Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Replacing LED taillights with brighter.

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Replacing LED taillights with brighter.

    There is a thread about replacing incandescent taillights with LED lights, https://gdrvowners.com/forum/operati...s-2019-315rlts. The 2018 310GK already comes with LED taillights, but I wasn't satisfied with them. So I decided to go ahead and replace them. I thought about using a pair of light bars, mounted vertically high up, as additions to the current ones, but since the walls are foam filled I decided against that and simply replaced them in place.

    I used the Bargman 47-84-610 36 LED units, which despite warnings in the above referenced thread, I got from eTrailer. They happened to come through undamaged. Yea!

    Like Cate&Rob, my mounting screws were rusty indicating poor sealing. I've observed this in many places on this trailer. All the screws I put back in are individually siliconed. Rather than using silicone around the perimeter, though, I have used butyl tape to seal the unit overall. It is messy, but I like the way it seals.

    This is a much larger unit, so no, the screw holes don't line up. No biggie.

    I never noticed it, but the tail light on the left is higher up than the one on the right by an inch on our trailer. The license plate light and fixture seems to optically offset it so it is not objectionable. I wanted to make them the same height, but then the right light would not cover the wiring hole completely. So they will still be an inch off. Oh, well.

    The thread about incandescents correctly makes the point that the wiring should be pulled out so the new light is wired directly into the trailer's wiring. I don't know if this is specific to my rig or all 310s, but there was absolutely no slack in the wiring. So I had to clip the wires off close to the old lights and splice into the remnants. Not to my liking, but it works. And if you need to tie into the lamp wiring instead of the trailer wiring, the colors don't match. White to white, red to black, and black to green. But as the incandescent thread notes, meter the wiring yourself. Every RV is electrically unique, and there is no guarantee that the colors in the rig match what you would expect.

    So was it worth replacing LED with (more) LED? I think so, but you decide for yourself. Below during the day with the brake on.

    Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_20200727_080518.jpg
Views:	693
Size:	170.3 KB
ID:	25581
    Attached Files
    Al and Kathe
    :No longer full-time. New sticks and bricks in East Helena, MT

    2018 Solitude 310GK 110463 (Rhett)
    2018 F350 CC DRW 4x4 Lariat (Scarlett)

    Visited states map on the blog (below)
    Follow us: http://lobstersontheloose.com

  • #2
    lobsters

    Looks great! What did you do for your license plate light? Did you caulk all the way around, or just top and side?
    Thanks,

    Erik
    Erik & Tea
    2021 Reflection 297RSTS
    2005 Ford Excursion 6L diesel
    ProPride hitch

    Comment


    • #3
      lobsters

      Silly me, I just checked and see our license plate/light is completely independent....duh

      Erik
      Erik & Tea
      2021 Reflection 297RSTS
      2005 Ford Excursion 6L diesel
      ProPride hitch

      Comment


      • #4
        lobsters

        Good golly, my advanced state of decrepitude is showing... I see you used butyl tape to seal. Any tips on using the tape?

        Erik
        Erik & Tea
        2021 Reflection 297RSTS
        2005 Ford Excursion 6L diesel
        ProPride hitch

        Comment


        • #5
          Popga

          Two main tips: Use it cold; when it is warm it is miserable to handle, won't come off the backing paper well, etc. I put mine in the refrigerator for a while before I use it. Then after the light is installed and the tape warms up and becomes more malleable, snug up your screws to get a good seal. You'll have some oozing out so it is visible. To get rid of this, I cut an old hotel key card so it had a square corner, and used it as a scraper to remove the excess.

          Good luck!
          -Al
          Al and Kathe
          :No longer full-time. New sticks and bricks in East Helena, MT

          2018 Solitude 310GK 110463 (Rhett)
          2018 F350 CC DRW 4x4 Lariat (Scarlett)

          Visited states map on the blog (below)
          Follow us: http://lobstersontheloose.com

          Comment


          • #6
            lobsters

            Great tips! Just ordered my lights. From Walmart because ETrailer had a 4 month delivery window. Did you use 3/4 x 1/8 butyl?

            Erik
            Erik & Tea
            2021 Reflection 297RSTS
            2005 Ford Excursion 6L diesel
            ProPride hitch

            Comment


            • #7
              what size screws did you use for these taillights. Not sure what is behind the fiberglass shell.

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by STEVEOOO View Post
                what size screws did you use for these taillights. Not sure what is behind the fiberglass shell.
                Hi STEVEOOO Welcome to the forum!

                Memory is that I used 1" #8 self-drillers, like most of the rig seems to be built with. Maybe #10. Don't think you need more than 3/4", though, as you're just screwing into the fiberglass and luan.In your PM you mentioned that you were putting them in a Reflection 295RL. Not sure how its construction differs from the Solitude, but I suspect fairly similar in that aspect.

                A hint to help people help you is to create a signature block, and include your model and year. Enjoy the rig!
                Al and Kathe
                :No longer full-time. New sticks and bricks in East Helena, MT

                2018 Solitude 310GK 110463 (Rhett)
                2018 F350 CC DRW 4x4 Lariat (Scarlett)

                Visited states map on the blog (below)
                Follow us: http://lobstersontheloose.com

                Comment


                • #9
                  For those with older incandescent marker lights, these Philips LED bulbs work exceptionally well with much higher color temperature. Installs in minutes.

                  https://www.ebay.com/itm/26216775837...75.c101224.m-1

                  Jim

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by STEVEOOO View Post
                    what size screws did you use for these taillights. Not sure what is behind the fiberglass shell.
                    I used 1" #8 or #10 screws (whichever were a better fit to the holes in the light) but, I switched to stainless steel screws. Pre-drill the holes in the RV skin before installing. Be sure to fill the old screw holes with silicone and coat each new screw with silicone before installing. Per this thread and the linked other thread, water getting in around mounting screws (either original or new) is a definite concern.

                    Rob
                    Cate & Rob
                    (with Border Collies Molly & Angel + Kitties Hazel & Elsie)
                    2015 Reflection 303RLS
                    2022 F350 Diesel CC SB SRW Lariat
                    Bayham, Ontario, Canada

                    Comment

                    Working...
                    X