Tail Lights Went Out on Boat Trailer

Updated 06/06/2017 | Published 06/05/2017

Question:

My tail lights were working perfectly this weekend on a fishing trip. I have a 2001 shorelander trailer. Day 1 the right taillight went out, and then later in the day I noticed both taillights out. All other lights on the trailer are working however nothing is working on the back lights. No brakes, turn signals, they are dead. Any idea on what could cause this? I plan on checking the grounds on each and the bulbs for starters. On my truck there are seperate fuses for blinkers, etc so I have a hard time believing 5 fuses went out. Thoughts?

asked by: Rob

Helpful Expert Reply:

My first thought was to check the grounds and bulbs as well. Another possibility would be if some dirt or debris got in the connector some how.

It would be odd for 5 fuses to go out at the same time. If you check the grounds and bulbs on your trailer and they seem to be fine then you will want to start off by making sure your tow vehicle is sending a signal to the connector at the rear. You can test this using a Circuit Tester # PTW2992.

If the functions look good on your tow vehicle side then you will want to move on to your trailer. You can test the lights on your trailer by either hooking it up to another vehicle or by testing it with a 12V battery.

If there seems to be faulty wiring somewhere then you will want to inspect the wiring on your trailer (or tow vehicle if that was an issue). You will want to look for any places that the wiring has been damaged, exposed, bent, or corroded. After replacing it go ahead and make sure that all of the functions work.

If your tow vehicle and trailer are working perfectly fine apart from each other then you will want to take them into a shop where they can be inspected by a professional in person.

expert reply by: Jon G