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Yard Lights Changed to LED
#1

While I was in Albuquerque, I discovered that my passenger side yard lights were not working. I opened them up today to find that the bulbs in both of the yard lights had exploded. As we are traveling with Don Bradner, he volunteered that he still had some strip LEDs left from redoing the porch light on his Blue Bird Wanderlodge. I removed the broken bulbs, then removed the screw holding the ground wire to the body. I cut the power wire as close as possible to the bulb holder then used pliers to bend the bracket that held the bulb holder in the light fixture back and forth until it broke free. We soldered new wire leads of the strip LEDs since it was the end of a 5 meter length of LEDs. Since the LEDs needed to be facing the lens and I wanted them to be as close as possible to the lens, we cut down a Coke carton to get two strips of cardboard to mount the LEDs on. We folded the LED strip back and forth to get 4 rows of LEDs inside the light fixture, removed the backing paper and stuck the LEDs to the cardboard. I then used a small (red) ring crimp end on the negative lead to secure it into the same hole as the original ground wire and used a blue crimp on connector to join the positive wire to the existing positive wire. Since the gaskets were shot, I applied clear silicone caulk into the chrome light fixture base where the gasket had been, inserted the cardboard with the LEDs on it into the lens and screwed the lens in place. Tomorrow, I will cut off any excess silicone that was pushed out by the lens. The result is a brighter, whiter light that provides more consistent illumination than the previous bulb did and use significantly let current without the heat. In the photo below, note the consistent line of illumination at the base of the coach from the two fixtures. This was certainly not the case with the original turn signal bulbs in these fixtures.

   

Michael Day
1992 Newell 43.5' #281
NewellOwner.com
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#2

Very nicely done Michael! That's one of my upcoming projects....I only have one yard light, but I will convert that to LED, and the 4 docking lights. Then the rest of the storage bay lights. Almost done!


Clarke and Elaine Hockwald
1982 Newell Classic, 36', 6V92 TA
2001 VW Beetle Turbo
Cannondale Tandem
Cannondale Bad Boy
Haibike SDURO MTB
http://whatsnewell.blogspot.com
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#3

    Leds are showing up everywhere.

When I did my side lights I only had some 3528's 30/meter.
I used a 3/8" dowel & wrapped the strip around the wood.

The picture of the taillight was again a test just for fun

The leds on the side is just a test. They are IP68 waterproof

I also made up a LED Christmas tree last year that filled up the DS windshield. I have a video on it, but I could not download to this forum.


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Gordon
1991 41.5' #266
8V92 DDEC II
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#4

Gordon, the dowel idea is great. I really like the leds around the rear light housing. That is way cool!!

Michael Day
1992 Newell 43.5' #281
NewellOwner.com
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#5

Michael,
My original plan for the tail light bezel was to use RGB Led's. Would have blue for cruising to match my coach, turn to red for braking & yellow to turn.

It took a while but I finally figured out to control it.

Planning to replace the alum bezel with one that has holes in it and the leds will mount behind it so you will only see them when
illuminated. Maybe smoked plastic?

Might even fill in the inner grid with led's.

Been busy building a new air leveling system!

Gordon
1991 41.5' #266
8V92 DDEC II
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#6

I'm impressed!! Sounds great.

Michael Day
1992 Newell 43.5' #281
NewellOwner.com
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