mounting trailering lights
 

If you have trailer lights mounted to a board that you fasten to your boat
while trailering, please tell me how you made it.
After six years of trailering, I'm finally tired of the constant wiring
maintenance requirements of trailer lights that get dunked in salt water
several times a week. It's not the light bulbs - they're the encapsulated
kind; so changing to LEDs wouldn't have any effect on the wiring
requirements.
I have a spare set of trailer lights but the mounting bolts are only an inch
long. While I could counter bore a hole in the wood I mount them to, I
wonder if you mount them to metal which is then fastened to the wood.
I plan on wrapping the wood with carpet to avoid scraping the gunwales and
using bungees to hold it to the trailer.

Not as removable as your idea, but I mounted my trailer lights near the top
of PVC uprights (guide-ons) about four feet long. They help me immeasurably
when launching and more when recovering in a breeze. You have to run the
ground wires up along with the positive leads. Nothing touches the water,
nothing has to be removed.
Works for me.
--
RichG manager, Carolina Skiff Owners Group on MSN
http://groups.msn.com/CarolinaSkiffOwners
..

"wgander" wrote in message
news:TODyd.479$Q%4.123@fed1read06...
If you have trailer lights mounted to a board that you fasten to your boat
while trailering, please tell me how you made it.
After six years of trailering, I'm finally tired of the constant wiring
maintenance requirements of trailer lights that get dunked in salt water
several times a week. It's not the light bulbs - they're the encapsulated
kind; so changing to LEDs wouldn't have any effect on the wiring
requirements.
I have a spare set of trailer lights but the mounting bolts are only an
inch
long. While I could counter bore a hole in the wood I mount them to, I
wonder if you mount them to metal which is then fastened to the wood.
I plan on wrapping the wood with carpet to avoid scraping the gunwales and
using bungees to hold it to the trailer.

I don't have a need for the guide-ons. I do have to put my trailer in the
water until all but the top 3" of the fender is submerged, so the wires in
the trailer frame are in the water.

"RichG" wrote in message
m...
Not as removable as your idea, but I mounted my trailer lights near the
top
of PVC uprights (guide-ons) about four feet long. They help me
immeasurably
when launching and more when recovering in a breeze. You have to run the
ground wires up along with the positive leads. Nothing touches the water,
nothing has to be removed.
Works for me.
--
RichG manager, Carolina Skiff Owners Group on MSN
http://groups.msn.com/CarolinaSkiffOwners
.

"wgander" wrote in message
news:TODyd.479$Q%4.123@fed1read06...
If you have trailer lights mounted to a board that you fasten to your
boat
while trailering, please tell me how you made it.
After six years of trailering, I'm finally tired of the constant wiring
maintenance requirements of trailer lights that get dunked in salt water
several times a week. It's not the light bulbs - they're the
encapsulated
kind; so changing to LEDs wouldn't have any effect on the wiring
requirements.
I have a spare set of trailer lights but the mounting bolts are only an
inch
long. While I could counter bore a hole in the wood I mount them to, I
wonder if you mount them to metal which is then fastened to the wood.
I plan on wrapping the wood with carpet to avoid scraping the gunwales
and
using bungees to hold it to the trailer.

I went to the LED lights. Bass Pro Shops $36 plus LED clearance lights. No
problems in a couple of years. The secret to the wiring is to use the heat
shrink marine connectors with sealant inside. I then coat the connection
with liquid tape. Keeps all the water out of the wires.
Bill

"wgander" wrote in message
news:TODyd.479$Q%4.123@fed1read06...
If you have trailer lights mounted to a board that you fasten to your boat
while trailering, please tell me how you made it.
After six years of trailering, I'm finally tired of the constant wiring
maintenance requirements of trailer lights that get dunked in salt water
several times a week. It's not the light bulbs - they're the encapsulated
kind; so changing to LEDs wouldn't have any effect on the wiring
requirements.
I have a spare set of trailer lights but the mounting bolts are only an
inch
long. While I could counter bore a hole in the wood I mount them to, I
wonder if you mount them to metal which is then fastened to the wood.
I plan on wrapping the wood with carpet to avoid scraping the gunwales and
using bungees to hold it to the trailer.

I have a 1x4x8 with the lights on it. there is 25' of 4 wire hard service cord
(16-4 SJT) going to the trailer plug. I drilled 2 holes and put a fat bungee
cord on each end. (cut a long one in half, figure 8 knot behind the hole) I
can bungee it to the boat or just to the rear rollers if I am moving the empty
trailer (or something bulky from the Home Depot). Location of the bungee
depends on what you tie it to the boat on.
Tag is on the board under the light with the clear bottom. (handy if you have
more than one trailer in a non-title state). Put a couple of big "C" shaped
coat hooks just inboard of the lights for the cord and it all wraps up nice and
sits in the corner of the garage. I used western red cedar for the board and
sealed it. I imagine my kids will still have it.

On Thu, 23 Dec 2004 10:06:50 -0800, "wgander" wrote:

If you have trailer lights mounted to a board that you fasten to your boat
while trailering, please tell me how you made it.
After six years of trailering, I'm finally tired of the constant wiring
maintenance requirements of trailer lights that get dunked in salt water
several times a week. It's not the light bulbs - they're the encapsulated
kind; so changing to LEDs wouldn't have any effect on the wiring
requirements.
I have a spare set of trailer lights but the mounting bolts are only an inch
long. While I could counter bore a hole in the wood I mount them to, I
wonder if you mount them to metal which is then fastened to the wood.
I plan on wrapping the wood with carpet to avoid scraping the gunwales and
using bungees to hold it to the trailer.

Sounds like a plan to me.

Later,

Tom

I'll second the liquid electrical tape. It's a great product although a bit
messy if you aren't careful, but it is very durable in marine conditions. If
you have an application - marine or not - that requires wire nuts, crimped
fasteners, etc. put a bit of this stuff in the connection and it's sealed for life.

Dan

Calif Bill wrote:
I went to the LED lights. Bass Pro Shops $36 plus LED clearance lights. No
problems in a couple of years. The secret to the wiring is to use the heat
shrink marine connectors with sealant inside. I then coat the connection
with liquid tape. Keeps all the water out of the wires.
Bill

wgander wrote:

If you have trailer lights mounted to a board that you fasten to your boat
while trailering, please tell me how you made it.
After six years of trailering, I'm finally tired of the constant wiring
maintenance requirements of trailer lights that get dunked in salt water
several times a week. It's not the light bulbs - they're the encapsulated
kind; so changing to LEDs wouldn't have any effect on the wiring
requirements.
I have a spare set of trailer lights but the mounting bolts are only an inch
long. While I could counter bore a hole in the wood I mount them to, I
wonder if you mount them to metal which is then fastened to the wood.
I plan on wrapping the wood with carpet to avoid scraping the gunwales and
using bungees to hold it to the trailer.


Mount them on the boat. Plug them in to the trailer. Charge your
batteries simultaneously.

Terry K