25 Nov 21:
The little shop stool WALDO helped.
We plan a more in depth post on trailer lighting and a few other trailer tips, coming soon. Meanwhile here is a video. https://youtu.be/oXflO5ajVEs
Showing posts with label trailer lights. Show all posts
Showing posts with label trailer lights. Show all posts
Friday, November 26, 2021
Thursday, October 23, 2014
Picker Van Gear
Here is my picker van gear, time to weed it out and lose some weight.
What is this thing doing here......
The only items I have not had to use when picking up a boat or towing a used trailer are the trailer chains and the first aid kit (yay). Update: Used the chains when I picked up the Sorg :)
Extra gear, that will go into my shop spares box.
I could hardly bear to part with the Cracker Barrel map...
Bottom layer of the Picker Packup keep box.
Top layer of the Picker Packup keep box.
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| From SBR 4: Jun 2014 - |
What is this thing doing here......
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| From SBR 4: Jun 2014 - |
The only items I have not had to use when picking up a boat or towing a used trailer are the trailer chains and the first aid kit (yay). Update: Used the chains when I picked up the Sorg :)
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| From SBR 4: Jun 2014 - |
Extra gear, that will go into my shop spares box.
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| From SBR 4: Jun 2014 - |
I could hardly bear to part with the Cracker Barrel map...
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| From SBR 4: Jun 2014 - |
Bottom layer of the Picker Packup keep box.
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| From SBR 4: Jun 2014 - |
Top layer of the Picker Packup keep box.
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| From SBR 4: Jun 2014 - |
Thursday, June 12, 2014
Small Boat Trailer Restoration
Sold the Sunfish, now it's time to get the trailer back on the road.
Rusted latch and pawl underneath is completely gone.
Light electrical parts are corroded.
Cut off old latch, cannibalizing new latch from new coupler.
A little cold galvanizing compound maybe?
New coupler latch installed, that nut (no not me) is used to adjust the pawl tension on the trailer hitch ball
Once lug nuts were loosened with a breaker bar, impact wrench did the rest.
Ready to roll with new tires and LED lights.
Rusted latch and pawl underneath is completely gone.
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| From SBR 3: Jan 2014 - Jun 2014 |
Light electrical parts are corroded.
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| From SBR 3: Jan 2014 - Jun 2014 |
Cut off old latch, cannibalizing new latch from new coupler.
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| From SBR 3: Jan 2014 - Jun 2014 |
A little cold galvanizing compound maybe?
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| From SBR 3: Jan 2014 - Jun 2014 |
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| From SBR 3: Jan 2014 - Jun 2014 |
New coupler latch installed, that nut (no not me) is used to adjust the pawl tension on the trailer hitch ball
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| From SBR 3: Jan 2014 - Jun 2014 |
Once lug nuts were loosened with a breaker bar, impact wrench did the rest.
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| From SBR 3: Jan 2014 - Jun 2014 |
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| From SBR 3: Jan 2014 - Jun 2014 |
Ready to roll with new tires and LED lights.
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| From SBR 3: Jan 2014 - Jun 2014 |
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| From SBR 3: Jan 2014 - Jun 2014 |
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Trailer lights
Putting new lights on a trailer. Going to use old wires to pull new wires through frame
Cut plug off old wires and tape new wires to old wires
Wires provably branch off mid frame. Start pulling them through there
Tools needed and camp stool is required equipment
Pull yellow/brown to left side and green/brown to right. Splice in to new taillights and protect with shrink wrap or electrical tape. Stow excess wire in frame
A good ground (white wire) is essential
Lights work....correctly!
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| From Sunfish Sailboat Restoration |
Cut plug off old wires and tape new wires to old wires
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| From Sunfish Sailboat Restoration |
Wires provably branch off mid frame. Start pulling them through there
 |
| From Sunfish Sailboat Restoration |
Tools needed and camp stool is required equipment
 |
| From Sunfish Sailboat Restoration |
Pull yellow/brown to left side and green/brown to right. Splice in to new taillights and protect with shrink wrap or electrical tape. Stow excess wire in frame
 |
| From Sunfish Sailboat Restoration |
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| From Sunfish Sailboat Restoration |
A good ground (white wire) is essential
 |
| From Sunfish Sailboat Restoration |
Lights work....correctly!
 |
| From Sunfish Sailboat Restoration |
Monday, March 18, 2013
Trailer lights
Wired the trailer lights and installed them on the trailer. Brown wire is for tail marker and yellow wire is left stop and turn light.
