Submersable trailer Lights

[Bigplumbs]

I want to not have to remove my light board every time I launch and recover my speedboat. I see several light boards that claim they are submersible. Anyone have any recommendations or experience of this

Regards

Dennis

[ColinR]

All light boards are submersible, it's just that not all of them will work afterwards

Sorry, couldn't resist. I suspect they will work for a while but eventually the sea water will win.

[betty boop]

having dunked my submersibale lights yesterday yes I am in a goodplace. (she watched me reverse and didnt notice a 6 ft board across the trailer) 3 years ago I had a plan never to remove the board again and fitted sealled LED lights. however it didnt go to plan and all Ive done is fitted rain proof LED units.

compared to filament bulbs they are great, 100% recommonded, but for dipping - cant say Id recommend it yet.. 1st the mods to trailer became a real pain so the boat does whack them or the mounts coming off/on. then theres the plate light and fog which I couldnt find w/proof versions of ( so are missing off mine now). Joints and cables etc easy but getting it just right was a gamble I just gave up on (all things considered) when I had other jobs to do/finance.

I thought about (moaned about ) it for years and Mrs BB is now asking for the same dirty hands long light boards to store etc. so I need to give it a go again. let us know what you end up with.

[ChrisH]

I can't even get led lights to work on my Mercedes. Bought the light board but seems the onboard computer can't recognise them.

Wrap lots of clingfilm around them

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

[Bigplumbs]

I can't even get led lights to work on my Mercedes. Bought the light board but seems the onboard computer can't recognise them.

Wrap lots of clingfilm around them

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

It said that on the add for the lights wont work with modern cars.................................... What is happening with the world. Who ever thought we needed an on board computer connected to lights on a car. We used to be happy with just a switch.

Terminator and the rise of the machines is not far away.... Them luddites had a point I recon

Dennis

[ChrisH]

I can't even get led lights to work on my Mercedes. Bought the light board but seems the onboard computer can't recognise them.

Wrap lots of clingfilm around them

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

It said that on the add for the lights wont work with modern cars.................................... What is happening with the world. Who ever thought we needed an on board computer connected to lights on a car. We used to be happy with just a switch.

Terminator and the rise of the machines is not far away.... Them luddites had a point I recon

Dennis

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

[argonaut]

Most modern cars have the canbus wiring system .... and you can't just connect in with scotch lock connectors as in years gone by.

Manufacturers pace a pre-wired socket in the rear and you need an interface unit to plug in ........... this is particularly likley if your car has LED lighting.
In fact connecting in without the interface invalidates the warranty on your car.


On submersible lighting - the US have done this for years, have had a couple of trailers with lights built in .... LED waterproof lights are mainly rated for rainfall ..
For example IP54 gives rating against dust ingress and water splash form any direction. (rain)

For any submersion you need IP67 (up to 1m) and IP68 for more than 1m

I seriously doubt you will find trailer lights have an IP68 rating in a price range you want to pay.

Then the real issue is that most LED clusters come with a pig tail of flex .... they do this as sealing flex to fitting is under their control, where & how do you joint these together .... the manufacturer expects they will be joined in a dry area (in the boot)

You would have to end up with multiple joints ... and have them fully waterproof - every joint is a possible cause of failure.
I looked into doing this ... but decided a removable board while a pain .. is still best option - esp for me in salt water.

[betty boop]

Most modern cars have the canbus wiring system .... and you can't just connect in with scotch lock connectors as in years gone by.

Manufacturers pace a pre-wired socket in the rear and you need an interface unit to plug in ........... this is particularly likley if your car has LED lighting.
In fact connecting in without the interface invalidates the warranty on your car.


On submersible lighting - the US have done this for years, have had a couple of trailers with lights built in .... LED waterproof lights are mainly rated for rainfall ..
For example IP54 gives rating against dust ingress and water splash form any direction. (rain)

For any submersion you need IP67 (up to 1m) and IP68 for more than 1m

I seriously doubt you will find trailer lights have an IP68 rating in a price range you want to pay.

Then the real issue is that most LED clusters come with a pig tail of flex .... they do this as sealing flex to fitting is under their control, where & how do you joint these together .... the manufacturer expects they will be joined in a dry area (in the boot)

You would have to end up with multiple joints ... and have them fully waterproof - every joint is a possible cause of failure.
I looked into doing this ... but decided a removable board while a pain .. is still best option - esp for me in salt water.

jointing and being waterproof is one thing to be aware of but arent we forgetting the biggest joint of all is the tow bar plug n lead. Mine was under the water this week and still works but isnt water proof and is soaked thru with every puddle or rainy day yet they still work, until they stop and need changing that is. On my master plan I routed around this by putting the socket in the boot and trailing the flex thru the boot hatch. a bit like slamming the garden extension lead in the back door. not the best engineering solution.

My LED lights havent set the indictator buzzer off on 3 cars to date. We've had this arguement before on the legalities of this, technically not but no MOT station will fail you - (consider the wasp nest hit with a stick on that one.) That said on the Kia Sorrento Im currenlty having a hate/hate relationship the warming buzzer works.

If I recall Ive seen US boats with trailer lights connected to them, that would be an option too for some DIY drilling and wiring. I like the idea of a short cable to a plug on a set of launch side bars, a fixed cable to trailer and then a tow bar plug bungied/velco'd to the winch post set up so it doesnt get wet on launch. It would save threading the cable thru the trailer and mean only removing the board for each launch

[Bigplumbs]

Most modern cars have the canbus wiring system .... and you can't just connect in with scotch lock connectors as in years gone by.

Manufacturers pace a pre-wired socket in the rear and you need an interface unit to plug in ........... this is particularly likley if your car has LED lighting.
In fact connecting in without the interface invalidates the warranty on your car.


On submersible lighting - the US have done this for years, have had a couple of trailers with lights built in .... LED waterproof lights are mainly rated for rainfall ..
For example IP54 gives rating against dust ingress and water splash form any direction. (rain)

For any submersion you need IP67 (up to 1m) and IP68 for more than 1m

I seriously doubt you will find trailer lights have an IP68 rating in a price range you want to pay.

Then the real issue is that most LED clusters come with a pig tail of flex .... they do this as sealing flex to fitting is under their control, where & how do you joint these together .... the manufacturer expects they will be joined in a dry area (in the boot)

You would have to end up with multiple joints ... and have them fully waterproof - every joint is a possible cause of failure.
I looked into doing this ... but decided a removable board while a pain .. is still best option - esp for me in salt water.

I cant help thinking that the cambus system is not progress. How to complicate that which could be simple. As far a warranty is concerned I have never had such a thing on a car I have owned and am never likely to

Dennis

[Ianfs]

Buy some good quality sealant, some silicon sealants don't stick to certain plastics like polyethyleane. Sikaflex or 3m make really good sealants

Unscrew the light covers then unscrew the light units. Seal all units and any holes to within an inch of its life.

It might work.