trailer lights

maybe you guys can help me out. i have a shorelandr trailer thats 3 years old. when it gets wet it blows a fuse. i have gone through the wiring, and redid the connections. and it still blows the fuse. could it possibly be overloading that particular fuse? it will even blow when im driving in the rain. the fuse that keeps blowing has the abs warning light, cruise control and dash lights on it. the tow vehicle is an f150. thanks for yuor help.

don

Eyedoctor20,

Couple of notables in your description.

1. You have a consistant ingredient………….water. Therefore, something is getting wet and causing a short. After launching next time out, check your housings and see if anything is wet in there…………….ANYWHERE in there. Pull the bulbs even! If you find moisture, reseal your housings and then unplug your lights on all launch and loads. Give the water a chance to get out if any leaks develop before closing the circuit again.

The rain issue could expand the possibilities but I tend to think that the higher probability here is a “same source” problem……………….fix one, you’ll fix ’em both.

2. I have owned many Fords and worked around many more and they have a known reputation for screwed up wiring! Really, it’s true! There is an outside chance that something may be in the system itself. But your consistancy of water tends to overshadow that tremendously.

Do you have aftermarket wiring or the “tow packeage” and adapter harness? Because water is always involved, I’d start from the connection to the truck’s system and work backward. Try a new adapter if you can grab one from a buddy somewhere. If it is indeed ALWAYS in correlation to the presence of water, let that be your guide. LMK what you can and how it goes!

The best to ya,

Stillakid2

When you get to the ramp unplug your trailer lights before you back the boat into the water. Don’t plug them back in until after you have taken the boat out and are ready to hit the road. Don’t know if it will help but it does save bulbs. Worth a try. Good luck.

thanks for the help guys. i forgot to mention that i do unplug the lights before i launch. heading out right now, i will let you know how it goes.

don

Stillakid2 covered it pretty well. I’ve got a 99 f150 with the towing package and was blowing the fuse that is located under the hood for the trailer lights. I always unplugged the lights before dumping off in the water but the fuse would blow when plugged back in. Hooked up another boat and it would not blow. Finally found a loose ground wire. That’s all it was for me

My Tacoma would blow fuse that controls the climate controls and all dash functions…..when I put truck in reverse…..then and only then……took back to aftermarket place that installed hitch and lights.(after cornering market on ten amp fuses)….ground was incorrectly hooked up……redid it…..all is good now…

Hey Don, did you get those flyers that Bill sent to you yet?

Steve

<<<Life is Fishing, the rest is just details!>>>

yes, i got them sat. i am either going to leech or alex. area this weekend so i will hit a few bait shops along the way.

don

Good luck, let us know how you did when you get back!

Steve

<<<Life is Fishing, the rest is just details!>>>

You may have water being trapped inside your light sockets. I have found that this moisture can will blow fuses even after you re-plug your trailer lights upon exiting the water.

I use a grease from NAPA called dielectric compound (NAPA # ML2 or ML3) inside my bulb sockets (fill the socket up and then put in the light bulbs). This compound fills the void and does not let water fill the sockets and then no water gets into the sockets when the trailer submerges and comes back out of the water. Put it in your connector too.

This compound is good too to put into connections that can corrode, like fuse holders and depthfinder power connections. It stops the corrosion and “voltage bleed” when moisture is present. Good stuff!

LOL “Hoggie” Hoggard