My car trailer, "The Enabler", is due for some maintenance. This generally involves power washing, inflating the tires and checking the bulbs. When all the bulbs are found to be out, the cleaning of the grounds begins, in conjunction with the repair of the inevitable broken wire.
I'd like to convert it to LEDs and I know that there are kits available. Would this require a step down in voltage between the truck and trailer or to the kits account for this?
In this same vein does there exist a trailer wireing solution that solves the inevitable "cleaning of the grounds", midnight Walmart run hoping they have the wireing accessory you need, swearing, bleeding, and eventual berkeley it I'm risking no one needing to see my left clearance light and right turn signal that is occasional trailer use?
The automotive LED tail light bulbs and/or light assemblies just plug into 12V. Harbor Freight sells a LED set pretty reasonably. Best to go with that or the LED assemblies like the 18 wheeler trailers use, which you can get at a decent truck stop.
Wireless Trailer Light
I am intrigued but have not personal experience with these types.
Most LED trailer kits have built in resistors in the bulb so there plug and play but you get no "energy savings" just longer life.
Best way to deal with trailer grounds...run all grounds to the elctrical box up on the tounge just like you'd do with the plus side power. forget using the frame as a conductor.
Dr. Hess wrote: The automotive LED tail light bulbs and/or light assemblies just plug into 12V. Harbor Freight sells a LED set pretty reasonably. Best to go with that or the LED assemblies like the 18 wheeler trailers use, which you can get at a decent truck stop.
Ahh...so I can just plug automotive LED bulbs into the existing housings rather than replacing everything?
nocones wrote: In this same vein does there exist a trailer wireing solution that solves the inevitable "cleaning of the grounds", midnight Walmart run hoping they have the wireing accessory you need, swearing, bleeding, and eventual berkeley it I'm risking no one needing to see my left clearance light and right turn signal that is occasional trailer use?
Magnetic trailer lights.
I got so frustrated playing with connectors, and having to replace lights every year that I took them all off (3 trailers) and now use 1 set of magentics for everything. When you're done, throw them in a box, and put them in your nice dry shop.
Woody wrote: Ahh...so I can just plug automotive LED bulbs into the existing housings rather than replacing everything?
Not quite so easy. LED bulbs exist, but are not good enough to "plug and play" replace conventional bulbs.
LED bulbs suffer from being highly directional and putting one into an existing housing will result in insufficient lighting. Most LED automotive bulbs I've seen are labelled "not for highway use" for that problem.
To upgrade your trailer to LED lighting you need to buy LED fixtures. I've seen trailer LED light kits at places like WalMart and Tractor Supply that will fit your need.
Zomby Woof wrote:nocones wrote: In this same vein does there exist a trailer wireing solution that solves the inevitable "cleaning of the grounds", midnight Walmart run hoping they have the wireing accessory you need, swearing, bleeding, and eventual berkeley it I'm risking no one needing to see my left clearance light and right turn signal that is occasional trailer use?Magnetic trailer lights. I got so frustrated playing with connectors, and having to replace lights every year that I took them all off (3 trailers) and now use 1 set of magentics for everything. When you're done, throw them in a box, and put them in your nice dry shop.
i bought a set of the HF $9.99 magnetic lights for that reason. i was sick of replacing crap sockets on my trailer lights so i screwed a couple metal plates to the deck of the trailer and pop the magnetic lights on. if i have a car on the trailer i stick them to the car.
Yeah, as Vern sez, the LED replacement bulbs that I've tried mostly suck. Maybe there are better ones out now. I did run across one bulb that was bright enough to be useful, but besides being pretty expensive, it didn't fit inside the Harley tail light assembly I was planning on putting it in.
I've seen the assemblies at wally world too. They even have a button on the box that you can press and the thing lights up, really bright. On the trailer isle in automotive.
HF has them, too.
I really like this set.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/RED-LED-6-oval-Light-Box-kit-Steel-Trailer-Truck-NO-LIC-/290602239486?pt=Motors_RV_Trailer_Camper_Parts_Accessories&vxp=mtr&hash=item43a93e45fe
They are from a local shop in central IL that has the boxes fabricated up. The boxes are really great, and i really like the grommet mount lights that instead of breaking just pop into the box.
Granted this kit does not include wiring at all and is a little spendy, but if you run the wires in some plastic conduit there really shouldn't be too much trouble
44, you're confusing "current limiting resistors" with "load balancing resistors." The "load balancing resistors" are in parallel so that the older circuits that run off of a heated wire bending to make and break the turn signal circuit will still work. Newer circuits (and I think about all the "modern" replacements) don't need the parallel resistors.
Lots of good info, but the bottom line is this: If you buy an "LED trailer light" (regardless if its a bulb, an entire assembly, or other) it is designed for 12v. Plug and play... period.
I had some HF assemblies that were great when new, but the vibrations killed the solder on the board and LEDs dropped quickly. I replaced them with some "road king" LED assemblies from a truck stop and they have lasted without a single failure for 12+ years.
Thanks Curtis. Gonna find me some Road Kings.
For my $ on a small trailer you can't beat a couple of the rubber flood light housings with standard truck stop 4" LED assemblies inside. Easy way to mount them in place of regular lights and if they get whacked against a gas pump or whatever the rubber just bends a bit and worst case the light pops out and you have to take 10 sec to pop it back in. I think HF may even sell the lights now too.
I put this kit on my car trailer. Works great.
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