Trailer lights, poor parenting, silly sate rules, and a pretty dog

Don Shearer

Don Shearer

Active member
Hi,

Today I introduced the boy to working on trailer lights. I feel a little bad about doing this to him at such a young age but those are the breaks. I tried to explain to him that he will be facing a lifetime of dealing with trailer lights that don't work if he wants to keep fishing and hunting. I tried to talk him into becoming a golfer...but I am afraid the die is cast. I promised to teach him some special words to use while working on trailer lights when he is older and I think his mother may beleive he learned them from his friends and not me.

After today's efforts I think we have a first for us. All five of the trailers on the place have current registration and all the lights work. I fully expect this status will last for roughly 5 hours.

Washington State has a law that states every 7 years we must replace our license plates. The theory is that the reflective coating wears off and it makes it hard for law enforcement to read the plates at night. Does anyone else have to deal with this? We got to replace our first plate today under this law.


View attachment JDlight2.jpg

Just an excuse to get a picture of the duck boat on here. Another beautiful day on the Palouse.

View attachment JDlight.jpg

Lastly like many of us I think my girl is just to pretty not to share a picture of every once in awhile.

View attachment Aspenbench.jpg


May all your trailer lights work,

Don Shearer
 
I don't know that little river drifter....you've been keeping thatt one a secret.....neat little boat.....you fish today?

I spent the day starting two chain saws that hadn't been fired off in over 5 years...proving once again that people that say that gasoline breaks down and becomes unuseable in "mere seconds after purchase" are wrong........it is true though that if you have a dull chain on one when you shut it off that five years later it will not have re-sharpened itself......

Got your note...Mike says "HEY" to the kids.......and to "THE PAIN"......

Steve
 
Steve,

The little boat is a Don Hill Mini-Drifter. That one has been in the stable for a dozen years. It is a very sweet platform for fishing the local lakes and floating the smaller rivers.

Good luck on the chainsaw...to bad you don't know a big burly logger.

My best,

Don
 
Like the shot of the pup. Nice looking lab. As I looked at your environment, I was thinking about all of the fun you must have hunkered down in wheat stubble shooting mallards and pintails.
Al
 
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I spent the day starting two chain saws that hadn't been fired off in over 5 years...proving once again that people that say that gasoline breaks down and becomes unuseable in "mere seconds after purchase" are wrong........it is true though that if you have a dull chain on one when you shut it off that five years later it will not have re-sharpened itself......
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Steve,

I've done the same thing with a chain saw, usually fires right up after about three pulls. I don't do anything special for storage on any gasoline engine, snowblower, ice auger, boats, or motorcycle. Maybe I'm just lucky but I believe that if your fuel system is clean then you should have no problems.
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Don,

After viewing the first picture my best advise for your lights is to get them up out of the water. Other thing that usually cause all sorts of problems is a faulty "ground". Most trailers as built, depend on the frame to complete the circuit rather than running a ground wire from the plug to each light. Properly wiring in a ground wire will greatly increase the reliability of your lights.
 
Dave,

Part of JD's and my efforts yesterady was adding a dedciated ground. I have the lights up out of the water on the duck boat and it does make a big differnce. The problem with the current placement on this particular trailer beyound dunking in the water is that a buddy of mine has backed the trailer into a tree and broken a light (same guy two differnt occassions but the same tree) and I ran into a bridge one very late night and broke one...that is a long and embarssing story. I keep thinking about a new place for the lights but talk myself out of each one for the differnt uses of the trailer.

My best,

Don
 
Al,

I really wish that was true, but I hardly ever see ducks in the wheat stubble in our area.

My best,

Don
 
Don, A couple thoughts. Your wife will never believe the story about the special words.;-) I am a firm believer in the dedicated ground wire for trailer lights. LEDs do work much better but you need to take care because they $$$$$. Very pretty girl.And finally this will break your heart- Minn has decided that messing with boat trailer license is just too much trouble and has seen fit to give (??) us perminant trailer license stickers, never loose a plate or have to break screws to change them out. Some guys here have been known to claim that the trailer behind their truck was borrowed from a buddy in Wisc where they don't need plates on the small trailers. Or so I have heard.
 
