You know that while launching a boat at the boat ramp, the trailer lights will get wet. So, is it ok to the lights if they are submerged in the water? Are boat trailer lights waterproof? First, let’s take a look at whether the boat trailer lights are waterproof or not.
All boat trailer lights aren’t waterproof: few are, and few aren’t. Old conventional incandescent bulbs on the boat trailer aren’t waterproof, but modern LED lights are waterproof. However, you can easily waterproof the lights and connections by yourself by spending some time & money on that.
Nowadays, most boat trailers use waterproof lights because they are using new LED lights rather than older ones. However, many manufacturers still produce and use the old conventional incandescent light bulbs in boat trailers, which aren’t waterproof.
But keep in mind that even the best waterproof boat trailer lights will fail if your wiring connections are not waterproof. So soldering all the connections and using heat shrink connectors would be a great and safe option to waterproof the connections.
This trailer light’s “waterproofing” has created one of the great debates among trailer boaters for years is; unplugging the trailer lights before backing down the ramp has been a great debate among trailer boaters for years. It began when incandescent bulbs were common on brake lights (they are still being manufactured).
Because the bulb would heat up whenever trailer brakes were applied and then burst when immersed in cold water during a launch, today, many new trailers use LED lights (light-emitting diode) that burn cooler, are sealed and don’t need to be unplugged.
Are All Boat Trailer Lights Waterproof? All boat trailer lights aren’t waterproof. If you are looking at conventional incandescent bulbs (which are still manufactured and used on many boat trailers), they aren’t waterproof, but you can waterproof them. Today, many new trailers use LED lights, which are waterproof.
Do Boat Trailer Lights Need To Be Waterproof?
Boat trailer lights need to be waterproof and submersible because if they aren’t, they will fail. Since you will be moving your trailer in and out of the water while launching, waterproofing is a must. Otherwise, you’ll be left without any lights, putting your safety while trailering at risk.
Staying safe while trailering the boat means making sure your boat trailer lights are working. If your lights are not waterproof, then they will fail, and you’ll be left without any lights, putting your safety and wallet at risk. Different manufacturers have different ways of making their lights waterproof.
For example, many have fully enclosed units so that the water cannot get into the casing to get into contact with the bulb or the wiring. Therefore, when you install boat trailer lights, it is good to take your time and make sure they really are watertight, especially if you are linking up to existing wiring.
Have a look at this small and very useful video on how to make the boat trailer connections waterproof easily.
Problems Of Not Using Waterproof & Submersible Boat Trailer lights
- If boat trailer lights aren’t waterproof, they will fail if they are submerged. If your lights are not waterproof, they will fail, and you’ll be left without any lights, putting your safety and wallet at risk. Staying safe while trailering your boat means making sure your boat trailer lights are working.
- One more important thing to look out for is corrosion. As with any marine product, a set of trailer lights need to be resistant to corrosion. While this is true anywhere you put your boat, it is especially if you ever go boating in saltwater. Corrosion and rust are not your friends!
Related Post – How To Prevent Boat Trailer From Rusting? Check this article to know more about corrosion prevention tactics in a detailed way.
So, for trailering and launching a boat, submersible & waterproof trailer lights are necessary for the simple and perhaps obvious reason that the rear of the trailer, including your lights, will be partially underwater. If they fail, you’ll be left without any lights, putting your safety and wallet at risk.
Should You Unplug Your Boat Trailer Lights While Launching Your Boat? Boat trailer lights need not be unplugged while launching the boat in the water if they are waterproof in the first place. Otherwise, if they aren’t waterproof, you need to unplug them to prevent the trailer lights from failure.
Can Boat Trailer Lights Get Wet?
Boat trailer lights can get wet, and you can submerge them completely in the water if you are using waterproof and submersible lights. Otherwise, they will fail if they are submerged in water at the boat ramp, and you’ll be left without any lights, putting your safety at risk.
For a boat trailer, non-submersible trailer lights will not be long for the world after one or two boat launches. Especially if you are using incandescent bulbs because the bulb would heat up whenever trailer brakes were applied and then burst when immersed in cold water during a launch.
Boat trailer lights might face icy water at the dock. Since they’re not permanently sealed, incandescent bulbs generate heat and may become inoperable when wet. In addition, incandescent bulbs have filaments that can break with vibrations or cold water.
So, either make the trailer lights waterproof or buy LED trailer lights or buy boat trailer pipe lights that will be 3 – 4 ft or more above ground and will not get wet easily unless if it rains. Keeping them from being submerged in the water makes all the difference—nothing worse than having trailer light problems when planning a long trip.
The Key Takeaways From The Post
All boat trailer lights aren’t waterproof: few are, and few aren’t. Old conventional incandescent bulbs on the boat trailer aren’t waterproof, but modern LED lights are waterproof. However, you can easily waterproof the lights and connections by yourself by spending some time & money on that.
Staying safe while trailering the boat means making sure your boat trailer lights are working. If your lights are not waterproof, then they will fail, and you’ll be left without any lights, putting your safety and wallet at risk. Different manufacturers have different ways of making their lights waterproof.
Nowadays, most boat trailers use waterproof lights because they are using new LED lights rather than older ones. However, many manufacturers still produce and use the old conventional incandescent light bulbs in boat trailers, which aren’t waterproof.
But keep in mind that even the best waterproof boat trailer lights will fail if your wiring connections are not waterproof. So soldering all the connections and using heat shrink connectors would be a great and safe option to waterproof the connections.
