Disconnect trailer wiring?

cwhite6

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
May 7, 2006
Messages
348
I have been seeing some folks on here that say they disconnect the trailer lights from the towing vehicle at the plug before putting in or pulling out their boat. I have never seen this before. I was raised just backing in with them hooked up. Always worked for me. How many of ya'll actually disconnect the wiring before backing in? Why?
 

capt sam

Master Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jan 14, 2009
Messages
878
Re: Disconnect trailer wiring?

Very few do it here, I sold a boat not long ago to a guy from Michigan who says he always does, the theory being that it keeps a short from happening when being dunked in the water, specifically the possibility of a short going back to the tow vehicle. I've never done it because as soon as you pull the soaking wet trailer out of the water and plug the lights in to go home, the same thing occurs if it's going to at all.
 

cwhite6

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
May 7, 2006
Messages
348
Re: Disconnect trailer wiring?

That's kinda what I was thinking. Plug a wet connector to your vehicle. I just rewired my trailer and I made sure that I soldered the connections at the harness to the lights. I then pulled a shrink wrap tube over the connection and sealed it. Should be waterproof. I was just wondered because I see it alot on here.
 

bassboy1

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Jun 23, 2006
Messages
1,884
Re: Disconnect trailer wiring?

I used to. Once I forgot, and did blow a couple fuses. Then, I got LEDs, and they are truly the greatest thing since sliced bread.
 

cwhite6

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
May 7, 2006
Messages
348
Re: Disconnect trailer wiring?

I used to. Once I forgot, and did blow a couple fuses. Then, I got LEDs, and they are truly the greatest thing since sliced bread.

I am thinking about putting LEDs on my trailer. I just got my boat and I replaced one tail light as it was corroded all to heck. I also just rewired it with a kit last weeked because there was a short in it blowing fuses. Everything works fine now. I need to replace the other light because it is dimmer than the new one. I may just replace both with LED lights and keep the new one as a spare.
 

capt sam

Master Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jan 14, 2009
Messages
878
Re: Disconnect trailer wiring?

LED's are the bomb and apparently bombproof because I had one fill up with salt water months ago and it still works, I keep checking it and thinking it'll be blown but it keeps on working.
 

cube21

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jul 25, 2008
Messages
101
Re: Disconnect trailer wiring?

I have also wondered this. We usually unplug it from the trailer and put the connector in a position where it wont go under the water. That way when you plug it back in its dry so you dont need to worry.
 

capt sam

Master Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jan 14, 2009
Messages
878
Re: Disconnect trailer wiring?

In a perfect world, it would work but like today I was poking holes in the wires tracing a short with a meter and I'm sure at some point water will get in the tiny hole and cause an issue. If you dunk in salt water, be prepared to replace wiring harnesses every few years no matter what precautions you take.
 

Shizzy

Ensign
Joined
Aug 5, 2007
Messages
984
Re: Disconnect trailer wiring?

I have forgotten a few times to unplug, but most times I do. In reality there is a good 5-10 minutes before you are fully loaded and ready to hit the road before you plug them back in anyways.

Im not really sure it makes any difference, but Ill keep doing it. I dont have LED's BTW
 

a70eliminator

Captain
Joined
Sep 9, 2007
Messages
3,688
Re: Disconnect trailer wiring?

The hot bulb could pop when cold water hits it, but as long as your lenses are sealed water shouldn't touch the bulb, but on the other hand every single submersible light set I've owned eventually cracks, especially around the lense screws then water gets in there. I unplug mine too just my routine.
 

boat1010

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Mar 10, 2009
Messages
781
Re: Disconnect trailer wiring?

A lot of the trailer lights are made so that the water doesn't actually get to the bulbs. I always leave mine plugged in when I load and unload. In fact I make sure they are plugged in at night when I load. It looks like a landing field when I pull onto the trailer. Some trailers have a hard time when you drive very far and have your lights on, like someone else said the bulbs get hot and then they can crack. If you are on the brakes a long time before you go into the water it will give you some problems too.
 

45Auto

Commander
Joined
May 31, 2002
Messages
2,842
Re: Disconnect trailer wiring?

Have never unplugged mine when loading or unloading. Been doing it over 30 years with no problems.
 

Frank Acampora

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Jan 19, 2007
Messages
12,004
Re: Disconnect trailer wiring?

It doesn't cost anything and couldn't hurt, so why not. Kinda like seatbelts: You may never need them. Great! But that one time you do if you are buckled, it helps.
 

a70eliminator

Captain
Joined
Sep 9, 2007
Messages
3,688
Re: Disconnect trailer wiring?

Frank, got to say that everytime I look at your avitar it reminds me of watching television on your engine cover, what is it a mural of?
 

cbavier

Lieutenant
Joined
Apr 8, 2007
Messages
1,363
Re: Disconnect trailer wiring?

I have forgotten a few times to unplug, but most times I do. In reality there is a good 5-10 minutes before you are fully loaded and ready to hit the road before you plug them back in anyways.

Im not really sure it makes any difference, but Ill keep doing it. I dont have LED's BTW

X2 for me and last year I forgot to unplug and burned an $8 fuse out in my truck. I always wash my boat off at the ramp if nobody is waiting or at the staging area when I pull my boat so a good 15-20 minutes has passed. My boat stays in the water three weeks a month so It gets a pretty green slimy ring on it. I found it easier to clean it off when I pull it and it's still wet than to wait until later, let it get baked on then have to clean it off. Been there and done that once too. I'm a slow learner but once usually is enough to teach me. By then I can plug the lights in and I'm good to go.
 

rebars1

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Feb 23, 2004
Messages
744
Re: Disconnect trailer wiring?

My trailer would almost always trip a fuse in the truck when the tail lights got submerged, so I started disconnecting them before dunking. These are older style lights that are probably not sealed.
 

Wee Hooker

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Sep 11, 2005
Messages
615
Re: Disconnect trailer wiring?

I always have, this year I have LED's so may get lazy though.
 

204 Escape

Ensign
Joined
Nov 17, 2007
Messages
909
Re: Disconnect trailer wiring?

We have LED's as well. We disconnect, but only because the trailer, has a 5 pin adapter, and the truck has the big round plug. We take it out, so that no one steals the adapter. :rolleyes:
 

Silvertip

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Sep 22, 2003
Messages
28,758
Re: Disconnect trailer wiring?

Disconnecting trailer lights is not so much for protection from shorts as it is from cold water striking a hot bulb which is what destroys lights. I always disconnect and I can't tell you the last time I replaced a trailer bulb. If you look at trailer lights from the bottom, some are wide open. The idea being that if you took a water glass and tipped it upside down into a bucket of water it will trap a air at the top. If the lamp is supposedly sealed (but not tightly) it can leak water into it until it reaches the bulb and then it pops. I've seen lots of trailers with one or more lights half full of water.
 

capt sam

Master Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jan 14, 2009
Messages
878
Re: Disconnect trailer wiring?

I never disconnect and rarely blew bulbs either......unless you drive two minutes to the ramp it's gonna be hot from brake lights/tail lights/turn signals whether you unplug it or not.
 
Top