Replacing Marker Light Bulbs

[spat61]

Trying to replace burned out marker light bulbs up front is a real task for an off balance geezer. They are set inside the fixture way too far for old fingers to grasp, not to mention laying on your belly on the roof feeling like your falling forward.

Does anyone have home grown tool or method to remove and replace these bulbs? Thanks.
Steve

[kennethowens]

I use a ladder with a blanket wrapped around
the top portion - so the ladder will not scratch
the trailer. You may gently pry on the lens with
a small flat-tipped screwdriver. If the height is
bothersome, you may want to get a younger
fellow for the chore.

[ROBERT CROSS]

Not really familar with the LY but something like this may be helpful...

Lamp Removal Tool

A little dielectric grease on the base will also aid in future bulb replacement.

Be careful

[Aerowood]

Get a small piece of rubber hose the fits snugly over the bulb. Then push and turn it out.

Kip

[hampstead38]

Not to sound glib, but I would recommend going with LED replacements. LEDs draw far less power and last much longer. The "average" incandescent bulb lasts around 1,000 hours (less, I would guess, in a rough environment like on a trailer). The average LED light lasts 50,000 hours. Swap out your markers and then hope to outlast them.

[Phoenix]

Just saw some LED running lights at WalMart for around $10 (maybe a little more). I'd check those out...

[GlenCoombe]

Originally Posted by Phoenix

Just saw some LED running lights at WalMart for around $10 (maybe a little more). I'd check those out...

Hampstead and Phoenix got it right. Just once you'll need to get up on the roof or put a nicely padded ladder against the nose and tail.

I switched to LED clearance lamps a couple of years ago and they have been trouble free since.

They draw less power and look much better than original.

[DaveFL]

Originally Posted by GlenCoombe

Hampstead and Phoenix got it right. Just once you'll need to get up on the roof or put a nicely padded ladder against the nose and tail.

I switched to LED clearance lamps a couple of years ago and they have been trouble free since.

They draw less power and look much better than original.

I don't think led's solve the original problem, getting to the lamp, ladder with a large piece of foam ductaped to top where it rests on MH, rubber tubing over bulb glass and then twist and pull.

Water entering under lens and causing corrosion to the lamp fitting. Once you clean up the lampbase and the socket, lights usually work. I have used a thin coat of rtv on the lens making sure the drain hole isn't covered to try and solve the water entry problem.
I agree with the solution for corrosion and stuck bulb, dielectric grease for next time.

[hampstead38]

When I replaced my marker lights, I didn't fuss with the incandescent bulb. I just removed the bezel, drilled out the two rivets and removed the whole assembly. Some of my bulbs were corroded to the fixtures. If I had to remove them, I would have broken the lamp glass and pulled them with needle nose pliers... but why? If the $10 LED marker lights are too salty, you can get new incandescent marker lights at Wal-Mart for something like $2 a pop. Trust me... getting a bulb in and out of a new fixture is much easier than prying them out of the old ones.

As for working on the trailer, if you don't like being on a ladder, I'd suggest some movable scaffolding. I don't think anyone should be laying on the roof of an Airstream... whether from a safety standpoint or a damage-to-the-trailer standpoint.

Oh, and I used vulkem to seal the lights rather than silicon.

[ROBERT CROSS]

FWIW

If you do decide on LED replacements....

Much brighter if you use red under red lens, amber under amber etc.