Are LED Marker Lights Better Than Incandescent Markers?

[truckcamperonmy]

My 2011 Arctic Fox came with LED markers…I think that may have been the first year their exterior lights were standard LED? Anyway, I just recently had one of the front Amber LED markers fail and a lens cover came off one of the two side amber LED markers that is still working. I swapped lenses to protect the working LED and I'm waiting for two fully sealed LED markers from etrailer.com to arrive that another TC'er recommended here on the forum. Clicky

I also have two failing LED markers on the rear of the camper…one dimmer than the other, but on their last legs.

This made me think, maybe incandescent marker lights are better? When they burn out (in theory more often than LED) all you have to do is pop off the lens and slam another cheap little bulb in. Spare bulbs take almost no room compared to a full LED replacement marker and bulbs are more readily available and cheaper. I haven't replaced the LED yet, but I'll have to unscrew it, rewire it, and re-caulk it…what a pain!

Anyone out there switch their LED markers over to incandescent? Sounds crazy, right?!?! I'm all for conserving batteries by using LED for all interior and outside entryway/awning lights (I've switched all mine over to LED, but maybe old school is the way to go for markers that are only on when the truck is running?) LED tail/stop/turn lights are much more visible than bulb-style. Although, one of my Bargman LED tail/stop/turn lights died too and I had to replace that too. Not the cheapest lights either.

Although I already made the plunge and bought the amber marker LED lights, I haven't pulled the trigger on the red marker light replacements. What would you do…replace burned out markers with LED or incandescent?

[SpknTC]

RichieC wrote:

valhalla360 wrote:
We went thru a lot of this when I was working for the state and we converted traffic signals over to LED bulbs:
- If done properly, they last far longer. Of course, if you buy cheap garbage or don't install them properly that doesn't work so well.
- LED's generally don't burn out but they gradually put out less light. This is both good and bad. It's good in that you can sneak by until you get around to changing them but bad in that it's not easy to tell when you need to change them. With an incandesent, it's working or it's not.
- LED light is different not better or worse. It generally puts out a very specific portion of the spectrum. The red or orange lense covers should be purely for show as the LED puts out light of the correct color. Incandesants put out which white light and the colored lense filters it to result in a particular color.
- If you can get your brake lights converted over, that is actually a safety benefit (I'm shocked all new cars aren't LED already because of this). When you apply power to a circuit, it takes almost 0.5 seconds for the incandesant filiment to heat up enough that it is putting out visible light. An LED is typically on the order of 0.1 seconds. So from the time you hit the brake pedal until the light comes on, the LED will come on around 0.4 seconds sooner. At 60mph, that is around 35' less stopping distance and even if you do have a crash, the impact is at a lower speed by 5-10mph.


Unless you are one of those guys who's rig is lit up like a christmas tree, the reason to go LED running lights is for when the engine is off. The alternator will have no problem keeping up with the normal compliment of running lights while charging the battery. If you run them with the engine off, the LED's will take a small fraction of the power incandesants require.

Boat trailers are a specialty situation where the rapid cooling related to dunking hot incandesants in the water shaters the bulbs. LED has only a slight warming and is generally immune to this issue.

Impressive.
Thank you.

I agree! But Mike (Valhalla) I'd like to send you a PM....

[bighatnohorse]

valhalla360 wrote:
We went thru a lot of this when I was working for the state and we converted traffic signals over to LED bulbs:
- If done properly, they last far longer. Of course, if you buy cheap garbage or don't install them properly that doesn't work so well.
- LED's generally don't burn out but they gradually put out less light. This is both good and bad. It's good in that you can sneak by until you get around to changing them but bad in that it's not easy to tell when you need to change them. With an incandesent, it's working or it's not.
- LED light is different not better or worse. It generally puts out a very specific portion of the spectrum. The red or orange lense covers should be purely for show as the LED puts out light of the correct color. Incandesants put out which white light and the colored lense filters it to result in a particular color.
- If you can get your brake lights converted over, that is actually a safety benefit (I'm shocked all new cars aren't LED already because of this). When you apply power to a circuit, it takes almost 0.5 seconds for the incandesant filiment to heat up enough that it is putting out visible light. An LED is typically on the order of 0.1 seconds. So from the time you hit the brake pedal until the light comes on, the LED will come on around 0.4 seconds sooner. At 60mph, that is around 35' less stopping distance and even if you do have a crash, the impact is at a lower speed by 5-10mph.


Unless you are one of those guys who's rig is lit up like a christmas tree, the reason to go LED running lights is for when the engine is off. The alternator will have no problem keeping up with the normal compliment of running lights while charging the battery. If you run them with the engine off, the LED's will take a small fraction of the power incandesants require.

Boat trailers are a specialty situation where the rapid cooling related to dunking hot incandesants in the water shaters the bulbs. LED has only a slight warming and is generally immune to this issue.

Impressive.
Thank you.

