LED conversion and weight

[marlinempress]

hi! I have a 22' marlin empress with a dry weight of about 2940. It's on a tandem axle trailer with surge brakes. The lights aren't working real great so I'm thinking of converting to LED lights or just maybe replacing the two turn signals with LED's. Is that possible? Or do the LED's need a different wiring system? Also I'll be hauling the boat with a '96 isuzu trooper this year with 4.56 ratio and a capacity of 5000lbs. The factory tow package doesn't include an extra tranny cooler since it already has one built into the radiator. Any thoughts on the capabilities of this tow vehicle with that boat?

 

[Silvertip]

Re: LED conversion and weight

You'll be pushing the load rating for the vehicle but it should be OK. The 4.56 gears are in your favor. What size engine (displacement) is in the Isuzu? With 4.56 gears, the engine will rev fairly high at highway speeds in drive. However if you travel fairly flat road, towing in overdrive with that axle ratio may be entirely OK.

 

[OBJ]

Re: LED conversion and weight

You can use the existing wiring for LED's. I replaced mine on my trailer. You can get a whole kit pretty reasonable. Check the iboats store link below.<br /><br /> http://www.iboats.com/mall/index.cg...ywords=LED+tail+lights&submit.x=17&submit.y=6

 

[marlinempress]

Re: LED conversion and weight

Thanks for the info.! The displacement is 3.2L 190hp 195lbs torque. I know it'll be underpowered and slow-going up mountains, but as long as it gets me there I don't care too much. It has no overdrive either...kinda wish it did, but no it's just a 4-speed auto with no OD. The 2940 dry weight I believe is without the trailer which is a lomac tandem trailer. The only place I was able to find any info on the "marlin empress" (not real common) was nadaguides.com so that's where I'm getting the dry weight from. I'd like to be able to just take and weigh it somewhere but am not able to do that right now, hopefully before the season starts though.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: LED conversion and weight

If the transmission is a four-speed automatic, it would be the only one in world of SUVs that fourth gear was not overdriven. If your shift quadrant has P-R-N-OD (or D with a circle around it)-D-2-1 (or L) it is overdrive. If you tow in the mountains, you will want to definitely be in "D" not OD or overdrive.

 

[marlinempress]

Re: LED conversion and weight

yeah...it doesn't have that "D" with the circle around it nor an OD. It reaches like 3000 rpm at 70mph, if it were overdriven I doubt it'd be doing that. The selector goes P-R-N-D-3-2-1.

 

[Dunaruna]

Re: LED conversion and weight

Marlin, its a 3 speed auto with overdrive (total of 4 speeds), the "D" allows overdrive to automatically engage, if you leave it in "3" overdrive won't engage.<br /><br />Aldo

 

[Silvertip]

Re: LED conversion and weight

As I suspected. With 4.56 gears, 3000 rpm at 70 is indeed overdrive. If it were not overdriven, this engine would be at about 3600 rpm at that speed. Towing in the mountains you should definitely be in "3" (direct). Your vehicle is ideally geared for mountain towing by the way. You just need to understand your tranny.

 

[marlinempress]

Re: LED conversion and weight

sweet thanks for the heads up!

 

[rwidman]

Re: LED conversion and weight

I installed the kit mentioned above<br /> http://www.iboats.com/mall/index.cg... light&**********=133077679&*******=707918022 <br />It comes with a harness but I didn't use it because my trailer was less than one season old.<br /><br />You may also need the bar light for over 80" width and some clearance lights.<br /><br />I have never regretted switching my trailer to LED lighting and may do the truck and car soon. They are brighter, don't have to be disconnected for sumersion, and light up faster.<br /><br />Weight - get it weighed, manufacturer's specs can be way off, in my case, more than one thousand lb.