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Need Recommendations for utility trailer lights.

Joined
Apr 30, 2011
Messages
86
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53
Location
Bastrop area
First Name
Hudson
Last Name
Smith
My 5 x 10 utility trailer is in need of new trailer lights with wiring. I know that all the hardware stores, auto parts stores, and Walmart them and I would like to hear from people that have had good experiences with the light / wiring sets they bought and from where. Any good ones? Any to avoid?

Thanks
 
I put theses on my trailer. Very happy with them
Got them from Amazon
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I will say do not get the Harbor Freight lights/kits. The wiring and insulation are horrible and will crack/break and you'll have no lights.

Stick with one of the bigger names and LED if money isn't an issue (not that they're crazy priced like they used to be).
 
Think I got my LED from Harbor Freight. No problems with mine. They are on boat trainer and have been under water lots of times. I got the whole harness.
 
I put the LED maxxhaul 70205 kit from amazon on mine. The lights work fine but had problems with the wires deteriorating after a couple years. May have been due in part to sun exposure.
 
I’m cynical so feel free to call me out. I see it’s probably a casual use situation. Unless you are using the trailer for commercial purposes or often enough to matter on the battery draw for LED vs filament, I would just go with whatever is cheapest. That’s just me because I’m cheap :) Didn‘t specify why the lights need to be replaced, but it might be as simple as a bad ground. Best of luck on whatever you decide.
 
If you go with regular twist in bulbs, be sure to put dielectric grease on them to prevent problems with corrosion and loss of contact.
 
Best to just order led sealed bulbs and solder the connections. Let me know if you you want to do it right. Shouldn't take more than a couple of brews.
 
Thanks all for the excellent replies to my inquiry. The trailer is old, the lights are old, and we often have to fiddle with them. This time my son-in-law found a loose wire and a bad bulb. The sockets for the bulbs are getting finicky; sort of loose and it's sometimes hard to get the bulbs in just the right spot to work.. All is working now, but it would be good to replace the whole system and not worry about it.
 
I put the LED maxxhaul 70205 kit from amazon on mine. The lights work fine but had problems with the wires deteriorating after a couple years. May have been due in part to sun exposure.
If its an open trailer especially...
Best thing to do is invest a bit more $ for some wire loom. The split plastic is most common & avail in long rolls or shorter packs. Also sold by the foot at auto parts stores....& prob elect supply stores.
Make sure the loom is held in place all along its length too. Whether its zip ties...clamps...or quick release snap loops.

Good quality waterproof connectors work fine & are an easy fix if an elect problem comes up....light fixture damage & such
 
If you purchase a kit like the one above, the first thing you need to do is crush the blue plastic squeeze-on connectors with big hammer...
 
This may seem like overkill but if done right, you can pretty much forget about any light maintenance for years. Use sealed leds...solder and shrink tube every connection...use wire loom (or even emt) and fasten it where it stays put and won't snag on limbs and such going under the trailer. It takes and little more time upfront but it's really nice knowing you can go hook up to that trailer and know your lights are good...and not flakey a mile down the road.
 
If you purchase a kit like the one above, the first thing you need to do is crush the blue plastic squeeze-on connectors with big hammer...

Those Scotch locks have their place.....jus..NOT wiring up anything subjected to the elements. There is a waterproof version which has dialectric grease already inside.
 
I know that place, the trash can. you're better off twisting and taping, at least that doesn't score or even cut some of the wire. But, soldering is easy and shrinkwrap is too.
 
The only lights that have come through my shop in the last 25 years



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front and back of a taillight , turn and stop , LEDs for the last 15 years and perfectly good incandescents were in the mounts before , also available in 4 inch round .

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back side of a 2 1/2 inch marker led that replaced a good incandescent bulb too . anybody that wants trailer light work and doesnt want sealed beam LEDs installed gets sent packing . I won’t buy or install crap . A license plate light too being used as counter top lighting right now .
 
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