Light Bulbs.... Grrrrr.

[Mark42]

A few weeks ago a tail light burned out on the trailer. It was an 1157, and I bought a new double pack and replaced both bulbs. This past week we took the boat out for a few days and when packing up to go home, I noticed that the running light is out in both tail lights. I assume its a wire issue and after screwing around for a few minutes with no success, decide to check the bulbs. BOTH bulbs had broken filaments for the running lights. The brake filament was fine.

What are the chances that two new bulbs would both break the filaments at the same time? Lucky for me I had picked up a double pack of 1157 bulbs to keep as spares and so it was an easy fix to just replace the bulbs.

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Light Bulbs.... Grrrrr.

Bad luck but I am very impressed you had more than one spare. I generally carry just one of each. I will be changing my ways in that department. 2 is a very good idea.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Light Bulbs.... Grrrrr.

Are you getting excessive vibration at your lights?

 

[Mark42]

Re: Light Bulbs.... Grrrrr.

Are you getting excessive vibration at your lights?

Hadn't thought of that. But I do watch the tires from time to time and I don't see fenders shaking or anything like that. Tire wear is even, and they have deep tread.

Otherwise, I can't tell. I can say they were a no-name brand from a hardware store. Didn't have any choice at the time.

 

[ziggy]

Re: Light Bulbs.... Grrrrr.

i don't know what the odds are mark for both going out at the same time. but, i sure do fight with my trailer lamps all the time. they're a constant pain in the rear. if i have them all working at the same time, it's an oddity. i replace lamps, clean sockets with emery. clean tabs with emery. clean wires with emery, take hole light assy. apart and clean them with emery and new bulbs. and still, i'm lucky if they all work. my fix is carrying 2, 2 packs of ea. kinda lamp. + emery at the lake, just in case. i have to check my lights every time i go out. or come back for that matter. they just aren't reliable. for all i know, they work when i look at them, then they'll go out en route to the lake. i don't know that though since i don't check them at the lake. but it wouldn't surprise me if one would go out just in one short trip.
i think if i really want them to work i'm gonna have to replace them w/led lights.

i had a good one the other day. couldn't get one lamp to work on a side marker. gave up since i was going in the day. i forgot to unhook the lights prior to the dip, which i usually do, but didn't that time for whatever reason. when i tested my lights to go home. they all worked. go figure... incandescent trailer lights have a mind of their own imho... good luck..

 

[htv]

Re: Light Bulbs.... Grrrrr.

Put LED lights on your Christmas wish list.

 

[redone4x4]

Re: Light Bulbs.... Grrrrr.

Put LED lights on your Christmas wish list.

yep, i agree. no more fighting lights then. no burnouts. northern tool had them on sale for somethin crazy like $20 i think recently.

 

[fishrdan]

Re: Light Bulbs.... Grrrrr.

northern tool had them on sale for somethin crazy like $20

That's a smoking price! I bought a LED light set from Harbor Freight for $29 and it's one of the best purchases I've made for my boat. 8-9 trips without problems so far, where as I was replacing a bulb every 4-5 trips with incandescent bulbs... Too lazy/forgetful to unplug them while launching, guess it was my own fault

 

[redone4x4]

Re: Light Bulbs.... Grrrrr.

That's a smoking price! I bought a LED light set from Harbor Freight for $29 and it's one of the best purchases I've made for my boat. 8-9 trips without problems so far, where as I was replacing a bulb every 4-5 trips with incandescent bulbs... Too lazy/forgetful to unplug them while launching, guess it was my own fault

yep, i saw it in the catalog. unfortunately i paid waaay more for mine at the local boaters world before it closed...still got a deal though. i went with the low-profiles, i love em, heres mine:

http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh69/redone10503/DFpics013.jpg

 

[bowman316]

Re: Light Bulbs.... Grrrrr.

i don't have sealed lights, so i unplug them before dunking my trailer. Sometimes i would blow fuses and/or bulbs if i turned on my head lights right after getting out of the water. I drilled holes in the bottom of my lights, so they drain quicker. I also try to wait as long as possible before turning on my head lights.

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Light Bulbs.... Grrrrr.

