Trailer Lights ?

[stump grinder]

I installed a pole light on the side guides on my trailer. The first trip both bulbs blew before I got a mile down the road. I figgered it was cheap bulbs from the factory that made the lights, so I changed both bulbs, on the next trip I had one bulb blow before we got home.
Any suggestions on this.

[FisherMike]

Sound like bad vibrations.
Do you notice the poles doing a dance when your going down the road?

[stump grinder]

No not really. I drilled and bolted them to the trailer..

[GregG]

Did you run new wire with the new lights or use the old ones?

Might be grounding out on the trailer somewhere or another if it was the old wire or if the new wire was chaffed when running it up the pole on a sharp edge or something.

I used to have all sorts of light problems until I bought some sealed LED ones. Knock on wood, no problems in over a year. That'd be 4 or 5 bulb sets on the old style lights. :D

[Wichita]

Moisture and vibration are the number one problems but I would also check for a short to ground some where. Also make sure those bulbs are 12 volt rated bulbs which they probable are. Good luck.

[CatFan]

It's not wiring. No combination of 12V, ground or a short is going to affect a 12V bulb. Either the bulbs are 6V (unlikely) or they aren't designed for vibration.

[bigfish5]

it does sound like vibration is blowing the bulbs. normal bulbs should be able to with stand normal vibration. you might have a bearing going bad or a tire separating or out of balance that is giving you excess vibration? if it was a wiring issue you should be blowing a fuse before the bulbs.

[jaxsprat]

Hey Stump, could we have more info? are these just marker lites or tail/stop lites. Could the poles be banging against sides of boat breaking the bulbs filaments. Could you turn lites on for a hour or so without moving boat/trailer to see if lites stay on or go out. Are these the red marker lites that bass pro/others sell for this purpose?(they fit into top of PVC pole? Thanks

[stump grinder]

Hey Stump, could we have more info? are these just marker lites or tail/stop lites. Could the poles be banging against sides of boat breaking the bulbs filaments. Could you turn lites on for a hour or so without moving boat/trailer to see if lites stay on or go out. Are these the red marker lites that bass pro/others sell for this purpose?(they fit into top of PVC pole? Thanks

Yes it is the red& amber lights that Bass Pro sells. It must be the vibration that is blowing them.
Do they make LED lights that will fit on the PVC pipe?

[22Footer]

Vibration is my guess. I had a hub going bad and couldn't feel it pulling the boat, but she must have shook bad enough that it would sling the hub-buddy off the wheel. I even welded the cap on before I realized the bearings were the problem. Not that I'm the sharpest knife in the block!