HELP!!!!....my red LED head-lamp is having a hard time staying strapped to the trailer....

[StriperSwiperRI]

I'd start by checking your groud wire and make sure there is no power backfeeding to the circut.
Do you have seperate turn signal lights from the brake lights?
If you do you need to get a distribution block that made for your vehicle. Preferably with a plug and play t-harness.
Let me know how you make out.

[niko]

i spent all afternoon yesterday rewiring the trailer and replacing lights. good luck. just think how nice it will be when they all work right, at least for a month or 2

[BigBo]

bloo. If I remember correctly you have a Tacoma correct? If so you need to go to AutoZone or similar store and get an adaptor for the trailer wiring. The reason is because you have separate brake and signal lights as with most foreign made cars and trucks. Easy fix. Just pick up the adaptor and follow the directions.

[bloocrab]

Sent ya a PM BigBo...

Thanks.

[macojoe]

I rewired mine this year for a while I hope?? Has all one wire from front to back with no splices in the water!

[nightfighter]

Gilly, check the convertor, or splitter, first for power. Usually best to work from truck back through trailer. Different inline set up for different light functions. It will be a taped up wire grouping behind back seat, or in wheelwell compartment. Check fuses, if any. Make sure the harness hook up is compatible, ie. 5 wire to 5 wire, etc.

Trailer wiring should be simple plug and play, but they aren't.....

[bloocrab]

- - ,.,//...... ,,,

Not sure which is worse now.....putting up trailer lights or Christmas lights!!

Fuses checked out OK
Ground is clean as a whistle
Purchased another "converter/adapter" wiring harness (yes, correct model for my truck)....it was the same model as the one already attached but I tried it anyway....SAME $@$%@ PROBLEM, so it's not the wiring harness!

Long shot, but it looks like the MAIN truck wiring-connectors that plug into the "Adapter" harness have some corrosion on them (the blue-ish buildup) and look like they possibly suffered some water/shock damage. Perhaps they're not making good contact even though my Truck Brake lights work with NO problems at all....

..maybe I should just run some Christmas tree lights throughout the boat connected to my cigar lighter......maybe that'll keep the cops at bay

[BigBo]

W-D 40 and a small brass brush to clean the terminals. Although I do like the idea of Christmas lights. That would get Larry torqued up.

[Got Stripers]

Maybe I'm just getting old or lazy, but for me the $75 I pay the trailer place to do them right is well worth the 2 years I typically get out of that investment, but then again I do have tube lights on guide ons (out of water) so that helps.

Tried doing it myself this spring, good ground, clean wires, nothing to indicate they shouldn't work, after 1-1/2 hours I figured that was enough. Drinkwater Trailer sales fixed me up and they work fine, look good and all the wiring is in flex tubing and protected, best $75 you can spend.

[bloocrab]

Originally Posted by StriperSwiperRI

I'd start by checking your ground wire ........
Let me know how you make out.

I FINALLY realized what I did!!! .

As trailer lights always fail sooner or later, I wanted to keep these new lights out of the water, I did not mount them in their usual spot.

Yeah, so finally ,, late last night...it dawned on me (as this should have been very simple, it was CONSTANTLY on my mind). The ground on the truck was rock solid, the ground on the trailer behind the hitch was SOLID.........BUT, I neglected to ground the tail-lights.
I took for granted that the tail-lights when mounted in their normal location receive their ground from the mounting screws..(when you actually screw them onto the trailer)...but seeing as how they were not mounted to the trailer...there was,,......no ground....
Because I had purchased all-new trailer lights and wiring, I foolishly placed my worries on my truck as I had not trailer-ed anything with it yet, the lights did intermittently work...and all the stuff was new.....so I thought my truck was hosing me up.

Nothing like a good K.I.S.S. to whack you up side the head.


Thanks for all your replies - hope this is helpful to someone else sometime.

__________________________________________________ __

Keeping on track with "Lights"....

Is it true that because my boat has a motor...I still have to have running lights on it? The red/green combo as well as the 18" sky-light?.....even if it's only 13 feet????.....fireXting, flares, yada, yada....dang, and I thought I'd be exempt from all that stuff.....where am I going to put all my FISH now????????

[stcroixman]

Originally Posted by Got Stripers

Maybe I'm just getting old or lazy, but for me the $75 I pay the trailer place to do them right is well worth the 2 years I typically get out of that investment, but then again I do have tube lights on guide ons (out of water) so that helps.

Tried doing it myself this spring, good ground, clean wires, nothing to indicate they shouldn't work, after 1-1/2 hours I figured that was enough. Drinkwater Trailer sales fixed me up and they work fine, look good and all the wiring is in flex tubing and protected, best $75 you can spend.

I am presently dealing with a light problem and I am thinking like you. I am no wiring expert and I am coaching My daughters softball team. I have no time to experiment. I just want to fish.

