That's the life of a boat trailer. And while it is arguably the most important piece of equipment for the mobile angler, it is also usually the least respected and maintained.

Fortunately, trailer construction quality has never been a real issue from reputable boat builders, and wheel bearings and tires are the best they've ever been. What continues to haunt many boaters though are their trailer lights. It's a surprise they ever work at all with the continuous abuse they take from road vibration, being constantly showered with road grit and grime, and, of course, always going in and out of the water.

Some boaters just accept the fact their trailer lights aren't going to work. Others at least go through the motions of jiggling wires and thumping lens covers to try to get them to illuminate before accepting whatever the outcome and hitting the road anyway. But bottom line is, trailer lights are required by law to work.

Nobody likes getting a ticket for non-working trailer lights, but no one can question the logic behind the safety concerns of compliance. Trailers must be visible from all directions and stop/turn/tail lights must properly function. The good news is, replacing and keeping trailer lights working is easier now than it has ever been.

Trailer light replacement kits offering the latest in LED technology are readily available through marine dealers, automotive supply stores and specialty catalogs. But according to one lighting specialist, all LED light kits are not created equal and there are certain characteristics to look for when it's time to make a selection.

"For boat trailers, LEDs must be potted to seal out water regardless of lens cover construction," said Kenneth Smith, engineering manager for Optronics, a leading supplier of lights for trailer manufacturers and aftermarket sales. "Not everyone ëpots' because it does cost more, but skimping compromises quality and performance, meaning if you go the lesser product route you'll likely be making another replacement soon."

The Optronics official further explained that while both incandescent and LED aftermarket replacement kits are available for tail lights, clearance lights and ID light bars, it is the LED versions getting most of the attention these days because of their advantages.

"LEDs illuminate faster, burn brighter and last longer, plain and simple," said Smith. "Vehicular lighting is our specialty so we have kits to interchange with just about every make and model of trailer light out there. As a result, we're seeing our LED replacement kits making some really old boat trailers look just as shiny and bright at night as the newest rigs on the market."

Optronics also understands the difficulty that do-it-yourselfers often have in determining the right replacement lights for their trailers, or even determining what trailer lighting is currently required by law in the first place. Therefore, both topics are covered with charts and descriptions on the company's Web site, www.OptronicsInc.com, under the heading: Customer Resources. In the same section is also an explanation of the light replacement process.

All automotive lighting, signaling and reflective devices in the United States fall under Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard FMVSS 108, administered by the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

While Optronics products are tested for FMVSS 108 compliance at the factory, the company performs secondary photometric, reflectivity, moisture and vibration testing at its Oklahoma world headquarters as additional confirmation. With all of its testing and safety processes, and a formal system of documentation and tracking, Optronics is at the top among the world's most responsible lighting manufacturers.

Don't let malfunctioning boat trailer lights discourage plans for an outing or be the reason for cutting a day trip short. Instead, become safe, legal and bright again by fixing, updating or upgrading trailer lights with one of the easy to install light replacement kits from Optronics.