Do you leave your harness plugged in the water?

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In Deep

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I always unplug out of habit. Not sure if I would have issues but believe my lights are sealed.
 

Ned L

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LED's and sealed lights do't need to be unplugged. With the inexpensive un-sealed incandescent type I found that a bulb would blow a good % of the time if I didn't unplug them. Remember to unplug them and no problem.
 
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Maclin

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On very first boat I used to until I forgot a couple of times with no consequences, here is my score...

Unplugged -- 2
Left Plugged in -- 100+
Problems related to leaving plugged in -- zero
 

thumpar

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There may be something so the sealed or not lights. My lights are the oval try and are a whole unit. You can't even replace the bulb, you get a new unit and pop it in.
 

four winns 214

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I have a trailer with disc surge brakes. I don't unplug the lights because, like you, I want the brake cutout solenoid to function while backing the trailer.

You might check to see if your brake system has a quick disconnect in the brake hydraulic line. For whatever reason, if your cutout solenoid doesn't function, you can keep hydraulic pressure from being applied to the brakes when backing the trailer. I use it when I drop the boat off for service. That way a knucklehead with a forklift can't do any damage while pushing the boat around the lot. Don't ask me how I came to use this procedure.
 

mjf55

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Just to add to the unplug them crowd, I will also unplug. Using incandescent bulbs in fresh water.
 

IamMe

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Some of the surge brakes like mine are "freebacking" no lock out. The backing plate on the shoes are mounted on rotates slightly to release the shoes pressure when backing. This of course only works with drum brakes. My led trailer I never unplug. My incandescent trailer I do sometimes do to the fact I have shattered bulbs do to thermal shock.
 

Thundra

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I've never unplugged. With Dry Launch lights, my bulbs stay high and dry in the housings.
 

KD4UPL

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I towed 2 different trailers with incandescent bulbs for a total of 13 years. Never unplugged once. I think I had to change 2 bulbs in 13 years. That was probably just due to old age.
 

JimS123

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I became a trailer boater 48 years ago. At the time I didn't know squat about a trailer, so I went to the Libary (remember those) and got a book about trailer boating (remember books?). The book said unplug. So I did....and continue to.

My family boat trailer is 32 years old and has the original bulbs.

Maybe plugging / not unplugging it just lazy. I dunno. But to say you concentrate on the drain plug made me just choke on my beer. The tie downs, motor deflopperizer and drain plugs are trailer boating 101, learned on the first page.

The reason I have to wait so long at the ramp, watching neophites botch their launch, is because they never read the "book".
 

levittownnick

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Now I always unplug my lights because in the past I had wire (not bulb) failure where the wire came to a sharp point and broke. Apparently the salt water takes the copper into solution electroplating the copper until it breaks. By removing the power, there is no electroplating. Problem solved.
 

StarTed

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I usually unplug unless distracted. Then I've had to replace popped light bulbs. I've had cheap lights on my trailers. Water gets in usually due to a crack in the lens making them no longer waterproof or air tight at the top.

Electricity and water aren't a good thing.
 

bruceb58

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I usually unplug unless distracted. Then I've had to replace popped light bulbs. I've had cheap lights on my trailers. Water gets in usually due to a crack in the lens making them no longer waterproof or air tight at the top.

Electricity and water aren't a good thing.
Your lights are popping due to temperature...not the electricity and the water.
 

David Young

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I unplug my light harness :). If i ever change to sealed LED's, i won't unplug anything.
 

StarTed

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Your lights are popping due to temperature...not the electricity and the water.
I know. The temperature shock cracks the glass and the air gets the tungsten. The water and electricity add to the corrosion in the sockets. That happens regardless whether they're plugged in or not if water gets inside the light fixture.
 

bruceb58

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Before sealed LED, I used the regular lights that had the open pocket at the bottom. Don't use the lights that are supposedly sealed with the rubber gasket for the lens. Those are fine for regular trailers but not for boats.
 

thumpar

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I use regular bulbs but the lens and housing are molded and melted together to seal them as one. There is not way to change just the bulb. I have only replaced one and that was when I got the trailer with a burned out bulb.
 

drrpm

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Oct 24, 2008
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Its my 10th season and I don't unplug. I don't see why baking down a ramp would be a problem since you're going down hill the surge brakes should not engage.
 

oldjeep

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Its my 10th season and I don't unplug. I don't see why baking down a ramp would be a problem since you're going down hill the surge brakes should not engage.

Because a lot of ramps you are not immediately backing down hill ;) The ramp I most often use you are backing up 20+ feet on level ground before you get to the ramp. One that I use near my parents house you have to back up a block and a half on level/bumpy ground.
 
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krakatoa

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Since changing the lights on my trailer to LED, I don't bother unplugging. 12 volts won't short in the freshwater where I launch. I found it difficult to keep water out of the fixtures and ultimately drilled drain holes. It hasn't been a problem, including for my electric brakes. - Grandad

Nope, drill drains holes is not a good idea for my, LED enclosures are suppossed to be sealed even the plastic case. IMHO. Anyway I always unplug my wiring harness
 
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