You are right about the not needing plates on small trailers in WI. But man do I hate, just hate, trailer lights. In WI all the vehicles had to get new plates with different color numbers and letters because the old plates were having fading issues. That was kind of a pain.

Pat M
 
Don,

As a citizen in the state of North Dakota, I have realized that your state(although beautiful and great for outdoor life) is riddled with moron law makers.

No dusty trailer plates.
No hunting of lions with dogs.
No keeping of wild kings.
No fun.

A super-civilized, over-governed state is a downer.

P.S. Beautiful homes for just under $180,000 available statewide in ND!!!!!! Call me when you are ready to secede! LOL
 
Don,

As a citizen in the state of North Dakota, I have realized that your state(although beautiful and great for outdoor life) is riddled with moron law makers.

No dusty trailer plates.
No hunting of lions with dogs.
No keeping of wild kings.
No fun.

A super-civilized, over-governed state is a downer.

P.S. Beautiful homes for just under $180,000 available statewide in ND!!!!!! Call me when you are ready to secede! LOL

-----------------------------

Will you be our new govenor? (please!)
 
than the one I live in.....

License plates can get "mighty diirty" in sven years....

I keep Wild Kings every year.....

Running Lions with dogs is legal in Washington, (true you have to jump through some hoops and only in certain places but to say you can't is incorrect).....

I don't hunt, or fish, in Washington with a single person here that doesn't "have fun" despite the fact that we have to replace our license plates every 7 years, have some rivers where "wild fish" are released and where not everyone can have a pack of hounds in the bed of the truck and a strike dog upon the hood......

I'll give yout he housing cost thing.....

Steve
 
Ah yes a dirty lic can't be cleaned...no soap strong enough and pressure washer do not work....the state says so....

Odd thing about one size fits all rules.....most of the time they have assumed a size 7 hat and does not matter if you have a fat head or a skinney head........or even if you really need that hat...but by damn you shall have a hat and a size seven.....
 
does that mean?

Frankly, who gives a damn that a state requires a plate repacement everry 7 years? I have (5) different trailers....there isn't a single one of them that doesn't "need" a replacement tag prior to 7 years due to being ben, mangled and the holes being torn out......truck tags are in better shape but I can attest to the fact that if I stand behind the two trucks in the driveway the one that will be replaced this year is considerably dimmer than the one that was replacvced last year.....

Personally....if the Police in the State need a brighter plate to see it when they need to I'm more than happy to take the time to undo two screws and then refasten them to help them out.....



Steve
 
Just make sure you order the motorcycle plates when the time is due.

Oh, all trailer light problems are due to faulty grounds.




Or occasionally whales or anti-whaling fanatics.
 
Steve,

Why would the police ever need to read your plate? I look at this as just another example of our state's deep affection for regulation of any kind. I am unable to think how this helps with public safety in any way.

My best,

Don
 
Steve,,,,Just poking a bit at the your states regulation over lic....if the problem is dirty licenses...maybe soap does not work...or people do not wash their cars and trucks....or they need to improve the lic materials, a bit tougher and longer lasting...and the one size fits all....well the grandma mobile that might get driven a couple times a month and maybe never, plus sits in a garage as opposed to some old farm truck covered with cow poop and the lic is falling off....it does not matter to me really I just find it sort of absurd on one hand and maybe a tad funny on the other...

If your lic is in bad shape replace it...if not why replace it? Sounds like your trailers are in the replace category

You could always move to Oregon and not be able to pump your own fuel......unsafe you know.....besides it gives bubba a job....

In Utah the liqueur laws are a bit tweaked...yah can't be moral and have a snort....just ask the state legislature, they know best and must protect all them good religious folks....

Here in Utah if they can't read your lic plate you can get a ticket..

Each governmental entity writes irrational, odd ball, or quirky legislation and rules.....never seen an exception....is it bad? maybe....but if the citizens do not mind then what can I say.........

Anyway no offense was indented just a bit of sarcasm directed at rules and regulations
 
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