Protect Your Rear End!

I want pictures ideas thoughts and wild arsed plans to protect tail lights on a trailer. I am sick of at least a couple times a year needing to replace my box lights bolted on a angle iron off the side of my trailer that are out in harms way getting smashed constantly.

 

protector for trailer lights - Google Search

 

Quit backing into stuff?
BTDT.
I want the solution for trailer lights never working properly.

 

I run a variation of the steel boxes pictured in the above link.

Fwiw, get used to busted lites on a open trailer. Even with cages somebody still racks a Lens or 3 per year if the trailer gets used for daily work. Lenses are $3 each. Weld the steel box around it and buy a case of lenses.

And the solution to lights not working is a front to back rewire, with soldered and heat shrunk connections, combined with dielectric grease. Ditch the crimps, butts, and electrical tape. My crap azz trailers sit outside 24-7 365 and I don't bother checking lites......because they work and have for 10 plus years.

 

Good ground and LED lights....................

 

I'm doin pretty good, couple years now only a crack in one lens .
Check this out , One time I backed my trailer into my other trailer and broke a light on both of em

As someone on here said , best bet , run a ground wire for each light , I might do that

 

Go to using round led lights and mounting then inside a short piece of steel pipe welded to each rear corner of the trailer. They don't bend, they don't break..............................

 

X10- 5" sch 40, piece of flat bar welded to the back with 3 holes, 2 for studs-the other for wires. About 6" length and you're done.
edit- the middle picture on Yooperdave's link. Shows the pipe mount.

 

The backing up n hitting shtuf isn't the issue. It never fails that I try to put one more log on and it falls on the light bouncing back to the road. It would happen even if I only loaded one twig on the trailer my luck is so bad. That and I swear my assistant thinks they are steps to get in the trailer.

 

Yup...the pic above screams "I need caged". If you can't weld, drill it and bolt it.

Once they are caged, they ARE steps lol.

 

Yup. Cut that angle back to about 2" from the frame and weld the pipe to it. Switch to round lights and you're golden. The angle becomes the weak link at that point.

 

Cut the brackets off , weld em on the other way , that's how mine are, angle iron covers part of the top, they were mounted on the fenders when I bought it, not visible enough there IMO so , I welded on angle iron and moved em to the back

 

Would you have a side marker that way?
Around here they will pull you over if your side marker isn't working , side markers are required

 

Good call! Reflectors suffice here. I would check that, but notching the pipe on the sides should do the trick for compliance, but I'm not certain.
A downside to using the pipe covers is the lack of reverse-back up lighting. But...
add a couple of LED lights activated by a toggle switch, very useful. Get someone tailgating you on the hwy., quick "blip" from the lights, no more issues.

 

I was backing my F-150 into the driveway in a blizzard and hit the mailbox. Smashed in my taillight and destroyed the mailbox post. I was pizzed, then the wife came out to make me feel feel better by saying " what are you an idiot?"

 

I think you get bonus points for that move, HD.

 

Yeah, that was a smooth move couldn't have done it if I planed it

 

Definitely going LED next time

 

I made mine out of steel box tubing and cut the holes in and capped the ends.
Like this pic but heavier. I'll get a pic when possible.