DIY led guide post lights for boat trailers! Hammerhead lights for better visibility! Cheap & easy!
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- Опубликовано: 30 сен 2024
- Added these to my boat trailer for better visibility at night both on the road at the ramp. Total cost is under $40 a pair.
Thanks for responding. The trailer wire harness plugs into my Durango. The two rear lights work as my truck lights do: for turn signaling, turning brighter when my breaks are applied and staying on steady when my truck lights are on. I also have a few other smaller lights on the side that stay on continuously. I removed the PVC caps from the top of the posts as you did and replaced it with caps that have built-in LED lights. It did not come with instructions so I'm trying to figure out how to connect the wires so they work exactly as the two lights do in the back of the trailer (for turn signaling etc.).
Great video, quick question. Got a set of the top post lights on Amazon. Trailer already has lights at the back and sides. I have no idea how to wire the post lights into the existing wiring. Any ideas?
What type of lights and what do you want the lights to do? Are they just parking lights like mine or are they stop tail turn? You keeping existing lights?
@@drewdoestrucks Thanks for responding. The trailer wire harness plugs into my Durango. The two rear lights work as my truck lights do: for turn signaling, turning brighter when my breaks are applied and staying on steady when my truck lights are on. I also have a few other smaller lights on the side that stay on continuously. I removed the PVC caps from the top of the posts as you did and replaced it with caps that have built-in LED lights. It did not come with instructions so I'm trying to figure out how to connect the wires so they work exactly as the two lights do in the back of the trailer (for turn signaling etc.).
@@gm1937 you’ll have to splice in 3 wires from the taillights to the lights on your posts. I recommend a wago splice capable of 3 wires (or more) but the best option is to run a new harness that goes all the way up the post and you can make your splice at the top of the post and back down to the taillight. But it’s not strictly necessary. Just keeps splices out of the water. The standard trailer wiring, white is ground, brown is parking lights, and green and yellow are the brake and turn lights. Yellow is left side brake/turn and green is right side brake/turn. At the light, the colors should be the same but sometimes are different. Usually on the light side, white will be ground but sometimes black. Red will usually be the brake/turn light. If there’s white black and red usually black is the parking light. Unfortunately it’s not 100% standardized.
If your wiring harness has no white it’s because your taillights screwed to the trailer are your ground, and that means you’ll need to run a wire down the post and use a ring terminal to trailer frame for a ground for the new lights.
@@drewdoestrucks this is enormously helpful, thanks very much!
Great idea. Thank you
Would you elaborate on how you run separate ground wires for every light (6:36)? Where do those separate grounds originate and what do they attach to at the far end? Any details helpful, thank you.
I think I go into it in more detail on my dump trailer wiring video, although the wiring is slightly more complicated on that trailer. You just need to tie in a second ground from your trailer plug. I very highly recommend a distribution box like the one shown. It makes adding the extra ground wire and trouble shooting in the future a snap. If using on a boat trailer mount it far enough forward or high enough to stay out of the water.
ruclips.net/video/4NBX3L6litM/видео.html
I will say the harbor freight trailer wiring has failed on both trailer I used it on, and they will both need completely rewired. Both the boat trailer and the fuel trailer (which both have videos). I have used Hopkins brand wiring from tractor supply for decades with no issues so I recommend it as an alternative. It is slightly more expensive. The harbor freight wiring has literally disintegrated after a year outside. It crumbles in my hand, insulation and all.
@@drewdoestrucks Hey, thanks kindly for taking time to reply. Reading reviews of various wiring harnesses-- so many complaints about the cheap quality. God bless you for helping out. P.S. Your hammerhead design "genius." Great chob.
How do you like the mariner motor
Don’t have it anymore. Didn’t have any power. Woulda been fine for a jon boat but not enough for my skiff. Replaced with a 20 hp merc efi.
You tubes might be backwards. Why not cut the excess under the boat
Your guides are backwards. If the long side was on the outside, it has things that prevent the pvc from moving
I don’t understand what you’re trying to say.
Guide post are backwards I think
You commented three times, not sure what you’re trying to say though. The posts only go on one way.
I love the idea of the amber facing you alot
Call me crazy but when I’m towing and I have a little amber front facing light it just reassured me where the trailer is at all times. A little forward illumination doesn’t hurt anything either. Another unexpected benefit is this gets your wiring splices up out of the water if you. Hose to do them that way. I have since replaced the harbor freight wiring on this trailer with a better brand and got the wiring splices up behind these lights.
At 03:04 where did you get those rubber grommets w/ a panel depth deep enough to fit into that thickness of metal? My goofy grommet assortment will only fit sheet metal 2-mm. thick but my PVC Guide-On posts are 4-mm. thick!
Hillman brand from Home Depot. They have different sizes, sell them a few to a bag. It is hard to find grommets made for thicker metal.
@@drewdoestrucks you're a real stand-up American. Thank you for taking time & having the decency to reply. Looked for hours today-- you're right, deeper grommets (correct nomenclature is "Panel Depth") are indeed hard-to-find. Thanks kindly!
@@docjody8624 there’s a store called grainger that has a mind boggling variety of specialty parts for things like that. They have mail order as well. Always an option but the way their website is setup I feel like you gotta know what you’re looking for.
You need a profile pic!
Good call. Done.
Where do you get the aluminum curved pieces?
I bought mine from a seller on eBay.
@@drewdoestrucks any idea what they’re called
@@largemammaloutdoors4503 sorry I missed your earlier comment. Search for “boat guide post” I believe it’s called.
How tall are your Guide-On posts?
I cut them down a little to fit into my camper easier with the beds up. Maybe 36" above the trailer.
@@drewdoestrucks Thank you for taking time to answer!
@@docjody8624 if you’re doing similar ones then think about how deep and steep your ramps are. You want them to stay above the water ideally.
@@drewdoestrucks Great tip. Never thought to find out how steep the boat ramp is-- definitely affects keeping LEDs above waterline. Thanks again!
LED components can come w/ 18-, 16- or 14-gauge wire. How do you avoid mixing wire gauges, as the wire in your trailer's harness might be 18-gauge (common) and 16- or 14-gauge on the hammerhead lights? It's recommended to not mix gauges.
In the case of a boat or utility trailer, the wire is not on or near combustibles, so were it to short, there is very little risk of fire should the wire be too small for the fuses on the truck fuse box for the trailer wiring circuit. However, even 18 gauge wiring will realistically pop whatever fuse is in your truck fuse box, typically 10 amps for the light circuits.
LED’s like the ones used in this video draw less than 1 amp, so they can be successfully powered with wiring as small as even 20 gauge.
It’s recommended not to mix gauges because normally your circuit will be fused based on the size of the smallest wire used, but this rule is not typically strictly followed when it comes to trailer wiring.