suggestions for wiring up trailer lights?

[BSH]

I'm thinking about what to do with the lights on my M101 trailer. I want it to be a functional work trailer, without hacking or losing too much of the military accessories. My trailer has the older light fixtures, with the smaller main red light in back. I've thought about keeping these fixtures, and putting in 12v lamps, for tail and stop/turn. I've also considered buying boring old regular trailer light fixtures to replace the original ones completely, because the visibility would be so much better, but I do like the original look. I've also pondered coming up with some custom piece to replace the BO portion of the lamp, maybe for stop/turn. Anybody have some advice from their experience, and/or recommendations?

Once I decide what lamps & fixtures to use, I'll rig up the connector up front, hacking my intervehicular cable to plug into a standard four-pin flat connector. I hope hacking up a cable isn't a great sin. It's not in the best of condition, so I don't consider it too much of a loss.

By the way, when I opened up the light housings, I was very pleased at how clean & well preserved they were for being manufactured in 1965. Rather well maintained, an
d good seals, I'd say.

Thanks,
B

 

[littlebob]

I would run a seperate harness for the civvy lights if I was going to use it multipurpose with both 12v and 24v . You could rig up a quickly detachable set of 12v lights with a quick disconnect (same four pin) When I picked up my M51 from wreckerman, I just had him drill two 1/4" holes to mount the 12v lights temporaraly.
how quickly detachable and elaborate the setup would depend on how I would split the use.

 

[WillWagner]

Ditto on littlebobs post. Or you could get a set of magnetic lights and zip tie them in an inconspicuous spot and run it like that and still have the 24 vdc stuff

 

[Recovry4x4]

From your post it sounds like your using nothing but 12V. There is a different lense for the older small lights that has a full red lense. Think they were for a Gama Goat. I'd switch bulbs and go that route if you really want to retain the smaller lights. Saturn may be the ones with those lenses.

 

[Armada]

Put on a set of the larger composite military tail lights for better visibility and to retain the military look of the trailer.
Swap out the 24v bulbs for 12v bulbs.
Make an adaptor to connect from the trailer harness plug to the tow vehicle.

Here are the bulb conversion p/n's:
24v # 1683 replace with 12v # 1156 (1) required per housing, (2) for total trailer
Note: Large bulb

24v # 623 replace with 12v # 97 (3) required per housing, (6) for total trailer
Note: Smaller bulbs. The 2 lower bulbs in the light housing are for blackout service so you only really need to replace (1) per housing, the upper one.

 

[acetomatoco]

Is not the smaller bulb a #1251 in 24V?

 

[CGarbee]

I run the M561 "Gama Goat" full red lenses on my trailers (and on my M38's and M37's...). Greatly increases the light output from the stock two or three bulb round tailight housings.

I have been known to swap in 12v versions of the 24v bulbs when towing with a civilian vehicle instead of a MV, but I have been slowly swapping in LED "bulbs" that have a voltage range wide enough to accomadate both 12v and 24v tow vehicle connections.

It is pretty easy to go into the wiring harness connection on the tongue where the intervehicular cable is mated to the trailer harness, instal military y-taps, and add in a civilian intervehicular cable with a flat four plug or other combination that mates up to your towing vehicle. I've done this on a couple of flatbeds that I have that see multipurpose use...

It also should not be that hard to take an old socket from a parts vehicle (or order one from Saturn or such) and fabricate a converter box that you can plug the stock intervehicular cable into that then plugs into your tow vehicle. Thought about doing this once but never got around to it...

Meanwhile, I've attached a photo of the rear end of a M101 trailer with the Gama Goat lenses installed so that you can see what it looks like...

Note to Bjorn: Last time you followed this trailer, it had incandescent bulbs in it, the new LEDs are much brighter...

Hope this helps.

 

[cranetruck]

 

[BSH]

I won't be running 24v.

I like the Gamma Goat lamps. I found some cheap generic trailer lights that look about the same from a distance, and they bolt right in, so that's what I'm putting on. Not sure where to find the GG fixtures, and I'm pretty sure they're not in the budget this year.

Now, since I'm putting in new fixtures, I need to hack some more wiring. Where can I get a replacement lamp wiring harness? The one that plugs into the trailer harness? I also will need a new set of the rubber grommets that fill the frame hole that the wires pass through.

Thanks, y'all.

 

[Mike_Pop]

Why don't you just run new wires for all of your lights, tape them together and create your own harness? I do this on just about every trailer I put on the road. This way, I know how it is wired and that the wires are new. I just go to Home Depot and buy a spool of 12 gauge wire and a bunch of male/female connectors.

Just my two cents.