Bad trailer wiring Wireless Tow Lights

[Flats392]

looks interesting..... let us know how they work

http://www.wirelesstowlights.com/Products/...67/Default.aspx

[BoatingSteve]

Each light requires 4 AA batteries. Instructions say they will last for a 24 hour period. 12 hours night driving (with running lights) and 12 hours daytime using AA lithium batteries. This is how they get there power. I am using the standard Duracell alkaline and they have been operating nicely. The instructions say if you use alkaline you can expect 4 hours night time use plus 4 hours daytime. A total of 8 hours.. The nice thing about these are, when I want to go to the lake I know I am going to have taillights (WORKING)..

Steve

[Southern Salvage]

They get the power from a transmitter that hooks up to your plug in the back. Check out these web site for some info.

http://www.towmate.com/lightduty.html

http://www.awdirect.com/wireless-tow-lights/

[hookemdano]

Sounds like a great idea. However, if you have an electrical free backing device on your surge brakes you will still need a connection from the back up lights to the lock out solenoid. Since this very seldom gets in the water, it shouldn't be a problem.

[ChrisF]

Each light requires 4 AA batteries. Instructions say they will last for a 24 hour period. 12 hours night driving (with running lights) and 12 hours daytime using AA lithium batteries. This is how they get there power. I am using the standard Duracell alkaline and they have been operating nicely. The instructions say if you use alkaline you can expect 4 hours night time use plus 4 hours daytime. A total of 8 hours.. The nice thing about these are, when I want to go to the lake I know I am going to have taillights (WORKING)..

Steve

Ok -- I get it. Sounds interesting..... Not sure I'd want to deal with replacing batteries all the time though.

I orginally had a set of supposedly "waterproof" LED lights from West Marine on my trailer and was going through about 1 light every 6 months. This went on for a couple years and along the way I learned to not over tighten the mounting bolts (which can put hairline cracks the light's plastic housing, causing it to fill with water) and to take the extra time to ensure proper electrical connections by soddering the wires together vs. using butt crimps, wire nuts, or splice clips, and to use heat srink tubing to keep water from corroding the connections. One guy even told me that water could leak into the light by running down through the wire itself and that the heat shrink tubing helped to prevent this. Who knows, but despite my best efforts, I was still going through a light every 6 to 9 months. Even though these lights were usually replacable under warantee from the manufacturer, the frequent failures were just too much of a hassel; both from a reliability perspective as well as having to deal with the return process to get them replaced.

I finally broke down and bought a set of waterproof Optronics LED lights from an on-line reseller. They're a bit more expensive, but they have a lifetime warranty and they've been going strong now for about 2.5 years now with no failures. I'm hopefull that I've found a more perminant solution. (no batteries required.... )

[Dan in Alaska]

I've used the wireless lights the last couple of fishing seasons, and I hate them. I thought they were a good idea, but they aren't proving to be all that durable.

My complaints inlcude:

---They are not waterproof, not even close. A rainy day will ruin them. Forgetting to take them off the trailer before soaking it will be an immediate, expensive mistake.

---I had a transmitter fall off a truck (they're magnetic and just stick on the tailgate) and get bounced six ways of Sunday down the road w/o realizing it. The lights still work just fine, but no other transmitter with activate this set of lights, so the lights are now useless.

---Changing batteries is a pain. After a few trips, the road grime on the lights builds up, so the things are a pain to take apart to get at the battery compartment.

I'd hate to imagine how many sets of these wireless lights we've gone through so far, but I bet it's close to 5 or 6 sets. At the price they're selling for, I expect a more durable product.

[BoatingSteve]

Hello Dan,

After reading your post I called the Wireless TowLights office and spoke to a tech about the water problems you had. He told me that there new generation of lights now have O-rings installed in the lens where it mounts onto the housing of the lights. So far I have not had any moisture or water make entry into the lights and I have used them in the rain several times here in Michigan. I haven't backed them into the water yet, cause I mount them on the back of my boat, not the trailer. The Tech told me that the manufacture/engineers completed a 2 hour under water test on the new 0-ring seals, so they are quite sure they have that issue fixed.

I will keep you all posted on the lights, but so far they are working good and I couldn't be happier..

Steve

[Dan in Alaska]

That is good news, Steve. We got some new lights this year, but I haven't really taken a good look at them. I don't know if they are the "new" versions or not. I will take a peek when I head back down to the campground this weekend, though. Thanks for the info.

[PASTAMAN]

They sound intersting but i do a lot of towing. I think id get tired of changing batts all the time!!

[BoatingSteve]

I just found these same lights on the U-Haul and Sears web sites. Here are the link below...

U-Haul: http://store.uhaul.com/Wiring__lights/Trai...etic_Mounts_Set

Sears: http://auto.sears.com/Product.htm?catalogI...oductId=2013751