Forum Discussion

TomKat08's avatar
TomKat08
Explorer
Jun 24, 2015

Head Light Upgrades ?

Have a 2002 31' Fleetwood - Bought used.
I noticed the headlamp covers were faded. Restored with a kit - look good as new - however the headlights are not very bright. I find myself running my high beams all the time at night and have never been flashed by an oncoming driver. Has anyone replaced the factory headlights or added after market lights and if so at what cost and result?
  • For under $20 you can rewire the high and low beams through relays. Very likely to up the voltage by 1.5-2 VDC. Makes a HUGE difference in light output.

    If you want the shopping list and "how to" and you are even slightly electrically competent, let us know.
  • I agree w/ DSDP_Don and I've been modifying headlamps in my cars for 20+ years. Back then, we had to go with non DOT approved "Euro Style" headlamps.

    There are a lot of ways to make things better, and the prices are all over the map. Your choice in aftermarket headlamps could be limited. And, like others have said, you may be looking at beefing up the wiring anyway.

    Its not just about brightness and wattage. Even coverage, for me, was just as important.

    If there's room and a way - mounting some decent aftermarket driving and fog lamps on the front might give you the best bang for the buck. On my last Jeep, I did several things: upgraded the lenses (to Cibie), upgraded the lamps and then added some PIAA lamps under the bumper.
  • I've had good luck with NAPA "StreetGlow" bulbs. Noticeable improvement on a couple cars and my truck.
  • On our previous coach the headlights were poorly adjusted, way too low. Have you looked into re-aiming them.
  • Install brighter bulbs and rewire headlamp circuit with heavier wire and a relay.
  • "TomKat08".....You can do a lot of things with your headlights depending on your budget. One of the biggest issues is that the RV manufacturers used the smallest wiring they could get away with. Often, the lights are dim because they're not getting a full 12 volts. Take a few minutes and read this link Daniel Stern I added relays to my last coach and wired in heavier wiring. Daniel Stern will put a kit together for you.

    You can also replace your bulbs with better quality ones. Stay away form the Silverstar brand as they are more about hype than quality. Phillips makes some good quality bulbs.

    On my previous coach, it had separate bulbs for the high and low beam. High beam bulbs do not have the painted tip on the end and go from 55 watts to 65 watts. The difference between high and low beam bulbs is how they're "clocked", which means they have tabs that prevent you from putting a high beam bulb in a low beam socket. I took a high beam bulb and used a Dremel to cut off the tab (very easy to do and will be readily apparent as what needs to be cut off). This gave me 10 more watts and no painted tip, adding power.

    Lastly, my previous coach had oval fog lights as standard equipment. I replaced them with Hella FF75 driving lights which really added a lot of additional lighting. Once done with your repairs, make sure you aim the lights. Very few shops aim headlights anymore and especially motor home headlights.

    If you do a search, there are sites that will tell you how to aim a headlight by parking on flat ground and shining your lights against a wall.