LED-based automotive lighting solutions are currently dominating the automotive lighting market. And with the value demand for LED-based automotive lighting predicted to triple by 2024, it’s looking like this will be the case for years to come.
But why are LED lighting systems for cars, trucks, and trailers so wildly popular? In this article, we’ll explain the benefits of LED trailer lighting and explore your options so you can customize your truck and trailer with the best possible lighting system!
An Introduction to LED Trailer Lights
Although most trailers come equipped with incandescent lighting, more and more people are choosing to upgrade or convert to LED (light-emitting diode) trailer lights. LED lighting has many notable advantages over standard trailer lighting, including:
- Brighter and whiter illumination, which allows for better visibility.
- Lower energy consumption and up to 80% more efficient than incandescent lighting, which is good for the environment and your budget.
- Lower heat generation, which is safer and less of a fire hazard than other forms of lighting.
- A longer lifespan and fewer bulb replacements will save you time and money. LED light bulbs can last up to 100,000 hours or 20 years, on average! This also minimizes unnecessary waste and helps the environment.
- More shock-resistant than other forms of lighting, so they can better handle rough terrain.
- Low power requirements, so there is no need for a separate lighting circuit or expensive electrical wiring to hook them up properly. This makes them easy to install and incredibly versatile!
- As technology advances and demand increases, LED lighting is becoming more affordable than it was several years ago.
- LEDs are not dependent on a single bulb. Instead, many LED lighting systems have multiple LED bulbs in the assembly, so even if a few diodes go out you’ll still have some light for safety and legality.
Benefits of Installing Trailer Lights
Whether LED or not, trailer lights are important for compliance with your state’s Motor Vehicle Department. Towing a trailer without the proper trailer lights can result in costly tickets and fines. And why is trailer lighting required in the first place? Because it’s essential for safety reasons! Many trailers block your taillights completely – and even low-profile trailers can interfere with taillight and turn signal visibility. Trailer lights indicate to other drivers where the outer points of your trailer are, which helps prevent collisions. Installing trailer lights can also help with visibility in case you need to work at night.
Important Types of Trailer Lighting
All trailers are required to have certain types of lighting for safety purposes. Specific trailer light requirements vary depending on the size of the trailer and your location, so be sure to check with your local DMV.
As a general rule, trailers less than 80″ wide must have tail lights, stop lights, turn signals, side marker lights, side and rear reflectors on each side, and a license plate light. Trailers over 80″ wide are usually required to have additional lights to help define the perimeter of the trailer. These different types of trailer lights all need to be red— other than the turn signals for the rear, which can be either red or yellow.
On top of the required trailer lighting, you can also choose to add additional lighting to your trailer such as work lights, off-road light bars, vehicle area lights, pivoting rail lights, tailgate light bars, accent lights, and more.
Your Options with Utility Trailer Lights
If you have an enclosed utility trailer, there are even more lighting options to consider. Adding some interior LED lighting to your trailer can help improve visibility and safety while loading and unloading or even create an enclosed workstation that can be used at night. Types of interior lighting include vehicle area lights, pivoting rail lights, dome light fixtures, panel lights, and more. Installing LED lights with individual ground wires will help avoid rubbing, shorting, and corroding connections and make your trailer lighting more dependable.
How to Install LED Trailer Lights
Another great thing about LED trailer lights is that many of them are much easier to install than other types of trailer lights. As previously mentioned, because they have much lower power requirements, you might not have to worry about a separate lighting circuit or complicated electrical wiring to get them hooked up.
Replacement LED lights are sold both individually and in complete kits. When you’re shopping for LED replacement lights, look for lights with the same mounting style as your incandescent bulbs, and the installation process will be much easier to handle on your own.
To install the LEDs, you will just need to remove the old lights, match the wires, and mount the new lights. It’s not a good idea to have a mix of LED and incandescent lights, so if you upgrade one light, you should go ahead and upgrade them all. If any of this sounds out of your depth, leave the installation to the professionals to avoid any costly (or potentially dangerous) mistakes. You can request a quote for trailer light installation in Portland, Oregon here.
LED Trailer Lights with Pacific Truck Colors
Pacific Truck Colors can help you determine the very best LED lighting system for your trailer – including required trailer lights, optional trailer lights, and any truck or trailer accessories.
We’ll help you upgrade and customize your work truck and utility trailer to take your productivity, safety, and efficiency to the next level. Request a truck customization quote to get started!
