Boat Trailer Lights: Troubleshooting and Fixes

Being prepared on and off the river is key to any floating angler’s longterm success.

If you own a boat trailer long enough, you’ll have some issues with the lights…

Recently, while hooking up one of my boats, none of the lights decided they wanted to work: no brakes, no blinker, nothing was functional. (This same trailer worked flawlessly two days earlier.)

I scratched my head for a moment and immediately found the ground wire–sure enough, it had become disconnected from the trailer itself.

Problem solved.

Here are five relatively simple fixes (complete with hacks and tools needed to address common trailer ailments) that could save you time before you drag your boat trailer to a mechanic, or worse, cancel or delay an upcoming fishing trip.