 Trailer lights & ebay wires (groan...)
Just a heads up to anyone buying inexpensive trailer cords off ebay - check the pin out using a meter before your final install.
A few weeks back someone clipped the drivers rear tail light of my new center console bay boat trailer at a local lake. So instead of just replacing the light with the same type of double sealed incandesent light I figured it was time to make the switch to LED's.
Bit the bullet and ordered a pair of the low profile LED's from superbrightleds.com. Figured since I was in the wiring mode I might as well change out the 4 prong connector on the trailer end to a 7 way to match my truck plug. That way I don't have to fool with a 7way to 4 way adapter. Plus the 7 way locks in place and is less likely to come loose on the road. Found a 6' 7 way cord with the plug molded in on ebay for about $6 bucks. Figured for that price I would buy two of them and change out both boat trailers while I'm at it.
Put the LED tail lights in tonight. No problems, used the ancor marine grade crimps with adhesive lined heat shrink since I might actually end up with the center console in salt water one day. Plugged it up to the truck and the lights are all messed up. Right turn makes all the marker lights and both tail lights flash, left tail not on at all, and well it's all messed up.
Plan "B" - cut the plug back out (good thing it's over length), and then take a small 12v battery and check my wiring on the trailer. It ain't a problem in the trailer wiring as the color code in the trailer wiring matches the light functions using the battery.
Time to drag out the ohm meter and check the ebay cord & plug. Ah-ha!!!! We have a winner. Apparently Wong Fuu was putting both of the cords I bought togeather about 5 minutes past quiting time on a holiday weekend as neither of them is color coded correctly and neither of the two wire sets I ordered is wired the same (go figure). Good news is now that I know the "Wong Fuu" color code, I can translate it to GMC pickup outlet and the color code the rest of the western world uses.
I'm lucky I didn't blow a fuse or two as it was all jacked up using what should have been the right color code. Yeah, I know - what did I expect for $6 bucks when they normally cost $40. Other than the wacked out color code, the 7 way cords with the molded plugs are nice and appear to be heavy duty. Time will tell.
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And to top it all off, the guy who clipped the trailer did leave a note and I called him back when it happened. He said he would send a check. 3 plus weeks later I guess the check is still in the mail. Hope this is not the start of a trend with this boat | 
