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LED curb side light replacements
For anyone interested, I recently changed all of the interior lights (35) to LEDs and decided to change the curb side lights on the coach as well. I have already changed the rear lights.
This is a picture of the electric brackets provided to me by Gil:
I went through the process of removing the 12 curb side chrome light fixtures from outside the coach and then at a hobby shop with an EXPERIENCED TECHNICIAN, had brackets made (as shown above) combining two 24 diode LEDs each to be used to replace the single festoon bulb originally in the fixtures. We attached the brackets (combining the two LEDs) by soldering the combined positive wires and the negative wires from the LEDs and then soldering positive and negative added wires to the respective positive/negative posts of the lights and fixture. We then tested each in-house before taking them to the coach. We did have to rewire the lights completely because they came with 24 to 26 guage wire which was impossible to manipulate/solder etc. We increased the wire to 18 guage and it worked well.
The project to install the interior lights took only about 2.5 hours after I figured out I had to cut about 1/16th of an inch off of the two light extensions before installation in the ceiling recepticles.
On the outside curb lights, the actual time of removing, rewiring, bracket creation and reinstalaltion took me easily about 10 very intense man hours not considering the various trips to the store or to the hobby shop… The results to me are outstanding….and well worth the effort.
I got this idea and guidance from Gil on the POG site and his assistance was absolutely excellent….
If anyone is interested, I am available to provide the issues we encountered. I also thought I was odering 12 lights but instead apparrently ordered 12 dozen… that’s right… I said 12 dozen …and I have the supply to prove it…
If anyone is interested, I am not interested in selling the lights but will donate the lights to your cause if you truly want to give it a go……perhaps Jon will cut my dues…
Pres
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22 Replies
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What a great post. For going to the effort Pres gets one year free dues.
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Pres, i would be interested in your conversion project for the Yard work lights . I have been looking for a replacement for mine . I would be happy to cover shipping costs and a little extra for an adult beverage !
Ron
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Ron… I have the lights for you if you want to proceed with the way I did them. I am pleased to give them to you if you will tell me your mailing address.(I used two 24 LEDs per light housing …(12 ) light housings total.
Keep in mind, I took the entire light housing off of the coach and had the brackets shown built by a hobby shop technician. The light wires on the LEDs were too small for working with so we took the wires off of the lights and rewired them with 18 guage. They are now hard wired and are really strong… with no problems so far.
When reinstalling, it just takes time and patience. They unplug and replug (but the bracket has to have been made and saltered to the positive and negative connections of the housing before installation.)
Keep the picture provided in this thread to show the technician if you do not do the work yourself.
Let me know. I would do it again in a heartbeat.
My phone is 713 725 9486 if you want to chat about the project.
Pres
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Curb lights????
Are they the same as the (amber I think) running lights and turning signals on the side of the coach? or those white lights which provide illumination along the sides and in back?
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Dick , the ones we are talking about are the white lights .They are actually GM pickup bed lights.!
Ron
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Pres, I will try to buzz you later this afternoon. My techs are waiting for an AC to show up from one of our distributors so we can do a rush job. ( Innovative Coachworks inc. )
Ron
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Ron wrote: “Dick , the ones we are talking about are the white lights .They are actually GM pickup bed lights.!”
That is what I thought. I wonder if GM makes an LED version of them. I’ll ask the shop where I take all our GM stuff too. I just about a new Bravo trailer with outside LED lights that look like that. I’ll check their bulbs. Maybe there just pop in.
I’m looking to put LEDs in the turn signals/running lights along the side of our XLV. Anyone do that yet?
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Dick,
There is a “pop-in bulb”…my experience was that it also “pops-out easily”… and isn’t 1/3rd as bright as the system we are discussing. The subject system I installed is hard wired… huge difference. We have 48 LEDs in each light. Sounds like overkill and it definitely is… but certainly works well….
The side lights you referenced can be replaced… the whole housing. etc., is expensive, from my view but looks absolutely super…. I was trying to replace them but determined at the time the costs for complete replacement was not beneficial so I changed out the amber and red glass covers with new ones … they look fine… I am certain over the last 12 months a bulb has been developed for the side clearance lights that is better… good luck on the search…
Pres
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These LEDs pop right in no wiring at all ,and are very bright they just replace the old bulbs
l
They go in the GM or Ford cargo lights that most coaches have -
Peter where do you get those? Know a part number/vendor off hand?
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Dick I do not have it with me the info I have is at home I will be back there in November I can get it for you then private email Diane and Larry I think I gave it to them one time
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Hi Prez,
I am new to this forum, but your description of the curb light conversion was so interesting that I wanted to get in touch.
I have owned my 1990 Prevost XL – 1991 Country Coach conversion for about 4 years. My wife and I live in Alpharetta, Ga about 30 miles north of Atlanta. We have traveled some and have taken it to Fairbanks AK a couple of years ago. With a couple of side trips along the way, that excursion was 13,500 miles and it took us about 5 months. Next year we are going to Maine. I am loosing weight now to make room for all the lobster I plan on eating. Should be a fun trip.
I do most of the work on the bus myself, so finding forums like this is realy great. No one person can know everything about everything. Forums like this let you find others like me who may know a little about something.
Anyway, if you still have some of those LED’s available, I would really like to give it a try. I was also thinking of changing out my interior florecents with something that looks very simular to what you show in the picture.
Best regards
The latest newbies
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Bob when you get it figured out on the inside florecents replacements post it as I would like to have mine replaced also. Had Prevost Houston replace all upper clearance lights (in spring) as I had about 4 cracked lenses and they didn’t have any cover lenses and they were scattered everywhere at Prevost Parts across the states. Said they were gonna quit stocking the old ones and NAPA couldn’t match them up. Had about 50 instock there at Houston on the led’s. They had to cut out the fiberglass to install new led lights. They seemed a lot brighter for sure. Have about 25 or 30 flouresents inside my coach as the converter wanted to make sure the old folks could see. Ceiling mounted and side mounted all though coach.
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Welcome Bob, I’m almost your neighbor in Waleska, just west of Canton.
You came to right place and we look forward to hearing from you often.
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To add to the discussion… I swapped the festoon bulbs in the cargo lights (port,starboard, & aft) for about $30… I ordered these from amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KYQQM5M
They are bright…but a bit blue in tint… I would prefer amber to better match the tivoli…
If I find amber or soft white, I will swap. However, in the interim, they are much better than the old festoon bulbs.
Joe
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