Side marker lights

[Maggie O.]

Our side marker lights came with massive amounts of silicone all around them. I went to replace a bulb and found the fixture severely corroded. I bought a new fixture and bolted it on with a nylon insert lock nut. The new fixture has holes all around the area where it touches the trailer wall. So... it will get wet but then dry out again. I'm inclined to leave it this way. Since the originals were just screwed thru the fiberglass I thought they went overboard with the stickum just to keep them from falling off. Any thoughts?

[Frederick L. Simson]

Any thoughts?

I think that you are on the right track.

[Maggie O.]

I love being on the right track. I thought I could try it this way and caulk later if there's a problem. I've only done one so far. It looks so naked compared to the others.

[pjanits]

Not caulk but use that Butyl rubber tape to fill up the wire and screw holes.

[Darwin Maring]

We replaced the bulb type side markers with LED markers. The LEDs are sealed so no water can get to the circuitry and I sealed the hole where the wires go into the egg.

[Maggie O.]

Not caulk but use that Butyl rubber tape to fill up the wire and screw holes.

Yes, this is what I was trying to remember. I had the butyl tape in hand but got confused by the amount of sealant used on the other ones. Thanks.

[Maggie O.]

We replaced the bulb type side markers with LED markers. The LEDs are sealed so no water can get to the circuitry and I sealed the hole where the wires go into the egg.

I like the idea of leds, but I found a replacement light I could use the original lense with. After painstakingly cleaning all the dirt out of all the tiny ridges on the inside with a toothpick, and snapping it back in place, I discovered the vintage plastic on the other amber marker was broken. Oh well. For now I'll be happy to get rid of the goop and bolt em on.

[Donna D.]

The silicone that was gooped on probably wasn't to keep the fixture attached to the trailer as much as to stop a leak that someone found. I agree 100% with everyone else. Use Butyl tape in the areas where the wires and screws/bolts go through the fiberglass.

[Pete Dumbleton]

I'd be inclined to not seal the fixture if that was the way the manf intended it to be -- I figure that occasional wetness is better than the possibility of trapped, constant wetness.

I would also use a dielectric grease (aka silicon grease) on the bulb base and the fixture contacts, rotating the bulb back and forth a few times to ensure that the contacts have met thru the grease -- The grease should be a great impediment to corrosion.

Dunno if they would fit, but there are some marker lights in the auto stores where the bulb is a permanent part of the fixture and there are no contacts to corrode -- When it burns out, you replace the entire fixture (they weren't expensive).

First saw them on a neighbor's utility trailer -- He and I were trying to take the fixture apart until I took a good look inside thru the plastic

[CD Smith]

I replaced all four running lights on my new 1999 Casita 17' SD (used, new to me). As with several other things made by Casita, they got it wrong here as well. Two of the light fixtures were right side up (drain hole on the bottom) and two wrong side up (drain hole on top). They were all pretty badly coroded the worst were of course the ones mounted wrong side up.

I removed the old ones by drilling out the pop rivets, disconnecting the wires, and discarded them. Crimped the new wires to old, made sure the drain hole was on the bottom, pop riveted them in place, added a bead of silicone calk (carefull not to cover drain hole), and then replaced the lens.

[Maggie O.]

The lights I've got have drain holes all the way around. I'm going to try them like this. If they get too wet or dirty I'll seal them. It was funny tho'...on the inside it said top v. To me it looks like the arrow is pointing down to the "top". But then the word top would be upside down . I did end up with one more hole on top than on the bottom because it fit the existing holes and ground wire better. just trying to keep it simple.