LED Brake/Turn signals

[Yazoo]

Has anyone replaced their basic brake/turn-signal bulbs with LED ones. I notice on my rig that during the daytime the bulbs are not very bright and i just want to make sure the drivers behind me can see me braking or turning. Anyone out there with experience in this?

[racerjoe]

they do make replacement led bulbs for auto use. Make sure they are the ones that have a chip (or what ever they call it) built into them so your turn signals work correctly. since they use hardly any voltage,they make the flasher not work right. Mike and kat sell bulbs for interior use,they might have more info for you

[Slufoot733]

Yazoo, that was the first mod I made to mine. My 3150RL has 4" round lights on the rear: two red turn/brake and two white backup lights. I replaced the two red lights with a pair I got at WalMart ($15.99 each). The original lights were held in palce with three screws through the metal flange. The LED lights install using a rubber ring which inserts into the hole in the fiberglass and holds the light in place. I had to file the hole opening to open it up just a little. Once installed they are BRIGHT! I plan to replace the two white backup lights with the same red LED lights to have four reds to the rear. Then I will use two white fog lights, mounted below the bumper, for my backup lights. The install is easy, just three wires each. And they are color coded. Good luck.

Kevin

[Rondo]

Maybe Cruzin2 will jump in here! They replaced the backup lights and turnsignal lights with LED units on the rear of their unit. They also put an led unit on each side of the unit so that anyone beside them or coming up beside them could see that they were planning on turning into the adjacent lane withever direction that may be. They really light up and there is no problem for anyone beside or behind their unit that they are slowing down or turning. IF Larry doesn't jump in here give him a PM and I'm sure he will tell you all about the mods he did!

[CORattler]

Thanks for the idea, Kevin!
My 3150 RL could sure use the LED upgrade!!!

quote:Originally posted by Slufoot733

Yazoo, that was the first mod I made to mine. My 3150RL has 4" round lights on the rear: two red turn/brake and two white backup lights. I replaced the two red lights with a pair I got at WalMart ($15.99 each). The original lights were held in palce with three screws through the metal flange. The LED lights install using a rubber ring which inserts into the hole in the fiberglass and holds the light in place. I had to file the hole opening to open it up just a little. Once installed they are BRIGHT! I plan to replace the two white backup lights with the same red LED lights to have four reds to the rear. Then I will use two white fog lights, mounted below the bumper, for my backup lights. The install is easy, just three wires each. And they are color coded. Good luck.

Kevin

[bighornram]

that is an awsome idea and at $30 not expensive either.

[CRUZIN 2]

Yazoo

I replaced the light's with LED's both brake/tail and red in place of backup, had to trim on the new lights.
Here is some photo's to what we did.

http://s1089.photobucket.com/albums/i341/CRUZIN-2/

This is where we purchased the lights.
http://vehiclelight.com/40200.html

[Sheepdog]

I replaced the two red and two white backup lights on the Monty with four red LED 4" lights. They work great and are much brighter. Didn't see a need for the backup lights.

[snfexpress]

Replaced all lights including marker lights with LEDs and are quite satisfied.

[oldelmer1]

quote:Originally posted by snfexpress

Replaced all lights including marker lights with LEDs and are quite satisfied.

Hi Michael & Kat,

Are you guys selling the tail light LED replacements?

[jackel1959]

quote:Originally posted by snfexpress

Replaced all lights including marker lights with LEDs and are quite satisfied.

Michael & Kat,
Where did you get the LED replacements for the marker lights and what is the replacement bulb number?

OBTW, we are going to have quite a few "First Time" Quartzsite attendees in 2013, so I will be doing the night time LED light show again so you may get some new orders.

r,
Jack

[jackel1959]

Well, after reading this thread this morning it was off to WalMart to look for the 4" Round LED Taillights. I found them okay, $15.87 ea. + tax. Got home and took out one of the stock taillights and much to my pleasure the plug was exactly the same, so no wiring to do and the new lights snapped into the stock trim ring no problem. The only additional thing I did in was to run a bead of silicone all the way around the backside of the new light where it mates with the trim ring. What an easy job and well worth the $$$ and effort.

Here is a picture of the package backing the lights came in:



And a photo of the back of the lights where I ran the bead of silicone:

[bighornram]

jackel1959 I did the same thing but didn't buy them cause I wasn't sure they were the right ones. Can you snap a photo of the back of the rig with the lights on? Just curious.

[bhoss1]

Did the same. Walmart plug and play. I might do the reverse lights as runing and signals also. The reverse lights are useless. Might try some type of flood lights off the back corners. DRV has a great idea using a flood off the top corners angled down.

[bighornram]

quote:Originally posted by bhoss1

Did the same. Walmart plug and play. I might do the reverse lights as runing and signals also. The reverse lights are useless. Might try some type of flood lights off the back corners. DRV has a great idea using a flood off the top corners angled down.

I'm not sure I see the value of having backup lights on a trailer like this. I won't back it up without a spotter therefore only really need to see the spotter in my mirror!

[jackel1959]

quote:Originally posted by bighornram

Can you snap a photo of the back of the rig with the lights on?

bighornram,
I will try and get a couple of photos today and post them here.

r,
Jack

[bighornram]

Looks like you replaced the light into a clip type trim ring after removing the original light from the ring? This photo is the light on my Montana. Is this the same as the ones you guys are replacing? Mine is a one piece light.
They must have used different type lights This appears to be the same type ==> http://www.easternmarine.com/led-4-r...light-stl-42rb

[jackel1959]

bighornram,

Your lights are different than what I had. Mine were not a one piece light. They had a reflective trim ring that the original light "popped" into and was held in place by four plastic retaining clips. I removed the new LED fixture from the rubber boot that came with the new light and snapped the new LED into the stock trim ring and then just screwed it back in after sealing the back with silicone.

As promised, here are a couple of pictures of the new lights in action. I really don't think the photos do them justice. The taillights alone do not seem that much brighter, but I haven't looked at them in the dark yet. The brake lights however are much brighter and that is mainly why I wanted to do this upgrade. I think other drivers will be better able to see when I am braking especially in the daylight hours.

Taillights alone:



Brakes applied:



Another interesting thing I learned today about my Dodge.....the brake lights on the truck and/or the trailer will not work without the key turned on. I never noticed that before

r,
Jack

[bighornram]

Thanks for those images.

I spent the day searching for lights with the flange. Finally this evening I found a pair at one of the local RV shops. They gave me "a deal" on them cause they have had them for so long. $15 each (24 LED's), think I counted right. Plus I had to buy the harness at $5 a pop. So drove home as fast as I could to put those golden puppies on. Green to green, white to white and brown to brown. Test and they are backwards!!! I don't know if the harness is backwards colored or what but switched green to brown and brown to green and they now work properly.

Addendum: Well after sleeping on this I asked Mr. Google about standard wire colors for tail lights. He promptly notified me that tail light wire colors fall into the same category as trailer plug wire colors. You might find something about standard wire colors but each manufacturer can use there own colors so check the wires with a tester anyway. This comes down to an age old issue. Trailer wires don't have a guaranteed standard color scheme.

New high visibility LED's are installed and working nicely. All in all after finding the right type light this was an easy upgrade and I do recommend it.

[Chasnracin]

Here is my latest mod. I replaced the two red taillights with LED's. Now I am contemplating replacing the white reverse bulbs with red LED's also. In the link are three videos and the taillights I used. $10 a piece with a lifetime warranty.

https://flic.kr/s/aHsjYqcAWb