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Posts: 585
Location: Gaithersburg, Maryland | Never seen this posted before: I trailer my boat to a local a local lake. I disconnect my trailer lights before putting the trailer in (yes, I know the lights are sealed, but just in case.......). The area is very dark at night (no brainer) and not illuminated at all. I just bought a new S-10 to pull my small boat. I'm having trouble seeing my trailer as I put it in/out (the truck's back-up lights don't help much). The other night, I saw a guy back his boat into a guard rail because he coudln't see it!!! Obviously, lights of some sort are in order for him and me!!
I've seen lights (you know - the kind with a zillion candle power!) that I could plug into the dash that would work. Wondering what you guys do? Thanks, Tom
Edited by muskiekid 7/18/2003 5:32 AM
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Posts: 1916
Location: Greenfield, WI | I do exactly that with a zillion foot candle lamp. It is a little over kill and sometimes blows a fuse, but doesn't affect the motor.
There are some ultramag flashlights available which may be a much better solution to a footcandle deficient situation. |
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Posts: 1294
Location: Stevens Point, Wi. | Rig up a spotlight with a magnetic base and put it on the roof of your truck. Having it out of your line of vision reduces the glare and greatly enhances the night vision. Also be sure that the interior lights are all off. With tyhis setup it's almost as easy as daytime. |
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Posts: 3928
| Get some guide-ons from BassPro, $40 or so. These are the ones that stick up on either side of your trailer, they are usually affixed to the trailer frame around the trailer lights. The are made of stainless steel plus 3"PVC tubes. Not only will you be able to back up at night, you'll also have a much easier time centering the boat on the trailer while loading in high winds or heavy current. |
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| Get a case of Roman Candles and keep a few behind your truck seat; when you prepare to reverse launch your craft, lower your tail gate, tape a Candle in the center of the gate and light...not only will you have ample "candle wattage", but anyone there at the launch will appreciate the colorful display, and soon you will be one popular dude. Since very few of us eat enough stir fry, this is also another way to support our Chinese friends overseas, and a round-a-bout way of thanking them for the invention of gun powder and all things sparkly and fizzy! |
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Posts: 58
Location: Edina, MN | I got rid of my sealed tail lights on my trailer because they kept getting small holes in them from rocks that kicked up on dirt roads and then would get water inside and corrode. Swithed to an open style, self draining style and then soldered all the connections and loaded the recepticle for the bulbs w/ tune up grease. No problems leaving them on to back the trailer in at night. I find that a really bright light screws up my night vision and makes it worse not better for me. I fish alone at night several times a week and never have a problem. |
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Posts: 246
Location: Jamestown, Pa. | I love to fish at night (when I can get out) and it's so peaceful on our lake at night. Since I have an ugly old rig ( the old Merriamc I think) I can do anything I want and can't make it any uglier. I put a pair of amber foglights on the bow in case of fog and to see to load the boat. I ran an extra wire to my trailer ( seperate from the harness) that leads to a pair of upright guide poles at the rear corners of my trailer. I put a switch on the guide pole that I turn when unloading at night. Again a pair of small fog lights. It never has to be unhooked when backing trailer in the water as the lights are about three feet above the water when the trailer is at unloading position in the water.
Crazy but works for me and the fish don't seem to mind. |
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Posts: 929
Location: Rhinelander. | I turn my boat lights on so I can see them at least. Gives a reference to where the boat is. Ive seen where a guy just places a flashlight on his back boatseat and uses that for reference,whatever works.
Don pfeiffer |
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Location: Woodstock, IL | I also turn my boat lights on. The stern light is bright enough to see the launch and everything within a few feet of it. In addition, I don't unplug my trailer lights until I'm lined up and nearly in the water. I hop out of the truck and quickly unplug them, unhook the bow and back her in straight.
For unhooking straps, etc., I use a headlamp. It helps to have both hands free to get everything ready. |
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Posts: 938
Location: NeverNever Lake | Kid, several solutions come to mind. Replace the trailer lights with the new LED's( about 50 bucks) They are completely waterproof and probably never burn out. If you have a light out you can almost be assured it's a wire problem. You can replace your back-up lights with halogen bulbs http://www.whitenight.com/whitenight/index.htm or http://www.machv.com/50wathalbacb.html |
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Posts: 1438
| I have been toying with the idea of adding a spotlight under my truck. Mount it to the frame and put it on a separate switch in the truck and you are set. Lights up the whole area. My uncle did the same thing with his snowmobile trailer for backing into the driveway up north.
