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07-02-2019, 11:30 AM
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#1
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Member
Join Date: Jun 2017
Posts: 46
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Replace tail light with LED?
I have a broken tail light on my 2014 Rookwood 1640ltd pop up. I am going to replace the unit and was thinking about upgrading to LED.
I've read on etrailer that they recommend replacing all trailer lights to LED, and not just the tail lights. I was only replacing both tail light units. But it seems like people have done just that without issues.
Any thoughts on this? Also, this is my first wiring project on this camper. Any tips with the small project?
Thanks!
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07-02-2019, 12:06 PM
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#2
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Member
Join Date: Apr 2019
Posts: 92
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You could always just change the bulbs to LED in your other lights if you don't feel like replacing them too. There are LED replacements for almost all incandescent bulb designs. Also, you can use the same wires, just cut them and get weatherproof splices, or solder and heat shrink them.
__________________
2019 Forest River Cherokee 294BH Limited
2017 F250 4x4 Diesel
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07-02-2019, 03:17 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Mount Laurel, New Jersey
Posts: 9,230
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You can mix and match later.
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2012 SunSeeker 3100SS Toad-1962 Futura Average 100 + days camping
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07-03-2019, 03:54 PM
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#4
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Member
Join Date: Dec 2018
Posts: 30
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I see no reason why you could not mix and match. I would replace them in pairs. Mainly because once I get the tools and time to replace a bulb, might as well do both. Plus, they will be the same brightness also.
Please make sure to use LEDs with the color or your lens. LEDs produce a small spectrum of light so using white LEDs would be very very dim through a lens.
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07-03-2019, 04:32 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: Arizona
Posts: 158
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Quote:
Originally Posted by A32Deuce
You can mix and match later.
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Agreed, any aftermarket company, such as etrailer, will want to sell you the store, all he needs to do is buy 2 taillights, which will put out equal light on each side.
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07-04-2019, 04:13 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Southern Delaware
Posts: 201
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In snow country the incandescent bulbs keep the snow, slush melted off the lens, LEDs make no heat, so your brake, tail, turn signal lights will be blocked out.
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07-04-2019, 06:26 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Michigan
Posts: 436
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Quote:
Originally Posted by EdnKat
In snow country the incandescent bulbs keep the snow, slush melted off the lens, LEDs make no heat, so your brake, tail, turn signal lights will be blocked out.
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I don't have to worry about that, when the snow falls I'm done for the year.
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07-05-2019, 05:44 AM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Maurice, LA
Posts: 4,095
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pkmkaz
Agreed, any aftermarket company, such as etrailer, will want to sell you the store, all he needs to do is buy 2 taillights, which will put out equal light on each side.
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YESSS a thousand times Yes
Besides, they are usually sold in pairs anyway. Left and right are different. The left one incorporates a license Plate mount and a light to illuminate the plate.
__________________
2012 Wildcat Sterling 32RL, Gladiator Qr35 ST235/85R16 Load rating G, TST 507 TPMS w/ Flow-thru Sensors & Repeater, Reese Sidewinder 16K Pin Box, PI EMS HW50C
2009 Chevy Silverado 2500HD CCSB LTZ Diesel, Fumoto Oil Drain Valve, Turbo Brake activated, 39 gal Aux Tank W/ Fuel Pump transfer, Air Lift Loadlifter 5000 air bags.
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07-07-2019, 09:11 AM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Wisconsin/Florida
Posts: 1,908
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DouglasReid
YESSS a thousand times Yes
Besides, they are usually sold in pairs anyway. Left and right are different. The left one incorporates a license Plate mount and a light to illuminate the plate.
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Also make sure that the new tail light assemblies have replaceable bulbs as opposed to changing the entire assembly. Most are made that way, but some of the oval style (used on cargo trailers are not).
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07-07-2019, 11:22 AM
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#10
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Member
Join Date: Apr 2019
Posts: 92
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Do a little research on the LED trailer lights that you buy, I've had 2 catch on fire on my boat trailer. The 2nd to burn was about 3 weeks ago, I thought the trailer brakes were hanging and smoking. I went back to check it out, and it was the LED light. It's not horrible when they burn on a boat trailer since they aren't going to set the trailer on fire, on a camper, different story. Don't go cheap!
__________________
2019 Forest River Cherokee 294BH Limited
2017 F250 4x4 Diesel
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07-10-2019, 11:22 AM
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#11
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Member
Join Date: Jun 2017
Posts: 46
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Thanks all for the help. I ended up not going with LED mainly due to cost and wanted to make sure I could figure out how to change them. I used the incandescent version and it actually worked!
One thing I noticed is for the white ground wire, there are two wires connected to the white ground wire on the light. However, on the drivers side, one was out of the connector and just hanging there. Could this have caused an issue with some of the lights not working at times? I've been troubleshooting that problem in the past.
Thanks!
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07-15-2019, 06:51 PM
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#12
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Member
Join Date: May 2019
Posts: 62
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A loose common ground wire will cause problems with any lights downstream of the poor connection. Had that problem with a boat trailer I was rewiring and installing new tail lights on.
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07-15-2019, 07:22 PM
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#13
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Member
Join Date: Jun 2017
Posts: 46
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Thanks!
I was hoping this would be the case as I've had issues with the downstream light. I had been cleaning the ground connected to the trailer but never thought to investigate connections in the other light.
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