Rear tail lights...

[heatkits]

Just returned from a trip the Sunshine State and we passed through some severe weather. While traveling through Georgia we met up with torrential downpours. The traffic slowed to under 40 MPH and all vehicles had their flashers on and I noticed RV ones were just about worthless. A little while later refueling a man came up to me and said my stop lights were out. I went to the back and checked them out and sure enough both stop lamps were burned out, I popped the covers off and the water poured out. I always check the lights before each day’s run; it must have happen during the storm, but what a shock it was to me… I really felt let down by my equipment.

It’s off to the part shop for me, I’m buying the best, sealed, brightest LEDs I can find. In fact, I’m going to double them up for redundancy. You can’t put a price on safety, so why do you suppose they put that junk on back? Where’s the DOT when they were designing this junk???

[SteveC7010]

Did that with my last trailer and have the parts for the Cougar ready to install as soon as it comes out of storage. I am thinking I may do like some work trucks and place a pair high on the back and a pair low on the back just above the original ones.

FWIW, the taillight fixtures on our '11 Cougar are identical to the ones on our '99 Sunline, and those were identical to the ones on my '76 Prowler. The industry isn't going to change unless customers demand better.

I also have all the LED's necessary to change out the bulbs in all the marker lights.

[f6bits]

Originally Posted by SteveC7010

I also have all the LED's necessary to change out the bulbs in all the marker lights.

What LEDs did you find for your marker lights? I’ve seen Bargman replacement sets that include the lens, but I’d be happy just replacing the bulbs.

[SteveC7010]

Originally Posted by sdayman

What LEDs did you find for your marker lights? I’ve seen Bargman replacement sets that include the lens, but I’d be happy just replacing the bulbs.

I found some decent 194 LED replacements on Ebay for the Sunline. There are other LED's with T-10 bases which will work equally well. Just get something that will fit in your fixtures and as bright as possible. The more lumens, the better. And this is one application where bright white works just fine.

FWIW, it is supposedly ideal to put red leds behind red plastic lenses and amber leds behind amber lenses, but white will work just as well behind a colored lens. It all has to do with the wave length of the different colors.

[webslave]

I replaced all of my marker lights with these:

http://www.superbrightleds.com/cgi-b...FWLED-xHP5.htm

Amber for the yellow markers and red for the red markers. Using white causes a wavelength filtering effect and using the proper colored LEDs actually is brighter than using the white LED. Used them on previous trailers also.

I just received replacement tail lights yesterday to replace the stock units that were on my 318SAB. On my previous trailer, the units were made by Command Electronics and they offered a LED upgrade kit so the original housings could be used. The Keystone Cougar came with Bargmans and, of course, Bargman doesn't offer an upgrade kit for those. I bought complete light assemblies that are LED illuminated and will remove the stock Bargmans and put on the LED Bargmans (their model #07) tomorrow.

The stock exterior lighting is dismal...on all trailers, but, they do meet the minimum DOT requirements, even if you can't see them unless it is pitch dark and moonless I prefer to be seen though and the LED upgrades all around are a "mod" that I do as soon as I get the trailer...

[CampJKL]

Webslave-

Thanks for the link and post. I've been waiting and wanting to do this with the right equipment. Your help... Helped!

[Bob Landry]

The RV manufacturers, have buyers that do nothing but look for cheap parts and when they find them, they buy them in quantity. In the case of lights, DOT only requires that they be visible from a certain distance and those tests are run by some clearing house and not necessarily done on a trailer. We are responsible for our own safety, which I prefer over having some government stooge with a bad combover deciding what's best for me.

[Clanton24v]

I just placed an order for the maxima mx23015. Lights to replace my running lights. I agree that just changing the bulb is easy but by getting these new sealed units it solves two things. The lighting and the water leaks from the regular multi piece lights.

Let us know how you like the bargman #7 LEDs compared to the command LEDs for the tail lights

[wgb1]

Here is a good article on LED lighting in a recent issue of Trailer Life.

http://www.trailerlife.com/rv-traile...the-new-bulbs/

[webslave]

I got the Bargman #07 Series LED tail lights installed today. 76 degrees and bright sunshine. A good day for it.

After I hooked the first one up, I attached my "Light Socket" to the umbilical cord and the difference was staggering. I should have, in hindsight, taken pictures, but, the sun was shining directly on the back of the trailer and you couldn't even tell the stock Bargman (#92) light was on, while the LED #07 series was readily visible, and when I started them flashing, the #07 was an "eye catcher", while the stock #52 was still barely visible. If I were on the road and turned my turn signal on, there would be no advance warning to anyone in the other lane of my intentions, with the stock #52 lights, until I actually began moving over...now, the driver following can see in advance my intention to stop or change lanes as the lights are "in your face" bright. That was with the sun shining directly on them...should be a real attention grabber at night.

The LED #07 lights are the way to go. The holes for the old lights lined up on the bottom, but, I had to drill new holes for the top (the old #52 is rectangular and new #07 is modernistic curved on the top and slightly on the bottom). One of the old holes in the top is covered by the new light and the other hole winds up right on the outside edge. It was covered by the new caulking around the new lights and the "look" is factory. I also bought the lights configured so that I moved the license plate over to the driver's side, where in my thinking, it should have been to begin with. It is a tight fit with the ladder there, but, it does fit and is now more visible (maybe not a good thing?) from behind as it is out from behind the spare tire from a following driver's viewpoint...

