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  • Visibility & Exterior Running Lights

    Hi Folks,
    I'm new to the RV World and have a GD 2021 Imagine XLS 22RBE which my wife and I like a bunch. We recently picked it up and one of the first things I did was to add reflective tape tape (Red and Red/Green) to the rear bumper, side frame on the tongue of the trailer and underneath the trailer. So for it looks good and I know I'll be seen more often by cars and other vehicles when it's dark out which is a big improvement.

    However I want to add or replace the existing running lights in the front at the top of the trailer, rear and sides and either add some that will increase night time visibility or replace the ones that are installed with mountable LED flat bar type lighting.

    My question(s) has to do with installing the lights themselves either by removing the existing ones and putting in ones that are larger or more visible or adding add to what is there:
    1. Is it difficult to replace the existing lights on the exterior? (They appear to be very firmly installed)
    2. If someone has done it have you installed brighter LED types or ones that have more LEDs emitting light similar to a flat LED light bar?
    3. Has anyone done this before? If so, was it a pain?

    I'm not afraid to do the work myself for I've worked on cars and trucks that I've owned, but am looking for some tips and thoughts on this..

    Thanks!

    Blast

  • #2
    The lights area easy to remove. Screws and silicon usually.

    Be sure to familiarize yourself with the legal requirements. Not all lights are legal in all applications. Visibility angles are a common reason. Also keep in mind that bright lights behind you while you are driving at night may be very distracting.
    John & Kathy
    2014 Reflection 303RLS
    2014 F250 SC SB 6.2

    Comment


    • #3
      Originally posted by Jkwilson View Post
      The lights area easy to remove. Screws and silicon usually.

      Be sure to familiarize yourself with the legal requirements. Not all lights are legal in all applications. Visibility angles are a common reason. Also keep in mind that bright lights behind you while you are driving at night may be very distracting.
      Hi Jk,
      Appreciate the feedback. I was thinking that i could just pop the cover off of the lights and then unscrew the existing LED. I'd replace with a wider one that I'd get at a NAPA or someplace that sells ones that are legal across the US. The main thing is for people to see the rear of the trailer, so if I'm driving across I-94 for instance at night in the Middle of Montana no one flies up into the rear of it..

      BTW I'd only replace some of the running lights.

      Ta

      BlastXng

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by Blastxng View Post
        However I want to add or replace the existing running lights in the front at the top of the trailer, rear and sides and either add some that will increase night time visibility or replace the ones that are installed with mountable LED flat bar type lighting.

        Has anyone done this before? If so, was it a pain?
        See https://gdrvowners.com/forum/operati...s-2019-315rlts for what I did on my unit as well as references to some others.

        Your '21 should have LEDs already installed, right?
        Forum moderators are not GD employees--we are volunteers and owners presumably just like yourself. Unless specifically mentioned otherwise, we have nothing to gain should you choose to purchase a product or engage a service we discuss on this forum.

        2017 Ford F-350 DRW, '19 315RLTSPlus

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by Blastxng View Post
          [*]Is it difficult to replace the existing lights on the exterior? (They appear to be very firmly installed)[*]If someone has done it have you installed brighter LED types or ones that have more LEDs emitting light similar to a flat LED light bar?[LIST]
          I installed marker lights like these:

          https://www.amazon.com/Light-10-Doub...704613&sr=8-14

          They are WAY brighter than the lights GD used on our 2018 trailer, but our marker lights were old-style incandescent.

          They were *really* easy to swap out but, again, our lights may have been different from yours.

          There are threads on other forums, if not here, by people who have really gone to town on signal lights and marker lights - they'll light up like Las Vegas when they're turning or braking. One that I remember ran signal power wires down inside the corner cap at the back/side wall intersections and snaked it from there through the styrofoam sandwich in the back wall to his three (IIRC) new signal lights on each side.

          Good luck with your project.
          Mark - 2018 Solitude 310GK - Ford F-350 SRW diesel short box - Pullrite Superglide hitch

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by Blastxng View Post
            Hi Folks,
            I'm new to the RV World and have a GD 2021 Imagine XLS 22RBE which my wife and I like a bunch. We recently picked it up and one of the first things I did was to add reflective tape tape (Red and Red/Green) to the rear bumper, side frame on the tongue of the trailer and underneath the trailer. So for it looks good and I know I'll be seen more often by cars and other vehicles when it's dark out which is a big improvement.

            However I want to add or replace the existing running lights in the front at the top of the trailer, rear and sides and either add some that will increase night time visibility or replace the ones that are installed with mountable LED flat bar type lighting.

            My question(s) has to do with installing the lights themselves either by removing the existing ones and putting in ones that are larger or more visible or adding add to what is there:
            1. Is it difficult to replace the existing lights on the exterior? (They appear to be very firmly installed)
            2. If someone has done it have you installed brighter LED types or ones that have more LEDs emitting light similar to a flat LED light bar?
            3. Has anyone done this before? If so, was it a pain?

            I'm not afraid to do the work myself for I've worked on cars and trucks that I've owned, but am looking for some tips and thoughts on this..

            Thanks!

            Blast
            We don’t travel at night unless its an emergency, which hasn’t happened in the past two years so this has not become an issue for us.
            Dave and Sue
            2020 GD 2250RK
            2019 F-150 XLT, 5.0, 4WD, SB
            Curt 17500 WDH, 3.55
            GY Endurance, Dexter EZ Flex
            SCPO(SW) USN, (Ret), HP: Tampa Bay ⚓️🇺🇸

            Comment

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