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| From Sunfish Sailboat |
Hull base coat sanding and trailer lights
Saturday sanded some of the base coat and used marine tex epoxy putty to smooth out a few rough areas. Now it needs to dry for a few days so I can sand and apply 2nd coat of rustoleum. In this picture there is dew on the boat, the paint finish is a lot smoother than it appears
Worked on Bud's trailer, it needs new lights. the left side light came off OK but the right side nut was rusted so i had to use a reciprocating saw to get it off. Then I taped the end of the new wires to the plug end of the old wires and pulled the new wires through the frame. Light installation and wiring is next for the trailer.
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| From Sunfish Sailboat |
Worked on Bud's trailer, it needs new lights. the left side light came off OK but the right side nut was rusted so i had to use a reciprocating saw to get it off. Then I taped the end of the new wires to the plug end of the old wires and pulled the new wires through the frame. Light installation and wiring is next for the trailer.
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| From Sunfish Sailboat |
Friday, February 8, 2013
Trailering Madison
I cut up some pool noodles and used those to support the spars and mast for our recent road trip.
I pulled the boat 100 miles and road like a dream, I bought this Magic Tilt jetski trailer on Craigslist, the bunks fit great and the boat rides low and secure. I used a boat strap across the middle, near the daggerboard well and lines on the bow and stern to keep the boat from sliding left/right and fore aft. Plus there is a winch and strap on the front, but I don't tighten the hook too tight on the bow handle. Howie's tip is to support the boat and tie it down where fiberglass meets fiberglass, examples being by the mast step, the daggerboard well and by around the cockpit.
I forgot to secure the boom block, so it rattled on the deck a bit. The aluminum marred the wax and gelcoat a bit, but it will polish out.
I had one trailer light not cooperate, it may have been "waterproof" but it was not corrosion proof. I bought replacement light, here's the old and new.
The new light has 3 slots on the back for 2 mounting screws. I put the screws in the wrong slots first, they didn't line up and after a few choice words I realized that there was a third slot...ooops!
I wire brushed the frame where the ground wire attaches.
I stripped the wires with a special tool
Then crimped the ends into a wire splice. Match the colors! Another option is to solder.
Leave the excess wire and store it inside the frame or zip tie it, that way you have extra to work with if you have to do some repairs. I learned today that wiring harnesses only last 2-4 years near the saltwater, and the main problem for lights that don't work is blown fuses, followed by faulty grounds.
 |
| From Sunfish Sailboat |
I pulled the boat 100 miles and road like a dream, I bought this Magic Tilt jetski trailer on Craigslist, the bunks fit great and the boat rides low and secure. I used a boat strap across the middle, near the daggerboard well and lines on the bow and stern to keep the boat from sliding left/right and fore aft. Plus there is a winch and strap on the front, but I don't tighten the hook too tight on the bow handle. Howie's tip is to support the boat and tie it down where fiberglass meets fiberglass, examples being by the mast step, the daggerboard well and by around the cockpit.
 |
| From Sunfish Sailboat |
I forgot to secure the boom block, so it rattled on the deck a bit. The aluminum marred the wax and gelcoat a bit, but it will polish out.
 |
| From Sunfish Sailboat |
I had one trailer light not cooperate, it may have been "waterproof" but it was not corrosion proof. I bought replacement light, here's the old and new.
 |
| From Sunfish Sailboat |
The new light has 3 slots on the back for 2 mounting screws. I put the screws in the wrong slots first, they didn't line up and after a few choice words I realized that there was a third slot...ooops!
 |
| From Sunfish Sailboat |
 |
| From Sunfish Sailboat |
I wire brushed the frame where the ground wire attaches.
 |
| From Sunfish Sailboat |
I stripped the wires with a special tool
 |
| From Sunfish Sailboat |
Then crimped the ends into a wire splice. Match the colors! Another option is to solder.
 |
| From Sunfish Sailboat |
Leave the excess wire and store it inside the frame or zip tie it, that way you have extra to work with if you have to do some repairs. I learned today that wiring harnesses only last 2-4 years near the saltwater, and the main problem for lights that don't work is blown fuses, followed by faulty grounds.
 |
| From Sunfish Sailboat |
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