An electrical challenge

[HTHM]

Is it possible to have my side marker lights on my trailer flash with the signal lights and remain lit with the running lights. Or do i have to have two seperate bulbs for each function?

This is for a brand new set of wiring that is going on my trailer.

As well, should I go conventional or LED?

[scugpg]

Is it possible to have my side marker lights on my trailer flash with the signal lights and remain lit with the running lights. Or do i have to have two seperate bulbs for each function?

This is for a brand new set of wiring that is going on my trailer.

As well, should I go conventional or LED?

 

Can't speak to the side markers, but go LED there is no comparison.

 

Princess has them on sale occasionally and they are nice and bright.

[Sinker]

You need separate bulbs.

[JohnF]

Is it perhaps wired for dual filament bulbs? That could work, I think.

 

JF

[dave524]

You would have to go with dual filaments on the side markers and more wiring. Your request reminds me of one one of the strangest wiring snafus's I ever saw. Friend's trailer, the right turn worked perfectly but when he put the left signals on the whole trailer flashed, man we were sure it was a ground problem, a few pops, pulling wiring and hours later found it. He had replaced the left tail signal light with a single filament bulb where a dual filament should be, remarkably the contact on the bulb bridged the 2 contacts on the receptacle so that when the left signal were turned on , power was getting into the side marker taillight circuit. Was a real head scratcher for a while

[vinnimon]

dual filamentis needed such as a 1157 bulb.Or a three wired light assembly,unless its grounded internally.Any assembly with a red,brown(black) and white is what you want.

[Big Cliff]

You would have to go with dual filaments on the side markers and more wiring. Your request reminds me of one one of the strangest wiring snafus's I ever saw. Friend's trailer, the right turn worked perfectly but when he put the left signals on the whole trailer flashed, man we were sure it was a ground problem, a few pops, pulling wiring and hours later found it. He had replaced the left tail signal light with a single filament bulb where a dual filament should be, remarkably the contact on the bulb bridged the 2 contacts on the receptacle so that when the left signal were turned on , power was getting into the side marker taillight circuit. Was a real head scratcher for a while

 

Head scratcher? Heck I'd have wanted someone to roll me a BIG one and I don't even smoke!

[Bernie]

Seen that single filament bulb frustration happen a couple times.

One that drove me crazy years ago was a perfect ground the the trailer tongue but I didn't notice it was a tilt trailer and the ground didn't make it through the pivot point to the mainframe.

[Garry2Rs]

Save yourself the headache and forget about flashing side markers.

Garry2rs

[irishfield]

Could be done quite easily with a simple relay powered by each signal wire.... Each sides running lights are normally on thru the NC contact of he relay.. when signals are flashing that feed also fires the relay to open the contact on the relay and light goes out. So your tail light will flash and at the same time your side marker will go out.. no flash.. marker on.. etc.. back and forth (like those irritating police head lights)! Similar to the nose fender of a GMC.. 2 x $10 dollar relays and some wire..

[Sinker]

I like the least amount of hardware on my trailer. Less problems. As few connections as possible. The more goodies you've got on there, the more headaches you get into.

 

S.

[HTHM]

Save yourself the headache and forget about flashing side markers.

Garry2rs

But where is the fun in that!? It is now considered a challange.....

[DanD]

Could be done quite easily with a simple relay powered by each signal wire.... Each sides running lights are normally on thru the NC contact of he relay.. when signals are flashing that feed also fires the relay to open the contact on the relay and light goes out. So your tail light will flash and at the same time your side marker will go out.. no flash.. marker on.. etc.. back and forth (like those irritating police head lights)! Similar to the nose fender of a GMC.. 2 x $10 dollar relays and some wire..

 

Yes that would work as you describe; but signals & brake lights would need to be on their own circuits or the markers would also go out when the brake lights are turned on.

Plus if the signals and brake lights were independent of each other; the relays wouldn’t be needed.

You would simply use a non self grounding marker light assembly, with a two wire single filament socket; one power, one ground wire.

Connect one wire of the marker light to the parking light power circuit and the other wire of the marker light to the power circuit of the signals.

When the parking lights are turned on the marker light will light, finding its ground through the turn signal circuit; sort of back feeding the circuit. When the parking lights and signals are both turned on; the markers will flash alternately with the signals. The two power feeds (signal & parking) will cancel each other out and turn the marker off.

That’s how Chey/GMC pick-up’s front marker lights were wired.

Here’s a partial wiring diagram of a GMC’s lighting

 

Dan

[OhioFisherman]

Bernie, that happens on tractor trailers too, the fifth wheel has a pivot point, usually right above the tractors rear axles. The amount of spray from the road hitting there just corrodes the pin to the point it no longer provides a ground. Our mechanics would drill a hole and attach a piece of battery cable with ring connectors and bolts.

[vinnimon]

These side signals can be acheived very simply and cheap.No need to add relays and what nots.Some extra wire and the right light.

[blue pickeral]

If you are using the trailer in the winter, would suggest not using the LED lights. The incandescent bulbs generate enough heat to melt snow in a storm. The LED's get covered and render you invisible to following drivers in the dark.

[fishnsled]

Seen that single filament bulb frustration happen a couple times. One that drove me crazy years ago was a perfect ground the the trailer tongue but I didn't notice it was a tilt trailer and the ground didn't make it through the pivot point to the mainframe.

I had that problem when I did the snowmobile (tilt) trailer last summer. Added a ground wire from the tongue to the main frame and all was good. Drove me nuts thought trying to figure it out. <BR><BR>As for the lights, I'm happy with the LED's I put on the boat trailer.  I did go with the traditional bulbs on the sled trailer last year because they were on sale.  No problems with them either.  I also packed everything with electric grease, soldiered all the connections, painted with liquid electical tape, heat shrink tubing,  all wiring is incased in the plastic wire loom to protect the wiring.  Maybe over kill but I hate dealing with wiring issues in the middle of winter at -20 and it puts my mind at ease while driving down the road. Edited May 31, 2010 by fishnsled

[IndySKS]

I picked a set of led boat lights up at Gander Mountain in Port Huron MI a few weeks back, they were $60. As luck had it i hit it on the day they were 85% off. You might want to look there.

I got two red and two yellow side marker lights in led. Didn't end up using the red but installed the rest last week. I'm more than pleased with them so far.