[valhalla360]

We went thru a lot of this when I was working for the state and we converted traffic signals over to LED bulbs:
- If done properly, they last far longer. Of course, if you buy cheap garbage or don't install them properly that doesn't work so well.
- LED's generally don't burn out but they gradually put out less light. This is both good and bad. It's good in that you can sneak by until you get around to changing them but bad in that it's not easy to tell when you need to change them. With an incandesent, it's working or it's not.
- LED light is different not better or worse. It generally puts out a very specific portion of the spectrum. The red or orange lense covers should be purely for show as the LED puts out light of the correct color. Incandesants put out which white light and the colored lense filters it to result in a particular color.
- If you can get your brake lights converted over, that is actually a safety benefit (I'm shocked all new cars aren't LED already because of this). When you apply power to a circuit, it takes almost 0.5 seconds for the incandesant filiment to heat up enough that it is putting out visible light. An LED is typically on the order of 0.1 seconds. So from the time you hit the brake pedal until the light comes on, the LED will come on around 0.4 seconds sooner. At 60mph, that is around 35' less stopping distance and even if you do have a crash, the impact is at a lower speed by 5-10mph.


Unless you are one of those guys who's rig is lit up like a christmas tree, the reason to go LED running lights is for when the engine is off. The alternator will have no problem keeping up with the normal compliment of running lights while charging the battery. If you run them with the engine off, the LED's will take a small fraction of the power incandesants require.

Boat trailers are a specialty situation where the rapid cooling related to dunking hot incandesants in the water shaters the bulbs. LED has only a slight warming and is generally immune to this issue.

[truckcamperonmy]

Thanks to all who replied to my inquiry with useful advice! I'll try to post some pics and/or updates once my burned out LED markers are replaced. -Chad

[truckcamperonmy]

trail-explorer wrote:

jimh425 wrote:
I can't see the point of replacing the marker lights.

The OP said some of his were failing.

Here's the version of LED marker light Northwood is using now.

These are the ones I'm using. Less expensive (slightly) than some other places and they are truck camper owners.

Thanks Jim/Trail-Explorer! You were the most help. I forgot about ledtrailerlights.com and I wish I would have remembered them first before purchasing from etrailer.com…i would have saved a bit of $ on shipping. I think the etrailer.com amber lights I bought are exactly the same. Just ordered two replacement fully sealed red LED lights. My plan is to replace two yellows on the front of the camper (the two outside ones to make it symmetrical so it doesn't look weird). That should leave me with one yellow spare for future burn outs of the old LEDs. Plan to do the same on the rear. After looking at them, I think I only have one really bad dim one on the rear so I should have an additional spare there too. I'm going to try to get as much life out of the old LED markers as I can by caulking the lens onto them to make them more waterproof. Trying to save a little $ for now as I've had some other repairs and mods that have lightened my wallet lately. I'll probably end up kicking myself in the butt for not replacing all of them, but we'll see how it goes, maybe I'll be lucky and they will keep ticking. Thanks again Jim, you the man!

[Dave_Pete]

As I read through this thread I half wondered if some people prefer LED because they just like saying LED, and some prefer incandescent just because they like saying incandescent? 😉

[homefor2]

trail-explorer wrote:

homefor2 wrote:
...delimitation ...

What is delimitation?

It's a lot like delamination without the dyslexic intrusion of the brain. You must have been an english teacher 🙂

[Ol__Gold]

trail-explorer wrote:

AnEv942 wrote:
Hm never seen an LED marker light that had a removeable lense, most are sealed?

The ones the OP mentioned are not sealed. The lens comes off to gain access to the mounting screws.

However, this style IS totally sealed

This is the same light that I have converted my AF 990 too. That light is actualy manufactured by a company out of New York called Maxima. That part number listed is the Maxima part number. I work for a distributer of the Maxima products. The quality and the fact that I sell them is the reason I went with that light. It has been one of my better upgrades.

[Dome]

+++++

[AITG]

If you are going to spend money on LED exterior lights, check out the lights made for Class 8 trucks. Stop by a truck parts house and look for Truck Lite or Grote brand lights. They are designed for usage 365 days a year. Some of them are warranted for 15 years.

You will spend a little more...once.

[KD4UPL]

It sounds like if you want to replace your lights you should replace them with quality LEDs instead of the terrible ones it apparently came with. Bad LEDs, falling off lenses, dim LED's, all in 3 years? What kind of junk did they put on this thing.
I've got a 2004 trailer with factory LED lights. I've had to replace 1 or maybe 2 in the last 10 years. I think they're great.

[trail-explorer]

AnEv942 wrote:
Hm never seen an LED marker light that had a removeable lense, most are sealed?

The ones the OP mentioned are not sealed. The lens comes off to gain access to the mounting screws.

However, this style IS totally sealed

[trail-explorer]

homefor2 wrote:
...delimitation ...

What is delimitation?

[trail-explorer]

jimh425 wrote:
I can't see the point of replacing the marker lights.

The OP said some of his were failing.

Here's the version of LED marker light Northwood is using now.

These are the ones I'm using. Less expensive (slightly) than some other places and they are truck camper owners.