Trailer Lights

[radm]

I know there's been a number of trailer ?'s...but here's mine. Got the boat home last nite & while backing into the garage noticed all the small running lites on the Shorelander trailler were on & working but the main lites (running/brake/& turn signals) weren't. A little spooky knowing these weren't working thru rain/storms from Duluth to the Cities!! I would normally think bulb or wiring but am suspicious since they're both out & the small running lites all work. Any ideas??? Thanks in advance.

[Fisher Dave]

Your small running lights(clearance lights?) on the side of the trailer are connected to your parking/tail lights.. this is the brown wire on your harness if my memory serves correctly. If your stop and turn signals are working, check the bulbs.. you should check them anyways, it may save some work. If your bulbs are good and everything is working besides the running lights on the tail lights.. there is likely a break in the wire where it connects to the tail lights, or where the side markers are spliced into the harness. If the tail lights arent working at all and the bulbs are good, use a volt meter to be sure you have power coming through the harness to the tail lamps.. if you do, check the ground contacts at the lights. If these are older lights, inspect the inside of the lights for corrosion on the electrical contact surface.

If your side marker lights are working, then go out once you apply the brakes.. you have a weak ground. The problem will be solved by pulling the ground and cleaning the grounding surface on the trailer, and the fitting on the ground wire... this should be done regularly regardless.

[radm]

I wasn't too clear in the original discription. I should have said my marker lights on the sides & middle rear of the trailer work fine. The main stop/brake, running & turn lights do not work at all.

[MJBo]

I had the opposite problem last week where my runners wouldn't light but the rest were fine. In my case it was a fuse in my truck. Thats sure what I'd check first.

[Giant_Jackpot]

I have a 2000 Shorelander and had to do some work on the wiring this spring. I found out that they run the wires from the front of the trailer all the way to the back and then use connectors at the back to run forward to the marker lights. I would say you have a problem at that connection point in the rear. I was able to snake out the connecters through the hole on the bottom of the trailer at the rear. Once I had them out I found my problem (insulation worn off causing fuses to blow). Hope this helps………..

[metrojoe]

I've burned out both my bulbs a couple times when I've forgotten to uplug my trailer lights while launching the boat. Like Fisher Dave said replace the bulbs first. Also, not having a good ground can cause a lot of head scratching.