Trailer lights and rust issues

[acdc96]

I have a EZ loader trailer with a 21ft boat on it. Dual axle, galvanized, roller, & surge brakes trailer. The light problem I have is the drivers side tail light and clearance light do not light up when the driving and head lights are on. But the brake light works fine. The other side is fine and works perfectly. I've pulled the wires and checked for any exposed wire and breaks in the wire and it was fine. I soldiered all the connections and put watertight heat shrink tubing with a layer of electrical tape on it. It's getting a great ground. The light works when I have it detached from the trailer. The fuse on my truck has not blown. It's a 4 prong connector with the driving lights going to the same point (2 wires go to one).
So that's one problem I'm not to concerned I drive during the day and the brake light works.
The second problem is some of the frame has developed surface rust and is getting worse. I wire brush it and put a couple coats of rustoleum rust reformer on it but it keeps coming back. I boat in saltwater but I wash the trailer with fresh water and dish soap. Is their a paint out their that will help?

 

[Grandad]

Re: Trailer lights and rust issues

I have a EZ loader trailer with a 21ft boat on it. Dual axle, galvanized, roller, & surge brakes trailer. The light problem I have is the drivers side tail light and clearance light do not light up when the driving and head lights are on. But the brake light works fine. The other side is fine and works perfectly. I've pulled the wires and checked for any exposed wire and breaks in the wire and it was fine. I soldiered all the connections and put watertight heat shrink tubing with a layer of electrical tape on it. It's getting a great ground. The light works when I have it detached from the trailer.

It sounds like a poor connection at the left light. When you removed the light from the trailer, did you maintain a ground wire to the socket? A bad ground can cause a series feedback through a double filament lamp (eg #1157) that can cause a low current flow but a visibly lighted filament (still dim though). Removing the light (and the ground) may just confuse your observations. - Grandad

 

[limitout]

Re: Trailer lights and rust issues

might be as easy as a bad plug and one wire has lost connection inside of it or it could be that sides running light wire has a break somewhere along it. when you start having issues like that its best to just replace the wiring befor "other" issues show up too.

I have rewired many trailers over the years and come to find the best way is to stop using trailer wires.

go buy a 50ft extension cord at the hardware store an cut the ends off and cut it in half, now use the green wire to the light mounting bolt for a solid sure ground and then the color code is white for light and black for blinker. you only need the plug connector on the front to make your connections. the whites get connected together to your plugs brown wire and the greens get connected together to your white ground wire from the plug. then you hook your yellow and green to the correct sides and your done.

this gives you a much heavier wire and it completely eliminates the trailer from needing to be your ground, it will also outlast any trailer wire you ever buy. you will never have another trailer wiring issue if you do this.

 

[acdc96]

Re: Trailer lights and rust issues

I'm gonna b selling the boat and trailer in a couple of years cause its to big so I don't want to invest more money into it.
The side light wire is newer cause I replaced it when I put the side light on (I had some left over from my other trailer). The tail light fixture works fine... I took it off the trailer and wired it to a battery just like as if it were on the trailer both the filaments work. I might just rewire it if I can't fix it.
Since my trailer is over 80in it has the light bar. Should the light bar b hooked up to the brake wire or the driving lights? (It's hooked up to the driving lights) also the light bar is missing the middle light so only the end ones work and the middle doesn't should I replace it or just leave it alone?

 

[Grandad]

Re: Trailer lights and rust issues

Since my trailer is over 80in it has the light bar. Should the light bar b hooked up to the brake wire or the driving lights? (It's hooked up to the driving lights) also the light bar is missing the middle light so only the end ones work and the middle doesn't should I replace it or just leave it alone?

If you're gonna use it and be legal, you gotta have 3 lights on the bar that stay lighted whenever your park/headlights are lit. This tells drivers approaching from behind to give you a little extra clearance when passing. Most drivers probably don't know that the 3 light bar means this, but I think experienced drivers begin to associate the 3 lights with truck lighting, so maybe it works. - Grandad

 

[limitout]

Re: Trailer lights and rust issues

I'm gonna b selling the boat and trailer in a couple of years cause its to big so I don't want to invest more money into it.

the extension cords im talking about ($12) are cheaper then buying a so called trailer wiring harness - Workforce 50 ft. 16/3 Extension Cord-AW62602 at The Home Depot

 

[tanuki]

Re: Trailer lights and rust issues

As far as the rust on the trailer, I used Rust-Oleum Professional latex primer "for aluminum or galvanized metal" after wire brushing my galvanized trailer, then put a coat of Rust-Oleum Professional oil based "high performance enamel" (V7515 aluminum color) on it about 3 years ago. Still looks like the day I put it on and I only do salt water. Rinse with a hose (no soap) after fishing. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Trailer lights and rust issues

You did insert the bulb correctly? An 1157 bulb is keyed so it only goes in one way. Unfortunately the sockets are so poorly made that people very often force the bulb into the socket 180 degrees from correct orientation and that results in issues. The brown wire into the fixture is the running light and is the "dim" filament. The other wire (yellow or green) are the brake/turn signal and is the brighter filament. If there is a third wire (white) it will be the ground wire and must be securely attached to the frame. You MUST have a continuous current path from the light all the way to the ground terminal on the harness plug. Any bolted joints in the trailer -- such as the light bracket, the trailer frame/tongue connection, etc., must have a jumper around that joint or corrosion in those joints prevents good current flow. You don't need to rewire. You need to isolate the problem and fix it.