Trailer Lights
When it comes to hauling, keeping yourself and your trailer safe is a huge part of being on the road. Whether for legal reasons or safety reasons, trailer lights are one of the most important things on your trailer. For that reason, we want to take a look at the requirements, types, and questions around the topic of LED trailer lights! Let’s go.
Are Trailer Lights Required?
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According to the Department of Transportation, yes, certain trailer lights are required. The tough part is it can be different for each state. The following must be on your trailer to have it road-ready no matter where you live.
- 2 Red Brake Lights
- 2 Turn Signals (Yellow or Red)
- License Plate Light
- 2 Yellow Front Side Lights
- 2 Red Rear Side Lights
Trailer Light Laws By State
This site does a great job of looking into the very detailed and specific laws for each state when it comes to hauling trailers.
Solar Powered Trailer Lights
One of the best ways to save yourself from buying a trailer battery is to get solar-powered trailer lights. These lights will need to be in sunlight to charge, obviously, but will prevent the draining of any batteries. Solar-powered trailer lights are also said to last longer than traditional lights.
Are Trailer Lights AC Or DC
Trailer lights are direct current (DC), meaning electricity flows directly from the battery to the trailer lights. AC, on the other hand, stands for Alternating current, which means it alternates its voltages and is primarily used in RV supplies and homes for multiple purposes.
Are Trailer Lights Required During The Day?
Trailer lights are required to be functional no matter what time of day it is. Your brake lights and turn signals are the most important lights on your trailer. Making sure these lights work will keep you and others safe on the road at all times.
Do Trailer Lights Need To Be Grounded?
It would be best if you ground individual trailer lights lamps need to be grounded through the wiring of the trailer harness. Lights not adequately grounded to your trailer will have irregular or no illumination when you apply them on the brake. To ground the trailer wire, ensure the white wire plug is correctly connected to the tongue of the trailer, and it will use the trailer as a ground wire.
Do Trailer Lights Have Fuses?
Yes and no. Trailers themselves do not have fuses but rely on the fuses of a car. If there are malfunctioning car lights, it is a good indicator that you may have trailer lights that don’t work as well. Check your car’s manual for the fuse box location on your particular make and model vehicle.
Types Of Trailer Lights
Trailer lights are essential when it comes to safety, and making sure to inspect them if they malfunction is imperative. Most trailer lights are shock-resistant, weather-resistant, durable, and can last about 50,000 hours. Here are the lights to check with your local state on to find out if you need them on your trailer. Depending on your trailer, if it is wider than 80 inches, you need extra lights on the side and reflectors on the back. It also depends on your trailer GVWR to determine if it also needs reflective tape and lights. If the GVWR exceeds 15,000, you will require additional lights and reflective tape.
- Tail lights – Tail lights or warning lights are on the rear of the trailer. They turn on when you turn on your headlights automatically to keep your trailer visible at night.
- Stop Lights – Stop lights, commonly known as brake lights, are on the rear of the trailer. Every time you apply the brake, it turns on to warn other drivers you are slowing.
- Turn signals – These flashing lights turn on when you change lanes. Turn signals are also beneficial during severe weather conditions or at night for trailers.
- Rear reflex reflector – Reflective lights are critical on a trailer that is more extensive than 80 inches or has a GVWR of above 15,000 since it doesn’t rely on lights of its own; it reflects off the headlights of the approaching car.
- Side reflex reflector – The side reflex reflectors are mostly installed on trailers for pedestrians, cyclists, and runners to notice the trailer in their route.
- License plate lamp – The lamp is a lamp that illuminates your license plate to make it visible your license plate for law enforcement at night and for other drivers to see from a distance.
Do Trailer Lights Drain The Battery?
If your trailer lights are not solar-powered or wireless, they will take power from a battery source, causing your battery to drain. If you hook up your vehicle to a trailer overnight, it could also drain your battery. If the battery on your car keeps dying overnight even though your engine and interior lights are off, your battery could have problems caused by short circuits.
Trailer Light Adapter
A trailer light adapter is a light and electric connector between cars and a trailer that gives your trailer three lights; braking, turn, and running lights.
LED Trailer Lights
LED trailer lights are upgraded versions of already embedded trailer lights. They allow you to be seen better and last longer than traditional lights.
Wireless Trailer Lights
Wireless trailer lights, commonly known as transmitters, get plugged into a car. When you apply your brakes or turn on the turn signals, it automatically transmits signals to the brake lights of a trailer, causing them to power on. You don’t have to worry about securing the wires with wireless transmitters.
Trailer Lights Not Working
If your trailer lights are not working, the first thing you can do is make sure the bulbs are good. If you have a bad bulb, it won’t work even with a power source providing the adequate energy needed.
The second thing you can do is check the fuses in your vehicle, as discussed above. If there is a bad connection for some reason, it will cause malfunctions.
Third, if the trailer lights are not grounded, they will not work correctly.
Trailer Light Installation
Installing a trailer light is simple and easy. Here is the best and easiest way to install a light on your trailer.
Preparation
Start by preparing everything you need for wiring the trailer tools and equipment, and check if you have good wiring and the correct wiring.
Wiring the frame
Before you start wiring your trailer, you need to plan where your wire is running. You will also need to use polythene wiring to protect your wiring from weather elements and offer protection from abrasion. Once you have a plan and where to run your wire, you can start by marking the center of the trailer tongue and driving a nail or a screw in to make a hole to secure your wires every 16″.
If you have a tilted account, the connector or the ground wire needs to be 2 – 3 ft from the tongue of the trailer. As well as predrill holes for the brake lights. If replacing existing wiring, you don’t have to drill holes. You can use the same line as the prior wiring.
Wiring the trailer
Start attaching and organizing trailer wirings and insert the wire into the casing. To make it easy, you can slice the case to insert the wire and tape the ends of the wiring to make sure moisture doesn’t get inside. You can now start securing the wiring using plastic loop clips and begin running wire to the rear of the trailer.
Connecting the wire
Our last part is connecting the wire since we already ran the write through the trailer. At the end of the trailer, there would be three wires: one for the running lights, one for the brake and turning light, and the last wiring, which is white for ground wiring. Strip the wires and add heat shink to connect and shrink the tube. Lastly, tape all wiring together.
Testing
Lastly, we have to check if everything is working appropriately. You must check the brake lights, turning signals, reverse lights, and running lights. If you have a problem with trailer lights, check if the wires have a good connection, if the ground wiring is good, and if you may have a bad wire power from the front trailer and car connection.
Trailer Lights For Sale In Bowling Green, Kentucky
If you are looking to replace your current trailer lights, we would love to help. We have different varieties and styles of trailer lights in Bowling Green. Fill out a quote form, or simply send us a message with what you are looking for!