[Roger]

Originally Posted by bloocrab

Is it true that because my boat has a motor...I still have to have running lights on it? The red/green combo as well as the 18" sky-light?.....even if it's only 13 feet????.....

Only if you run at night or reduced visibility and if your rig can go more than 7 knots - Yes.

Except that you've got the 18" height wrong on the all around light. It's supposed to be at least 1 meter higher than the sidelights.

[Swimmer]

Originally Posted by bloocrab

I FINALLY realized what I did!!! .

As trailer lights always fail sooner or later, I wanted to keep these new lights out of the water, I did not mount them in their usual spot.

Yeah, so finally ,, late last night...it dawned on me (as this should have been very simple, it was CONSTANTLY on my mind). The ground on the truck was rock solid, the ground on the trailer behind the hitch was SOLID.........BUT, I neglected to ground the tail-lights.
I took for granted that the tail-lights when mounted in their normal location receive their ground from the mounting screws..(when you actually screw them onto the trailer)...but seeing as how they were not mounted to the trailer...there was,,......no ground....
Because I had purchased all-new trailer lights and wiring, I foolishly placed my worries on my truck as I had not trailer-ed anything with it yet, the lights did intermittently work...and all the stuff was new.....so I thought my truck was hosing me up.

Nothing like a good K.I.S.S. to whack you up side the head.


Thanks for all your replies - hope this is helpful to someone else sometime.

__________________________________________________ __

Keeping on track with "Lights"....

Is it true that because my boat has a motor...I still have to have running lights on it? The red/green combo as well as the 18" sky-light?.....even if it's only 13 feet????.....fireXting, flares, yada, yada....dang, and I thought I'd be exempt from all that stuff.....where am I going to put all my FISH now????????

I DON'T KNOW WHEN IT HASN'T BEEN THE GROUND. YOU JUST HAD MORE THAN ONE. BEST SETUP I HAD WAS MOUNTING THE TRAILER LIGHTS ON STRAPPING. THEN I BUNGIED THE LIGHTS ONTO THE STERN DURING TRAVEL. ALWAYS WORKED AND ALWAYS STAYED OUT OF THE WATER. JUST HAVE TO WRAP THEM UP AND UNWRAP THEM TO PLACE THEM BACK ON THE BOAT FOR TRANSIT HOME.

[bloocrab]

I'm trying to keep em' high and dry as well....hence me forgetting the light's ,ground,.. /// probably because I didn't have a hanging wire to remind me...or I'm just

And I do plan on running her at night too so I have some more work to do, gonna try those strap on battery types (no, not my wife's, either..._),, ...I really don't want to clutter this thing, it's small enough already without adding more wiring and having a battery taking up space,,,,....I'll worry about getting her running good... after she's all prepped...

[UserRemoved1]

Bloo not sure on this but just pointing it out for you before you have a problem. It's a federal law that any light on a vehicle/trailer that is mounted must be lit if it's supposed to be lit...so if you aren't using those old lights you might want to remove them lest you get a ticket from a trooper etc... I've seen it happen before.

[bloocrab]

Originally Posted by #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&

... It's a federal law that any light on a vehicle/trailer that is mounted must be lit if it's supposed to be lit.....

Thanks for pointing that out Salty. I was afraid of something like that...the make-shift ones I have now come off in a second. I was thinking that iffin' that happened, I'd try the old.....

,,,"ya know occifer, the trailer lights do work,,,but today as I was getting ready to leave the house...they wouldn't come on...so I had prepared this set as a back-up,,,but I will be repairing the ones on the trailer...as these are just a back-up set".....

Hopefully that will buy me a warning, ...


but THANK YOU for bringing that up....I wasn't too sure on how that went.



3/4" Azek scrap I had lying around.......should outlast the light fixture anyways....LOL

[bloocrab]

Putting her to good use...

With the trailer lights under control, I was finally able to get this 70 yr. old dude onto some feisty 40" fish....The Non-STOP action provided hours of good fish being caught, tons of laughter, and a sore shoulder.....PRICELESS!!!, would be the best word to describe it.

She still fights me to stay at idle sometimes, but I always manage to get her fired back up. As promised Matt,,,,..."putting her to good use".

....for all the input on the skiff everyone.

[Van]

Don't know much about trailer lights.
But I know some good fishing when I see it.

SHWEET.....
Happy camper there.

[Slingah]

Originally Posted by bloocrab

Putting her to good use...

With the trailer lights under control, I was finally able to get this 70 yr. old dude onto some feisty 40" fish....The Non-STOP action provided hours of good fish being caught, tons of laughter, and a sore shoulder.....PRICELESS!!!, would be the best word to describe it.

She still fights me to stay at idle sometimes, but I always manage to get her fired back up. As promised Matt,,,,..."putting her to good use".

....for all the input on the skiff everyone.

that is excellent Gilly....
glad to see her collecting dust days are over

[Slipknot]

SWEET!
get them while you can

[bloocrab]

Originally Posted by Slipknot

SWEET!
get them while you can