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Posts: 357
Location: Long Prairie, Minnesota | How many of you disconnect your trailer lights before backing your boat into the water or putting your trailer into the water before loading the boat up? When I was loading my boat up yesterday, I noticed that one of my trailer taillights wasn't working anymore and was wondering if perhaps submerging them might be the reason. I would tend to think that it isn't, being the lights are sealed and the trailer is less than a year old. The wiring is all good, so I am going to pull the lights apart tonight and see if the bulbs (LEDs) blew out. Sure hope not! |
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Posts: 5874
| The LED lights should not be affected by leaving them connected and backing into the water. Totally sealed, and very unlike the incandescant bulbs that get very hot and will break when they get wet. |
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Posts: 1769
Location: Algonquin, ILL | I always unplug mine, Cheap insurance
Edited by JohnMD 5/12/2008 4:28 PM
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Posts: 1080
| I always unplug my trailer lights as well. My trailer still utilizes the old-school incandescent bulbs...which get hot when in use and once they hit the cold water...that usually pop them. The LEDs are a much cooler burning bulb that doesn't get nearly as hot as the traditional, old-school incandescent bulbs. Yeah...as JohnMD stated....I unplug mine for cheap insurance. I'll be installing all new trailer lights this summer as I've royally beating my trailer's tail lights into an oblivion when backing into winter water with chunks of ice floating about...no...I don't back down and use my trailer to break the ice like I've seen some do. But...large chunks of ice will take it's toll on the lights offloading and loading the boat from the trailer...
(*Note: I live and fish in Indiana where we have no closed season. I speak of fishing late Fall as the shallows around the launches freeze up to get out to open water...)
Edited by MACK 5/12/2008 8:49 PM
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Posts: 2687
Location: Hayward, WI | I always unplug my lights, but I don't have LED trailer lights either. If I had LED's and was able to leave them plugged in, I probably would unless I had a problem doing so.
curleytail |
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Posts: 5874
| I've replaced exactly one bulb since 2002, when I got my new Lund on an Eagle trailer. And that one did not go because of water. My new Tuff trail has the same lights. The incandescents. They do a pretty good job of sealing the bulbs these days. I never unplug mine.
I end up replacing my side markers, though. Kids climbing on the trailer are rough on those. If you are having issues blowing bulbs because on the water, get the replacemnt LED style. $50-60, and you set for the life of the trailer. |
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Posts: 2015
| have backed the Ranger trailer in and out hundreds of times and always left the light plugged in - no issues for me |
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