Interior and Exterior Horse Trailer Light Recommendations

Question:

What would be a good light to mount at top rear of Horse Trailer to make it easy to see at night time to load horses, equipment, etc.? The brighter, the better. Make the area as bright as a sunny day. Keep in mind weather and vibration when choosing a light. Same thing for interior of horse area inside trailer. Also, bright,bright light in small Living Quarters area of trailer. Right now I have 2 18inch or 21inch fluorescent, or neon, lights and one has bad ballast. One works and one doesnt. Should I replace ballast or buy complete new fixture or replace both with something else? I need suggestions for 3 different areas to be lit up. Thanks in advance for your assistance.

asked by: Eddie

Expert Reply:

The 55-Watt Halogen Utility Light, item # TL46FS, draws about 4.5 amps per light. There is an equation we can use to determine amperage when watt rating and input voltage is known. Amperage equals Watt Rating divided by Input Voltage which is typically 12.8 volts in automotive applications. So 55 watts divided by 12.8 volts equals 4.30 amps and your specific charging system may output slightly more than 12.8 volts.

If you wire this light with a switch you should be able to use it on your trailer by wiring to the 12 volt power circuit in your 6-Way or 7-Way connector. This light should not be attached to the taillight circuit because of the amperage draw.

This light takes an H3 style replacement bulb and you should be able to find a 35 watt H3 bulb, that draws about 3 amps, at an auto parts store if that will make a difference for your application. This would still make for a pretty bright area or flood light for loading your horses and equipment.

For the interior areas of your trailer we have many different styles of lights, see link. To replace the florescent lights you could use the Optronics Opti-Brite LED Interior Light # ILL08COB, that would provide good interior lighting. I would not use a halogen light inside the trailer due to the heat associated with the halogen bulbs.

expert reply by: Robert G