LED Tail/signal light bulbs

Gjac wrote:

Tom/Barb wrote:
Has any one up graded to LED bulbs on the older coaches?

Good Idea, or not?

I think it depends on how you camp. I have read all these LED posts over the years and how useful they are if you dry camp. I dry camp 90% of the time but don't stay longer than 7 days in one spot and have minimal battery reqs. After 7 days of camping I am still at 50% SOC and look for ways to exercise my genset once a mo under load. So to me spending $10 for an LED does not make sense to save a few AMP hrs. Fresh water has always been my limiting factor not battery power.

I can't imagine why LED tail lights would affect battery drain while dry camping. :)

Tom/Barb wrote:
Has any one up graded to LED bulbs on the older coaches?

Good Idea, or not?

I think it depends on how you camp. I have read all these LED posts over the years and how useful they are if you dry camp. I dry camp 90% of the time but don't stay longer than 7 days in one spot and have minimal battery reqs. After 7 days of camping I am still at 50% SOC and look for ways to exercise my genset once a mo under load. So to me spending $10 for an LED does not make sense to save a few AMP hrs. Fresh water has always been my limiting factor not battery power.

Executive wrote:
Fire Up...you forgot to mention the "coolness" look...:B......Dennis

Now we wouldn't do something just for the looks, Would we ?

I guess if we drive a coach 18 bucks for 2 light bulbs should not worry us. :)

Fire Up...you forgot to mention the "coolness" look...:B......Dennis

If you swap out your turn signal flasher with an electronic flasher, which is available at most automotive supply stores, that should solve the issue of your turn signals flashing too fast when switching from incandescent bulbs to LEDs.

FIRE UP wrote:

Tom/Barb wrote:
Has any one up graded to LED bulbs on the older coaches?

Good Idea, or not?

Tom,
Well, the first thing is, why are you thinking of changing? I mean, what is your reasoning? The primary reason most guys change incandescent lights to LEDs are,

1. Considerably less draw (of amperage) in any given circuit that they're installed in.
2. Considerably less HEAT in the bulb itself, especially if the application is for some/certain ceiling lights in the interior of some coaches.
3. The "supposed" duration/longevity of an LED bulb vs a much shorter life span of incandescents.
4. The activation of light in an LED is phenomenally faster than an incandescent light bulb, i.e. it lights to full brightness light-years faster than the other style.

Now, one thing to consider, an incandescent light bulb produces a fair amount of resistance in a circuit, when it's used as a turn signal bulb. And that resistance is calculated when the design of a flasher, to make it flash is designed and manufactured. But, if you simply remove the incandescent bulb and install an LED in its place, what you will find is, the LED has little to no resistance in it and, the flasher is still trying to see resistance so it can flash at a normal rate.

But, since it sees no resistance, the flasher flashes at a seriously faster rate. And, in some cases, based on the advanced technology of the individual motor home/car/truck/etc., it may throw a code in the vehicles data system. You may see an icon come on that's warning of an issue with lighting. It depends on the coach/car/truck etc.

Depending on the actual design of the LED bulb itself, and there are many designs, it can be several times brighter than the original incandescent bulb. For us motorcycle pilots, we REALLY LIKE THE ADDITIONAL BRIGHTNESS of LED lights.

Now, on final thing. Since LEDs do have a significant set of improved operations over the incandescents, and, they're still a bit more costly to manufacture, they cost considerably more than the incandescents. So, you have to ask yourself, are all those reasons mentioned above, worth the additional cost, per bulb?
Scott

I do like the brightness, And I can cope with the blinking issue, You simply replace the blinker with one used with LEDs.

The price is an issue, but a two pack of 1157 replacements are about 18 bucks. @autozone.

Tom/Barb wrote:
Has any one up graded to LED bulbs on the older coaches?

Good Idea, or not?

Tom,
Well, the first thing is, why are you thinking of changing? I mean, what is your reasoning? The primary reason most guys change incandescent lights to LEDs are,

1. Considerably less draw (of amperage) in any given circuit that they're installed in.
2. Considerably less HEAT in the bulb itself, especially if the application is for some/certain ceiling lights in the interior of some coaches.
3. The "supposed" duration/longevity of an LED bulb vs a much shorter life span of incandescents.
4. The activation of light in an LED is phenomenally faster than an incandescent light bulb, i.e. it lights to full brightness light-years faster than the other style.

Now, one thing to consider, an incandescent light bulb produces a fair amount of resistance in a circuit, when it's used as a turn signal bulb. And that resistance is calculated when the design of a flasher, to make it flash is designed and manufactured. But, if you simply remove the incandescent bulb and install an LED in its place, what you will find is, the LED has little to no resistance in it and, the flasher is still trying to see resistance so it can flash at a normal rate.

But, since it sees no resistance, the flasher flashes at a seriously faster rate. And, in some cases, based on the advanced technology of the individual motor home/car/truck/etc., it may throw a code in the vehicles data system. You may see an icon come on that's warning of an issue with lighting. It depends on the coach/car/truck etc.

Depending on the actual design of the LED bulb itself, and there are many designs, it can be several times brighter than the original incandescent bulb. For us motorcycle pilots, we REALLY LIKE THE ADDITIONAL BRIGHTNESS of LED lights.

Now, on final thing. Since LEDs do have a significant set of improved operations over the incandescents, and, they're still a bit more costly to manufacture, they cost considerably more than the incandescents. So, you have to ask yourself, are all those reasons mentioned above, worth the additional cost, per bulb?
Scott

I changed all mine to these plug and play type. Everything works as it should.

At least five years ago I put LEDs in the taillights of our '05 Mountain Aire fiver. There are four lights and with LEDs in all of them there was not enough resistance to trigger the flashers in the truck. Rather than messing with adding resistance I just put the incandescent bulbs back in the lower pair of lights.

It actually worked out pretty well so I have just left it that way. When I hit the brakes the upper pair of lights (LED) come on a second or two before the lower pair (incandescent.) I figure it his just a little bit more attention getting that way.

I put white LEDs behind the red lenses.