My lights are meant to be sealed, however they are 24 years old. I always unplug when launching or recovering.

 

[bowman316]

Re: Light Bulbs.... Grrrrr.

how did your lights last for 24 years? I buy would new lights nearly every year.
The red cover for the light is always breaking somehow. I have been thru 4 individual lights in 2 years.

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Light Bulbs.... Grrrrr.

how did your lights last for 24 years? I buy would new lights nearly every year.
The red cover for the light is always breaking somehow. I have been thru 4 individual lights in 2 years.

I think I got lucky. Been through a lot of bulbs but only had one "not working right" issue. That was when as usual I had a bad ground !!!
I know they are not sealed anymore but they dry out real good with all the gaps they have now !!!

 

[bowman316]

Re: Light Bulbs.... Grrrrr.

mine were never selaed, but close to it. So they would be wet for a while. That is why i drilled the holes. Wet bulbs blow fuses.

 

[Mark42]

Re: Light Bulbs.... Grrrrr.

i don't know what the odds are mark for both going out at the same time. but, i sure do fight with my trailer lamps all the time. they're a constant pain in the rear. if i have them all working at the same time, it's an oddity. i replace lamps, clean sockets with emery. clean tabs with emery. clean wires with emery, take hole light assy. apart and clean them with emery and new bulbs. and still, i'm lucky if they all work. my fix is carrying 2, 2 packs of ea. kinda lamp. + emery at the lake, just in case. i have to check my lights every time i go out. or come back for that matter. they just aren't reliable. for all i know, they work when i look at them, then they'll go out en route to the lake. i don't know that though since i don't check them at the lake. but it wouldn't surprise me if one would go out just in one short trip.
i think if i really want them to work i'm gonna have to replace them w/led lights.

i had a good one the other day. couldn't get one lamp to work on a side marker. gave up since i was going in the day. i forgot to unhook the lights prior to the dip, which i usually do, but didn't that time for whatever reason. when i tested my lights to go home. they all worked. go figure... incandescent trailer lights have a mind of their own imho... good luck..

For half the price of LED, the Dry Launch bell jar lights work better than anything else I've seen. Bayliner used them as OEM lights on the Escort brand trailers they used to sell. 25 years old and still working great.

Now if I can find a good set of 1157 bulbs, I'll be set. The ones I just put in were Sylvania brand. I'm going to look for a set of GE for spares.

I have LED's on the other trailer. They lasted about 3 years before leaking and most of the individual led's are out.

 

[Floatsum]

Re: Light Bulbs.... Grrrrr.

For half the price of LED, the Dry Launch bell jar lights work better than anything else I've seen. Bayliner used them as OEM lights on the Escort brand trailers they used to sell. 25 years old and still working great.

Now if I can find a good set of 1157 bulbs, I'll be set. The ones I just put in were Sylvania brand. I'm going to look for a set of GE for spares.

I have LED's on the other trailer. They lasted about 3 years before leaking and most of the individual led's are out.

Had those on a trailer too.
AWSOME!
Replaced a few bulbs, couple sockets, but that was it.
If you glob on some elect. grease on the base the bulbs seem to last much longer.

 

[j_martin]

Re: Light Bulbs.... Grrrrr.

What wipes out the taillight filaments is impact or vibration. When the filament is lit, it is weaker, thus the one that's on (tail light) breaks while the other (turn) survives.

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Light Bulbs.... Grrrrr.

For half the price of LED, the Dry Launch bell jar lights work better than anything else I've seen. Bayliner used them as OEM lights on the Escort brand trailers they used to sell. 25 years old and still working great.

Now if I can find a good set of 1157 bulbs, I'll be set. The ones I just put in were Sylvania brand. I'm going to look for a set of GE for spares.

I have LED's on the other trailer. They lasted about 3 years before leaking and most of the individual led's are out.

Hey thats what I got on my trailer !!!
Maybe they are still sealed ????

 

[Mark42]

Re: Light Bulbs.... Grrrrr.

Hey thats what I got on my trailer !!!
Maybe they are still sealed ????

They are popular with trailer manufacturers. Give them a dunk and see if they are sealed!