Posted 2008-12-22 3:47 AM (#96365) Subject: Clearance lights on weekender
Veteran
Posts: 119 Location: Fort White, Fla.
Hi, I am converting my dressing room into a weekender and would like to know what you 'al that have done the same thing are doing about getting access to the wiring for the clearance lights on the outside, once the paneling and cabinets are up you will not be able to get to the wiring if you need to replace your lights. Thanks
Posted 2008-12-22 5:26 AM (#96369 - in reply to #96365) Subject: RE: Clearance lights on weekender
Elite Veteran
Posts: 954 Location: Hagerstown, MD
Originally written by Horsemen on 2008-12-22 4:47 AM
Hi, I am converting my dressing room into a weekender and would like to know what you 'al that have done the same thing are doing about getting access to the wiring for the clearance lights on the outside, once the paneling and cabinets are up you will not be able to get to the wiring if you need to replace your lights. Thanks
You have a couple of choices:
1. You can make a fancy/dancy little access panel where the clearance lights are so that you can get to them and maintain them.
2. You can change the style of clearance lights on the outside of the trailer so that you can do all the maintenance from the outside.
For me personally, I would change the lights on the outside of the trailer for ease of maintenance. Switch to a high quality L.E.D. type clearance light and have even less maintenance to worry about in the future. But then you have the delima of the new lights might not matching the old ones. Wouldn't bother me that much, but my wife has O.C.D. and it would drive her nuts until they all matched.
Posted 2008-12-22 5:41 AM (#96370 - in reply to #96365) Subject: RE: Clearance lights on weekender
Veteran
Posts: 119 Location: Fort White, Fla.
Derangr,
Do you know where I can buy the LED lights or a web site so I can look them up My wife is the some way so I will need to look them up I live in the country and the nearest RV supplly is about 75 mile away Thanks
Posted 2008-12-22 7:38 AM (#96372 - in reply to #96370) Subject: RE: Clearance lights on weekender
Expert
Posts: 3802 Location: Rocky Mount N.C.
Originally written by Horsemen on 2008-12-22 6:41 AM
Derangr,
Do you know where I can buy the LED lights or a web site so I can look them up My wife is the some way so I will need to look them up I live in the country and the nearest RV supplly is about 75 mile away Thanks
Ya got a truckstop nearby?.... Most of them carry a full line of lights, incandescent and LED.
Posted 2008-12-22 8:34 AM (#96373 - in reply to #96365) Subject: RE: Clearance lights on weekender
Expert
Posts: 5870 Location: western PA
You can find the lights at Walmart, auto parts stores, truck stops, marinas, RV and camper sales etc. Presently there are 27 pages of lights available on Ebay under "trailer lights"
There is already a hole under each light, for the present wiring. Use the installed wire protruding through that hole for your new light's power source. When you remove the old light, do not cut the wire short. Leave the end of the wiring pig tail a couple of inches long, through the skin of the trailer into the new light assembly. It is then an easy matter to change the lights and secure the electrical connection to the new light, with a red butt splice.
The lights are held in place by either two screws or pop rivets. Drill or unscrew them to remove the old lights. When you install the new lights, first put a continuous ring of caulking around the perimeter of the bottom side of the light assemblies, and secure them with round head, stainless sheet metal screws. If you use aluminum pop rivets in steel or steel screws in aluminum, you will start electrolyses problems, and the ground side of the light will ultimately fail. The stainless will be applicable under any circumstance.
You do not need any internal access for this procedure.
Posted 2008-12-22 4:41 PM (#96387 - in reply to #96370) Subject: RE: Clearance lights on weekender
Elite Veteran
Posts: 954 Location: Hagerstown, MD
Originally written by Horsemen on 2008-12-22 6:41 AM
Derangr,
Do you know where I can buy the LED lights or a web site so I can look them up My wife is the some way so I will need to look them up I live in the country and the nearest RV supplly is about 75 mile away Thanks
I really like shopping on Ebay and that has been suggested since you asked the question. There is a seller, Mr Tail-light, that sells on Ebay everyday. I really like his products and I have purchased quite a few lights from since I'm in the constuction business. Trucks and trailers have to have the lights working or the DOT man uses them as an excuse to stop and talk to you for a while.
Posted 2008-12-23 9:55 AM (#96394 - in reply to #96371) Subject: RE: Clearance lights on weekender
Expert
Posts: 1351 Location: Decatur, Texas
I bought the new style clear led marker lights off of ebay! If you buy the standard 4" LED lights you do not have to drill a larger hole for the plug, they are flush mounted lights. But the smaller 2 1/2" (i think is the size) you will have to drill a 5/8" hole behind the light for the plug to fit into. I found this out the hard way, after I bought 16 of them to upgrade a older trailer I had. Got lucky and sold them back on ebay and bought the 4" LED's and they work great.
Adding standard colored LED's to the bottom of our newest Sundowner, since I can not add any to the top rail.
Posted 2008-12-23 11:01 AM (#96397 - in reply to #96365) Subject: RE: Clearance lights on weekender
Veteran
Posts: 119 Location: Fort White, Fla.
Thanks for all the help, I found some and all I have to do is cut the wire on the old light and strip the end and on the new light all I do is push the wire thought a hole in the back of the light and mount them and they are the some size as what I have, Thanks again
Clearance lights on weekender
