Steel box trailer lights

Recently been redoing some things on my tractor supply 5x8 trailer, fixing the things I don’t like. This trailer is only used to haul my four wheeler and lawn mower no off-roading or anything. Been looking into upgrading the brake lights to something more heavy duty. I’ve busted 3 stock lights and my son has busted one.

Now to my ??
My lights have two wires going to them, but all the kits with the light box and lights seams to have 3. Do I have to rewire the whole trailer or how do I wire them? The lights I have now have two wires and the lights work and so do the corner lights on the light housings. If I replace them with the box lights how would I wire the round light on the side?

I attached some pics




And yes I’m missing some lugs. Was waiting on my chrome closed end lugs to come in but had to put my freshly painted black wheels on to see how it looked

 

Your current lights most likely ground by being screwed down to the trailer frame you can just find out which wire on the new lights is the ground and screw it into the frame.

 

i would verify how the lights are grounded, quick cheap and easy are how one trailers are done.

so you’ll have one wire for running lights, one for turn/brake, ground point will be off the pigtail at the light to the chassis of trailer.

While the chassis ground is “ok” and works, the more reliable would be the have chassis and a ground wire to each light. more time, more material, but more bullet proof and easier to diag when stuff isn’t working.

 

Any ideas on a good way to run the wiring under the trailer? Ts builds these trailers and runs the wire on top on the deck down behind the fenders. I don’t like that. Looking for ways to run the wiring under the deck but also don’t want it getting chaffed and rubbed through

 

You are not gaining anything by running a dedicated ground to each light. Just ground each light to the frame near were the lights live.

If you use those boxes and ground the lights, they will be the last set you buy.

Make sure your ground on the tongue is good and you won't have any issues.

My favorite method to ensure good connections is to solder the wire together, roofing tar on the joint and a plastic wire nut. (The orange ones).

You won't have a failure using this method.

Heat shrink tube looks better, but it doesn't hold up to Michigan winters unless you use the Marine grade version with the adhesive on the inside.

 

I was going to use the Marine grade heat shrink connectors. Easy fast and water proof. I was going to ground the lights under the trailer out of harms way. Guess I’m gonna just start from scratch and remove all of the wiring and start over

 

Quite often this is much quicker.

 

Sucks pay 1000$ for a trailer then re do the whole thing. Replacing the floor next. Gaps are terrible. Gonna install flush mount d rings in the corners as well

 

True.

As a trailer builder, I know all about the crap out there that people think is gold.

Can't have too many tie downs.

 

Any pics of the ones you have built?

 

Standby...gotta download a few from the cloud.

 

Let's see if this works.

I've built around 300 of this style. I lost track around the 5th receipt book.