Just another possible solution to your problem.
Scott |
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Posts: 477
Location: Iowa | Simple-sleep all day, launch just before dark, fish all night, load just after sun up, sleep all day, etc. etc. etc. Now wouldn't it be nice if it could be that simple!!
Edited by Lone Stone 7/18/2003 2:22 PM
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Posts: 585
Location: Gaithersburg, Maryland | Great responses. Thanks.
Sponge: great idea, but Roman Candles are against the law here in the "Peoples Republic of Maryland." As a police officer in Montgomery County, Maryland (used to be called "Mooseville"), I would probably get caught.
Lone Stone: (any relation to Sponge Bob?)- Of course if I take the other advice to "sleep all day, fish all night," That would alleviate the problem. Trouble is, I wake up every day at 4:30 am (sometimes sooner).
ghoti: Wondering: where does one buy a light with a magnetic base?
Wow, some great ideas there, Tom
Edited by muskiekid 7/21/2003 3:15 AM
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Posts: 1294
Location: Stevens Point, Wi. | Kid-- I made a bracket to mount the spotlight on with a flat base and bought some stick on magnet tape from a hardware store. A little crude, but works great. |
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Posts: 585
Location: Gaithersburg, Maryland | Great & ingenious ideas. I'll pass these ideas on on my website (it's under "I love my clickable link" at the bottom). Perhaps those same ideas will not only help myself and others make unloading/loading a trailer & boat in the dark, it could also prevent someone getting hurt or prevent property or vehicles being damaged. |
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Posts: 267
Location: Lake City,Pa. | Cabela's has a receiver mount light for around 50 bucks. Neat item. Maybe just what you are looking for. |
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Posts: 32958
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Absolutely no reason to unplug sealed lights. If the light is a sealed Wesbar or similar brand, it was designed so you COULD leave the lights plugged in. If you break the housing, they replacement sealed system isn't expensive. To light the reverse pathway, mount a single fog light on the receiver just under the bumper so glare isn't a problem, wiring the hot to your back up lights. |
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Posts: 1916
Location: Greenfield, WI | Sponge, if you can't find a magnetic base, this may finally be a useful purpose for those grits that you keep talking about! Take a large serving spoon of grits, and slosh it down on the front deck of the boat. Take a flashlight with an industrial coating and gently place it into the pile of gooo,...er..a grits, with the lense facing forward. Make sure the switch is not in the grits because it will surely eat the housing and wires of the switch. This assembly will undoubtably hold up for the entire season, and is rated to withstand hurricane force winds up to 197 mph! You may need a jack hammer to remove the flashlight if you were to sell your boat, but no sense worring about that until later!
Edited by Steve Van Lieshout 7/20/2003 10:58 AM
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| Tsk tsk SVL...no way would I even consider wasting the hallowed granulars in such a manner! I would rather loose me vessel and vehicle in the darkness than pour out a sack of grits...such is the power of hominy!:O |
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Posts: 1916
Location: Greenfield, WI | Sponge, Do "Hallowed Granulars" take food coloring to match assorted boat colors? |
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Posts: 1137
Location: Holly, MI | Muskiekid, A couple of thoughts..
1)Campaign for lights at your local launch (what do they do with all the entry fee money anyway?)
2)Throw a stick of wood in the back of your truck with some reflective tape on it. Your back-up and brake lights should show well enough. Jamb it into your winch just before backing up.
3) The magnetic spotlight on the roof was the best idea mentioned yet I think. Plug her into the cig outlet, run the wire out the window, and ta-da..rearward illumination. |
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Posts: 585
Location: Gaithersburg, Maryland | Again, thanks. Great ideas. I believe I will mention these idas on my website.
Sponge: Seems as if these northern boys don't understand the value of grits. Down here in the People's Republic of Maryland some of us really like them. Of course, you usually can't find them in the restaurants (grits, not those "northern boys"), so you gotta make them yourself. I eat them "little corn granules" almost everyday. That was one of the great things about fising the Santee Lakes (South Carolina) for dem' big ole "green trout" (LM Bass). You'd go to town everyday to the local restaurants and see the locals eating ham & grits everyday. Of course, I always wondering why they never seemed to go to work every day!!!
Not enjoying grits is one of those typical things that "liberals" don't do. Wondering....you think that ole "KKK" Byrd eats grits? - must be something good about him other than playing the fidle? |
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Loading or unloading a trailer in the dark!!!