Trailer bulbs keep burning out????

Has anyone else had this happen? After every 1 - 2 trips to the lake, we ended up blowing out a bulb. It's only happened to the one on the right. This morning I took them both off. The bulb that has always worked (the left one) ended up having a number of 1154 (if I'm remembering right). The right bulb (the one that blows out) had a different number, something like 1034 (I think).

I replaced the 1034 with an 1154 and added some bulb grease around where the glass of the bulb meets the housing that connects the light to the harness. Would having a weaker bulb (the 1034) cause the light to blow out? I'm hoping there was just too much current flowing through the smaller bulb, causing it to pop. Until now I thought a 1034 was the proper size, so that's the size we've been purchasing as replacements. This is our first time installing an 1154Anyone have any ideas?

PS. The past two times there has been water in the glass and either a chip or a big piece of the glass missing. I'm not dropping them when I install them, and I'm making sure to not crack the bulb when I'm installing them.

are you unplugging your lights when you back the trailer in? The water might be shorting them out

i haven't been unplugging them, I didn't know I had to do that. I'll try that next time! I'll have to figure out where to put the light plug though. I don't think it would be good for that to get wet.

its not going to hurt your plug. Even if your tail lights arent on when you back in... your obviously on the brakes as you back the boat in so the brake lights are on. as soon as water hits that bulb, pop. Hot bulb + cold water = exploded buld

Most lights now adays are sealed, if yours aren't, unplug them.

Anyone think the bulbs could've been blowing due to being the wrong size? The reason I think that is because the bulb that's been working forever was a different number. I'm hoping that since the bulb that blew was a lower number, it was probably overloaded and blew?

You said water gets in your housing because its cracked and you dont unplug your harness... I always unplug.

That sure looks like a hot bulb hitting water to me!

I've trailered for over 15yrs now probably a 1000 launches and never unplugged a trailer yet. I think there has got to be something else going on here.

It seems easy to narrow down when it happens. Check it before you splash the trailer then after. You'll know if it blows from the water or not. My guess is if it actually blows like that and not just the coil in the bulb blowing that the water is causing the hot glass to crack.

The last while I kept blowin fuses in my truck from my right rear trailer light. It ended up being the wire was corroded and was arching inside the trailer. May be check your wires owrwiseit may just be from the cold water and hot bulb.

Originally Posted by petrie141

Anyone think the bulbs could've been blowing due to being the wrong size? The reason I think that is because the bulb that's been working forever was a different number. I'm hoping that since the bulb that blew was a lower number, it was probably overloaded and blew?

No. The bulb is the load. The load draws current, current (amperage) is not being forced through it. Current doesn't exist in the bulb circuit until the light illuminates. The amount of current is determined by the bulbs filament. It will draw the current is designed to. If the bulb was drawing to much current, the fuse would blow.

I would upgrade to sealed LEDs.

Originally Posted by chpthril

No. The bulb is the load. The load draws current, current (amperage) is not being forced through it. Current doesn't exist in the bulb circuit until the light illuminates. The amount of current is determined by the bulbs filament. It will draw the current is designed to. If the bulb was drawing to much current, the fuse would blow.

I would upgrade to sealed LEDs.

Do they make LEDs that fit into the trailer's current housing? Or would I need to replace everything?

http://www.jamestowndistributors.com...13959&type=pla

+1 on the unplug the lights. You have water getting into the fixture and touching the hot bulb. Make sure the water is out before you plug them back in.