How to add side marker lights to existing trailer wiring?

[beernutz]

Sunday after the over-a-decade old original wiring on my EZ loader trailer eventually gave out I pulled out all the old wiring and replaced it with brand new wire I'd gotten with some Wesbar LEDs I'd previously installed. I had previously replaced the tail lights with the Wesbars but had been too busy/lazy at the time to go ahead and rewire everything. Only the back two new lights had been working before those eventually went out so on Sunday I went ahead and added a new 3 bar LED light strip to the back while doing the rewiring. The tail lights and the three light strip are working perfectly and I was happy.

Then today I decided I'd like to remove the old incandescent side marker lights that originally came with the boat but weren't working and replace them with amber LED side marker lights. They are installed now on the front, single tube part of the trailer. The two new wires I installed Sunday run from the front all the way back to the rear lights on each side and I have zero excess wire to play with. I was worried when installing the new wire that I'd have enough and it was just barely that.

What I need are suggestions on how to connect the new side marker light's brown wire to the brown wire or wires running the length of the trailer. Is there a way to tap into the wire? Is there another way?

 

[mistercomputerman]

http://www.autozone.com/autozone/ac...re-quick-splice-terminal?itemIdentifier=88098

This is a quick splice. It is supposed to be weatherproof. You'll have to make sure for yourself about the weatherproof part.

Here is another option

http://www.radiofence.com/products/Snap-Lock-Waterproof-Splice.html?

 

[beernutz]

Thanks mistercomputerman. Either of those looks like it would work.

 

[MonacoMike]

When I did that to my trailer I used the top connector above, slipped a peice of shrink-tube big enough to go over the connector, filled it with marine grade silicon, let it set, and then shrunk it to fit. Probably overkill but hopefully tight for lots of soakings. MM

 

[beernutz]

When I did that to my trailer I used the top connector above, slipped a peice of shrink-tube big enough to go over the connector, filled it with marine grade silicon, let it set, and then shrunk it to fit. Probably overkill but hopefully tight for lots of soakings. MM

Another good idea, thanks Mike. I am all about the overkill too.

 

[beernutz]

I have a further, hopefully not too dumb, question.

I bought a couple of post mounted yellow LED side marker lights at Bass Pro. On that part of the trailer where the side marker lights had previously been there is a quarter size hole behind where the old lights were mounted. That quarter sized hole is the only access to the inside of the trailer tubing.

These are the lights: http://www.basspro.com/Optronics-LED-Amber-Square-Stud-Mount-for-Trailers/product/10210545/-1760844

So to install these type stud mount lights, I would drill a 3/8" hole in the tubing about an inch from the quarter size hole and then using my fingers feed a bolt through the quarter size hole. I would hold that bolt behind the newly drilled 3/8" hole and rotate the screw post on that bolt to tighten it as much as possible by hand. Then I would feed the power wire through the quarter size hole and tap it into the power wire for the trailer lights? I can't see another way to do it but this method seems dicey at best.