LED lights prove more reliable than incandescent bulbs. LEDs boast life cycles of 100,000 hours and use less power, putting less strain on the rest of the vehicle’s electrical system. Unless you are planning to replace only one light and the system is incandescent, we’d recommend LEDs. Once your incandescent lights start to go, you can keep replacing them or redo the whole system with LEDs and solve the problem, probably for the life of your trailer.
The products here aren’t the entire universe of LED trailer lights out there, just several of the most popular and available options.
How We Tested
Bright is better, and light intensity levels are regulated by the Department of Transportation. All our lights met DOT requirements, but we verified light levels in our lab and also noted several other characteristics we felt were important for relighting a trailer.
Brightness
We measured lumens from 15 feet away with a light meter and scored 3, 2 or 1 for the brightest to dimmest lights.
Watertight
All LEDs are electronic devices and must be protected with a watertight polymer poured and cured over the circuits to keep them functioning. All our lights scored 3 points in this test.
Power Misers
We measured current draw and gave a 3 to the least draw and a 1 to the highest draw. Incandescent lights draw about 100 times the current.
Corrosion Resistance
Tinned wire is an essential feature for added corrosion protection, especially in salt water. We scored lights that use it with 3 points.
Total Score
12 possible points