For those of use that are blessed (or cursed) with Bargman 99's
(Wedding Cake tail lights) I offer my stupid human enhancement advice:
Being less than happy with the "brightness" of my tail lights, I set about to increase their "Lumens"
What I settled for was to mount little convex mirrors directly behind the bulbs. I'm am sure that it increased the "Lumens"
by at least 500! So far so good! Even after inspection!
Also ... will one of you "Brainyer" types please explain what the heck a "Lumen" really is? I guess I shouldn't use a word that I really don't understand well ..... well?
basically 1 candlepower. Webster's version: a unit of luminus flux equal to the light emitted in a unit solid angle by a uniform point scorce of one candle intensity! But where to start with a candle and your tail lights, hmmmmm! I do agree with your Bargman observation, way to "dim". Oscar
Another option would be to replace the standard bulbs with those high power LED types. They are supposed to be brighter , but without the heat. Of course they are not cheap, but I say saftey first. The mirror is a good plan as well, I may need to add something like that to my MH lights.
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Brett G
WBCCI #5501 AIR # 49
"Stop worrying about the potholes in the road and celebrate the journey." -- Fitzhugh Mullan
Wise men talk because they have someting to say; fools, because they have to say something. -- Plato
In politics, absurdity is not a handicap— Napoleon
Light was so bright I had to were sunglasses......No! not really. When I overhauled my tail/stop lights I spray painted the housing with a silver paint [Rustoleum] to protect from rust. Tom
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There is Something Worse than Dying--- That is NOT LIVING !!!
PERFECT Trailer- Dog loves it- Wife hates it!!! You're not camping until you're miserable!
I also repainted my mounting area, but first started with that
"turn rust into black paint stuff" seemed to work well.
The real challenge was creating new gaskets. I used a liquid
"gasket maker" stuff. I almost made the mistake of letting the goo dry without removing it. Almost caused a permently bonded
light. I used good old WD40 as a release agent. All is fine now!
Another interesting fact I discovered while researching LED lights- they light up faster than incandescent bulbs. The people following will get more stopping distance because they see the brake light sooner.
An Amish man sells them around here. They are $29.95 for ONE bulb. It has 6 LED's in it. If anyone wants to purchase their own WHITE LED's, I found a source. They are around $2.37 each. Email or PM me if your interested.
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CP 9 miles off Exit 399, I75.
2003 GMC 2500HD 4X4 D/A Ext. Cab
Propane Powered Honda EU2000i
Lots of Hot Sauce! Air # 283
Actually, the gasket looks good. I is brand new and not crimped in any way.
The bad news is that once the bezel and gasket are removed, the light units are sealed tight so that there isn't any way to dry them out. The dealer told me to just open them, dry them, and reassemble them,but besides the fact that the lens is bonded to the back, the wires are so short that it isn't possible to get the light out far enough to work on it. I'm going to dump this problem back on the dealer.
Next time I go out to the trailer, I'll take a photo to post.
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John W. Irwin
2005 Classic 28 "Sabre-Dog III"
2004 Silverado 2500HD Duramax/Allison
WBCCI Region 9 Webmaster, #9632
The Trucklite stop/tail lights I ended up using have 48 leds in each and also are very bright. Another benefit is very low current draw. The 4 lights I have now draw a little more than 1 bulb, 2.0a for the stops, .32a for the tail lights. . The life span is incredible compared to a bulb, these are guaranteed for the life of the vehicle, original owner, legal mumbo jumbo, etc.
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I do agree with your Bargman observation, way to "dim". Oscar
Dim Tail Lights
You're not camping until you're miserable!
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