Trailer Lights
Printed From: CorrectCraftFan.com
Category: Repairs and Maintenance
Forum Name: Boat Maintenance
Forum Discription: Discuss maintenance of your Correct Craft
URL: http://www.CorrectCraftFan.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=6010
Printed Date: June-01-2024 at 6:26am
Topic: Trailer Lights
Posted By: wakeboardin2k4
Subject: Trailer Lights
Date Posted: March-13-2007 at 5:52pm
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So tomorrow my goal is to put on all new LED trailer lights. I am planning on using butt-connectors, then heat shring tubing, then electrical tape to connect the wires of the lights to the wires of the trailer. Will butt connectors be OK or should I make the extra effort and sotter the wires together? ------------- "I'm planning to bring my girl that rides on a trailer with me and leave my girl that complains about camping at home" |
Replies:
Posted By: farmer
Date Posted: March-13-2007 at 7:57pm
| Butt connectors will work for awhile but you really should solder all the connections and then use the shrink tubing. It really doesn't take much longer to do it right. |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: March-13-2007 at 10:09pm
i love butt, works well for me!
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Posted By: 8122pbrainard
Date Posted: March-14-2007 at 5:45am
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Trailer wiring sucks!!
Use some dielectric grease on the butt splices. It's not as involved as soldering. Then adhesive lined heat shrink. The adhesive lined will bond itself to the wire and splice when heat shrunk. It's too bad the wire isn't some decent tin platted marine grade. Avoid the use of the "displacement" T taps. Those damn things are always a problem down the road when the green and white rust eat them up inside. I always run a ground wire to each lamp and don't rely on a steel frame that with time will rust. When will they learn that steel isn't as good a conductor of electricity as copper is!! When you only have a nominal 12 volts to start with, it doesn't take much resistence for the steel or rusty joint to knock down the volts! Most important is protect the wiring. If the trailer isn't a tubular frame that you can wire through, run 1/2" pvc pipe down the frame for the wiring. I have seen many a trailer on the road with wiring floppen in the wind. ------------- /diaries/details.asp?ID=1622" rel="nofollow - 54 Atom /diaries/details.asp?ID=2179" rel="nofollow - 77 Tique 64 X55 Dunphy Keep it original, Pete < |
Posted By: tullfooter
Date Posted: March-14-2007 at 7:07am
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I use heat shrinkable butt connectors on all my semi's and trailers. The gel inside bonds to the wire when heat is applied. Little more expensive but works well, even in our Michigan winters with oversalted roads. ------------- Play hard, life's not a trial run. '85 BFN '90 BFN White Lake, Michigan |
Posted By: 8122pbrainard
Date Posted: March-14-2007 at 8:11am
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Tull, Yes the heat shrink butts are great and a good alternate. At over a buck each they still may be economical when you add the cost of the heat shrink tubing and the regular butt splices together. ------------- /diaries/details.asp?ID=1622" rel="nofollow - 54 Atom /diaries/details.asp?ID=2179" rel="nofollow - 77 Tique 64 X55 Dunphy Keep it original, Pete < |
Posted By: farmer
Date Posted: March-14-2007 at 7:30pm
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I must be living in the dark ages.How come everyone knows about these heat shrink butt connectors "butt" me? 
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Posted By: 79nautique
Date Posted: March-14-2007 at 7:45pm
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they are just a little harder to find and you have to look for them, not eveyrone cares them. ------------- http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=756&sort=&pagenum=1&yrstart=1979&yrend=1979 - 79 nautique |
Posted By: wakeboardin2k4
Date Posted: March-14-2007 at 8:30pm
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Ya, I had never heard of them either. I have decided I am going to sotter them and then use heat shrink tubing over it followed by electrical tape. ------------- "I'm planning to bring my girl that rides on a trailer with me and leave my girl that complains about camping at home" |
Posted By: Behl
Date Posted: March-14-2007 at 9:30pm
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I do not use a connector. I solder the connection and heat shrink. Make sure to put shrink on wire before soldering and away from solder joint so as it does not shrink while soldering in a location undesireable.
The shrinkable butt connections are very good but can become expensive. I have used them on my custom charter motorcoach. ------------- Steve in Indy http://correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=1702&sort=&pagenum=1&yrstart=1976&yrend=1980" rel="nofollow - Redone 1977 Ski Tique |
Posted By: 8122pbrainard
Date Posted: March-15-2007 at 5:02am
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2k4, You have a good plan except though out the electric tape. It's always a mess, hard to put on nicely, and starts to come off with time. Do try to find the adhesive lined heat shrink. It will seal the splice from water getting to the wire.
Farmer, mcmaster.com Butts: #7227k62 for 22-18 ga. (red) #7227k63 for 16-14 ga. (blue) # 7227k64 for 12-10 ga. (yellow) They are available in the other styles like rings and spades as well. ------------- /diaries/details.asp?ID=1622" rel="nofollow - 54 Atom /diaries/details.asp?ID=2179" rel="nofollow - 77 Tique 64 X55 Dunphy Keep it original, Pete < |
Posted By: wakeboardin2k4
Date Posted: March-15-2007 at 9:17am
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8122, I have the adhesive lined heat shrink.
What about liquid electrical tape? Still useless? ------------- "I'm planning to bring my girl that rides on a trailer with me and leave my girl that complains about camping at home" |
Posted By: 8122pbrainard
Date Posted: March-15-2007 at 9:26am
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You'll be fine with the adhesive lined heat shrink.
Are you just replacing the lights or are you doing the trailer wiring harness as well? ------------- /diaries/details.asp?ID=1622" rel="nofollow - 54 Atom /diaries/details.asp?ID=2179" rel="nofollow - 77 Tique 64 X55 Dunphy Keep it original, Pete < |
Posted By: wakeboardin2k4
Date Posted: March-15-2007 at 12:15pm
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I am only doing the lights at this point. I already did the wiring harness in the fall before it got cold out. ------------- "I'm planning to bring my girl that rides on a trailer with me and leave my girl that complains about camping at home" |