Best LED Trailer lights?

[TheRealAndy]

My trailer lights have crapped themselves. Looked at some LED units in BCF, they are sealed, with a wire coming out to a plug, then a plug with a wire tail. Something like $70. I decided to give them a swerve, because the plug just looks like corrosion trouble, and then I need to find someway to seal up the cable when I join it to the existing cable. Crap concept.

So, what is everyone using on their trailers? Where do I get some decent submersible LED lights where the cable is terminated inside if the housing?

[Kleyny]

try places like truck shops some of them have a good range of led lights.
If you can find someone who stocks hella and navara they can normally get led trailer lights in. In their catalogs they should tell you if there water proof and how you tap into their wires.

neil

[Paradoxx]

solder and heatshrink???

[SeaHunt]

solder and heatshrink???

Definately, and you can get a resin filled heatshrink that does an even better job and then go over with a thin coat of silicon, it will last longer than the trailer.


LED Autolamps are the best. http://www.ledautolamps.com/

A few more places are starting to sell them now and the price has come down.
I went for the narrow ones and mounted directly on the trailer frame, so I couldn't back them into anything or hit them with the boat.

They are completely sealed units.
Mine have been on two years and are always dunked.

[plaztix]

Depending on how often you use your boat the cheap units will do the job but i would ask about warranty and what they will do if it leaks. The more expensive units will obviously use a better quality diode which will be brighter and last longer. So as usual its down to how much you want to spend.

Exposed connections are fine and often better as you dont have to pull the whole assembly apart if you have a problem.

Go to your local irrigation shop and ask for a silicone filled low voltage connector. They use these on under ground connections for automated watering systems so they are waterproof. They are simply a pressure sensitive connector that you just push the unstripped cable into and push the button to seal the connection.

We use them in LED illuminated signage for Woolworths, Toyota, Mcdonalds and all sorts so if its good enough for them than it will do the trick on a boat trailer.

I think the model number of the 3M connector (better quality than the cheaper brands) is 314 and we get them for about $1.20 each but retail is probably a bit higher.

[TheRealAndy]

solder and heatshrink???

I am a instrument fitter by trade (glorified sparky) and have done lots of work in harsh environments, and I can assure you that nothing works!!! Self amalgamating rubber tape is just about the best you can get, followed by standard heatshrink injected with silicone or lexel. The heatshrink with the glue in does not work. Get a hot day, then submerge it and the cable sucks in water. The best trick we ever had was to actually pressurised the cable with about 3psi of compressed air. We also pressurised equipment cabinets were possible.

I was just looking through the narva website and I found some submersible LED lamps with 9 metres of cable, so you dont need to join them at the wet end of the trailer. Just need to find out where I can buy them now! The boat gets wet at least once a week, if not more, so I dont mind spending a few quid on some quality units.


Will keep an eye for those connecters though plaztix, sounds like the old phone connector that telstra use.

Cheers fellas. Andy...

[Heath]

I have the LED lights that have the resin back. Have had them on for about two years now & still going strong.
I used the heatshrink injected with silicone & haven't had a problem yet.
I've provided a link to the type that I have. You can get them off ebay all the time. Noticed on Ebay that they have the ones with the 9m cable as well.
Stay away from any LED light that uses either a plug on the back or that has replacable lenses.
http://www.noelsautoparts.com.au/LED...ps%20Range.htm

[whiteman]

I got a pair from BIAS with 5yr warranty and they weren't expensive. Used liquid tape to cover the electrical join and it's all working well.

[chuss]

why not just use the humble trailer lights on a stick and remove when you launch! Make your own with a nice bit of timber and electrical cord and it'll last forever!

[plaztix]

why not just use the humble trailer lights on a stick and remove when you launch! Make your own with a nice bit of timber and electrical cord and it'll last forever!

Personally, when i get to the ramp the last thing i want to be playing around with is more stuff to strap, unstrap, disconnect. I 'm always chomping at the bit to get out there.

Those things look dodgy too, always hanging crooked and flapping around

and it'd probably get knocked off out the back of the ute.

[plaztix]

Just looked at the latest invoice for those connectors. .60c each. and the model # is 314.

Bargain at half the quoted price.

[bluefin59]

I went down this path recently my old lights were 4 yr old and had the heat shrink joints and eventually they must have let some smsll amount in so they statred playing up . I looked at the hella trailer lights and they were something like $400 and you still had to wire a number plate light in seperate ,so after looking around i ended up with the navara leds they have a 5yr warranty and have 9 mt of lead straight out of the light so no joins at all and they have the number plate light built in and they have the large leds they are bright as and conform to the rules of brightness. They also have a little plug that goes in the screw holes so it makes them harder to steal they cost $180 from repco that was a tinnie and tackle special i believe i think they are about $ 220 r.r.p they are model no 93620tp i hope this helps matt

[Spaniard_King]

Repco have fully sealed LED trailer lights that come prewired with an 8m loom for each light (hence no underwater joins) But you have to ask them for them.. they dont have them on display. around $130 a set but well worth the $$ IMO

[Mad-One]

Repco sell narva and trojan led submersibles and for memory they come with 12mths warranty. We have both instock at Repco Burleigh

Cheers Mad

[chop69]

Spaniad / Mad One are on the money with the narva lights from repco. i have replaced my trailer lights approx. 9 mths ago and had my auto sparky mate have a check over them last w/end to see how they were holding up and he gave them the thumbs up. although they are still "young", i'm happy with them.