LED Trailer Lights - The Future In Lighting

Brent Martorella
August 10, 2006

LED trailer lights are a terrific replacement option. The lights are brighter, they last longer, and they are very affordable.

LED stands for light emitting diodes and they are a solid state device that converts electric energy directly into light that is a one single color. They use ¡°cold¡± Light generation technology where the energy is delivered in the visible spectrum.

LED's don't waste any energy with non light producing heat. As well as producing cold light LED's can be powered from solar energy or a battery pack and they can be integrated into a control system too.

The center of an LED is a diode that is chip that is mounted and held in place by a steel lead frame which is then encapsulated with epoxy. LED lights are a reliable alternative to the traditional bulb that was used for so many years.

But like any bulb there are some major causes why LED lights might fail.

1. Corrosion Corrosion occurs when dirt, dust, water, and other environmental factors corrode connects. You can avoid this problem by making sure that the sockets are well sealed and you cal also ensure all the electrical connections are properly sealed against moisture. When correctly sealed corrosion can¡¯t occur and cause your LED to blow.

2. Inadequate Wiring Your wiring is important to ensure a system that works well and to help eliminate bulb burnout. Cutting, splicing, and too much merging can result in systems that aren't suppose to work together and cause the LED light to burn out. Suitable wiring is important to ensure your LED lasts the expected length of time. The quality of the wire is important as is the harness system. Grote has a great selection of harnesses.

3. Excessive Voltage Too much voltage will shorten the life expectancy of your bulb. In fact it is responsible for more than 50% of all bulb failures. Excessive voltage can be caused by a poor grounding system which may cause surging. You can avoid this problem by having your voltage regularly checked and ensuring your grounding is sufficient.

4. Poor Contact If the contact is inadequate or poor corrosion can result and if corrosion occurs then the life of your LED can be reduced. The Grote's bulb cradle mount system is an excellent choice.

There is no question that LED's are much more durable than the old bulb systems and over time they will most likely replace almost all of the existing bulbs. In fact there are conversion kits on the market for many bulb styles to convert them to LED's.

LED lights a tough seem to last almost forever. A regular incandescent bulb will last around 1000 hours, a fluorescent around 10,000 hours, and an LED around 100,000 hours. That's an incredible difference in longevity. In fact it's about 11 years.

LED lights are just used in the automotive industry. They are used in flashlights, nightlights, lamps, novelty items, and in just about any item that would have once used a regular light bulb. They are commonly used in specialty items such as travel or reading lights that have a low power requirement and a compact size.

If your trailer has regular bulbs converting to LED trailer lights is a smart decision. You will get all the benefits and the cost is so minimal that you just can¡¯t go wrong. In fact chances are the LED lights won¡¯t cost you much more than the regular bulb would and you won't be doing it again anytime soon.

Author's Bio:

Brent has been a car salesman for more than 30 years and has recommended and helped his clients to finding the right automobiles and trailers for their needs. Go to http://www.trail-r.com for more information on topics such as boat trailer parts.