All in all, quite pleased with the results. Went on easy enough, their curved shape is a bit classier, got the license plate moved and most importantly, I'm now visible in all lighting situations.

[JRTJH]

I mounted the double lens surface mount Bargman 84 series red/red lights on my Springdale last year. You're so right about the difference in light output. With the old "DOT approved" incandescent fixtures, there wasn't much hope in seeing the brake/turn lights during sunny conditions. With the new LED lights, there "ain't no missin' em" LOL

The 84 series is a square fixture, and fits over the old area almost exactly and all the old screw holes are covered by the new lights. They don't line up exactly, but since they are covered by the new lights, I just put butyl putty over all the old holes and pressed it into them and then installed the new fixtures.

I'd agree with you that from a safety standpoint, these new LED lights make one heck of an improvement!!!

[f6bits]

While searching for upgrades, I found this post with pictures:
http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...eds-14443.html

[CampJKL]

Thanks so much for keeping this thread going a all the posts! Answers for questions I wanted to ask. And the latest link to the forest river forum tied it altogether... Very enlightening (Sorry... Had to do it)

[drifter101]

Thanks for the link and info's!

[webslave]

Originally Posted by sdayman

While searching for upgrades, I found this post with pictures:
http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...eds-14443.html

Yes, those are the lights that I put on my Cougar, and his installation mimicked mine (I guess they would, he and I started with the same lights and we installed the same new lights, who'da thunk it? Duh! )

His pictures come pretty close, but, IMHO, they are just a tad brighter in real life, autoexposure cameras tend to reduce the "dazzle" a little. There is little doubt in my mind that if I'm not seen now, it isn't a problem on my part!

[mtbkrdan]

sdayman, thank you so much for the how to pics.

This thread definitely made up my mind to switch to led. I had been on the fence but shopped the net and found great prices. I just ordered T10 194 5-SMD leds for all the markers and am getting ready to order the series 07 lights. I saw them at an RV store and they definitely piqued my interest. We usually travel during the day and never thought about not being able to see standard DOT light during the day even though I always turn on the lights with the rig in tow.

[mtbkrdan]

OK, got in the T10 194 replacements but unfortunately they are about a quarter inch taller than the stock incandescent bulbs. For those who replaced their markers with similar 5-SMD leds do you have any advice. Basically they barely fit under the reflective lens and upon stepping back the led is dimmer than the incadescent bulb. HELP! I don't want to have to return these things with the Series 07 tail lights coming tomorrow. Thanks.

[f6bits]

I wouldn’t count on LED bulbs to be good replacements for standard lenses. Bargman makes upgrades for their clearance lights. Or just replace them with a third party light assembly. Once you get the hang of removing/cleaning/installing for new lights, it’ll be pretty easy.

[mtbkrdan]

Bummer. Didn't realize I might have to reconfigure equipment for LEDs. Thought maybe the LED replacements would be plug and play. Guess I need to slow my roll when considering upgrading anything else on my brand new rig.

[webslave]

I don't understand why your lamps don't fit... I've used the lamps from Superbrite LEDS in 5 different trailers with no issues, if they are 1" or less they should fit. The dimensions, of their bulbs, are virtually identical to a #194 bulb...maybe an 1/8" longer, but, certainly not 1/4". Are you sure you got WLED-xHP5 & WLED-xHP5-PC bulbs? There are different "versions" of the #194 LEDs...you have to look closely at their dimensions.

Make sure you push them firmly into their socket...they "go in", but, in many cases aren't really all the way into the socket. If your bulbs are 1" or less, they should fit just like the incandescents. The LEDs are maybe 1/8" taller, at least the ones above that I've been using are, but, there is ample space in the clearance lamp assembly for them to fit. The incandescents are shorter to allow for their heat; if they came any closer to the lens, they'd melt them, an LED can come up just short of lens as they produce negligible heat. If they go in and the lens fits back on, that is as it should be. It doesn't' matter if the top LED is touching the lens, the radial LEDs are the ones that provide the "filling" light, while the top one only provides a "hot spot". In broad daylight, the LEDs in my Cougar are not noticeably brighter than the incandescents, but, they are brighter as measured with a light meter at night; the radial LEDs aren't as noticeable in daylight, they "shine" more in the dark by filling the housing more completely. The difference just isn't as marked as the change from the incandescent tail lights to LED tail lights due to the fact that the clearance light is a single bulb while the tail lights are "massed" LEDs and are much more striking. As I mentioned, I've put them in my Cougar 5ver, I've put them in two different FunFinder trailers (they even used a different manufacturer of the lights, Command Lighting) and two different utility trailers. If yours fit, the lens goes back on without bulging out or feeling they are going to pop back off, that's how they are supposed to fit...

Yes, Bargman makes a "conversion", but, their's is a "one piece" LED/Lens combo. If you have a problem with that light, you can't just spin into an auto parts store for a replacement. By keeping the original housing and lens, should a problem arise, it is a simple matter of getting a replacement bulb, either incandescent or LED. If I were to get the Bargman "upgrade", I would be sure to carry several of the lenses with me so that if, on the road, I needed to replace one, I'd have the regular lens to go back on.