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Old 07-24-2014, 10:53 AM   #1
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1973 23' Safari
Arlington , Washington
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Exterior lights, replace

Need to replace replace tail/brake and backup lights due to original rusted out This is on a 1973 Safari Land Yacht. Light pattern on each side is backup light, then tail/brake/turn, then reflector(yellow) looks like this might have been worked on as I think the reflector should be red. Lights are mounted in what looks like a cast alumimum piece that curves to the profile of the trailer. I need to get to how the light housings are mounted as the light frames are rusted out. Any suggestions would be helpful.
Thanks Ron
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Old 07-24-2014, 12:01 PM   #2
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Originally Posted by sledguyron View Post
Need to replace replace tail/brake and backup lights due to original rusted out This is on a 1973 Safari Land Yacht. Light pattern on each side is backup light, then tail/brake/turn, then reflector(yellow) looks like this might have been worked on as I think the reflector should be red. Lights are mounted in what looks like a cast alumimum piece that curves to the profile of the trailer. I need to get to how the light housings are mounted as the light frames are rusted out. Any suggestions would be helpful.
Thanks Ron
LED replacements are available for the tail light and back up light, that fit perfectly within the 4 1/8 inch circle.

Andy
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Old 10-03-2014, 03:41 PM   #3
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1971 23' Safari
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Well they don't fit in my 1971 , and you told me to grind the hole out with a saw....

And electronic parts are un-returnable.

Done with your shop.

Oh , and cut a 1 inch hole to use his marker lights to snake the wire over and fill it Vulkum ? Really ? Great advice.

I spent $270.00 on lights , they should fit.
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Old 10-03-2014, 03:56 PM   #4
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Originally Posted by sledguyron View Post
Need to replace replace tail/brake and backup lights due to original rusted out This is on a 1973 Safari Land Yacht. Light pattern on each side is backup light, then tail/brake/turn, then reflector(yellow) looks like this might have been worked on as I think the reflector should be red. Lights are mounted in what looks like a cast alumimum piece that curves to the profile of the trailer. I need to get to how the light housings are mounted as the light frames are rusted out. Any suggestions would be helpful.
Thanks Ron
Pull the lens and drill the two rivets that hold the cans in , then head for


1969-74 Airstream Taillight Canister
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Old 10-03-2014, 07:39 PM   #5
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Well they don't fit in my 1971 , and you told me to grind the hole out with a saw....

And electronic parts are un-returnable.

Done with your shop.

Oh , and cut a 1 inch hole to use his marker lights to snake the wire over and fill it Vulkum ? Really ? Great advice.

I spent $270.00 on lights , they should fit.
Sorry that you can't make them fit.

You are the first customer out of over 1,000 (one thousand) that could not make them fit.

We cannot see your tail lights nor can we see the end of the fiber optic cable. That makes it rather difficult to provide you with a fix.

Also, you are the first that cannot make those lights work.

Please understand, that you can see the issue at hand, and we cannot. Therefore we provided the same instructions to you, assuming that the tail lights are original, that we have for over 1,000 other customers.

Usually, installing a new product into a 40 year old trailer, does take a little modification.

Andy
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Old 10-03-2014, 07:44 PM   #6
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Anyone else want to chime in as to the fit?

Andy
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Old 10-04-2014, 06:23 AM   #7
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Originally Posted by Hotlead View Post
Well they don't fit in my 1971 , and you told me to grind the hole out with a saw....

And electronic parts are un-returnable.

Done with your shop.

Oh , and cut a 1 inch hole to use his marker lights to snake the wire over and fill it Vulkum ? Really ? Great advice.

I spent $270.00 on lights , they should fit.
They do fit, as many others will so state.

Andy
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Old 10-05-2014, 08:48 AM   #8
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1971 23' Safari
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I have discoverd the first light I unpacked and attempted to fit is not the same diameter as the other 3 , I am offering an apology. If you look at the edges you can see that the center red light is not ground as far down as the others. The others I can use and make fit.
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Old 10-05-2014, 09:08 AM   #9
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Now on to the other issues ...

Here is a shot of the light housing with the cans removed and wiring , I understand about clipping the plugs and rewiring but if I use something to ground to the rivet hole like a small screw i will have a bit of trouble getting the light to glue in level if I can get them that deep ; the are no ground wires for the lights trailer side.

Another with the optic magnifier removed which actually fits the hole in the backside with a little glue if I can get it to sit still hanging off the backside long enough to set-up. Will enough light be emitted back side in the lens to work ?

I have discovered a recessed area in the back of the marker lamps that will get the wire pretty close to the original holes with some slight widening , it would have been nice to have been told that on the phone as opposed to drilling a 1" hole. I will add that the lady that sold me the lights told me they separated and could be riveted or screwed in. Not sure how to get them glued in without making a big mess , any pointers ?
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Old 10-05-2014, 09:39 AM   #10
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Can someone point me to a thread with any pics of their LED tail or LED marker light re-mod on a 1971 or similar ?
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Old 10-05-2014, 10:06 AM   #11
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Andy is shipping me a correctly ground lens tomorrow and awaiting the return of my incorrectly sized one.

Thank You Sir !

Once again my apologies to Inland RV and Andy !
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Old 10-05-2014, 10:17 AM   #12
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Can someone point me to a thread with any pics of their LED tail or LED marker light re-mod on a 1971 or similar ?
I did this mod years ago before lights were available that fit the housings. I sanded the lights down and enlarged the diameters of the casting and the glued them in with sealant. I just masked the lens of the lights and the areas in the housings that I did not want sealant on, which created a approx. 1/4 bead area for the sealant. some where in my thread below are pictures of the install.
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Old 10-05-2014, 10:46 AM   #13
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I did this mod years ago before lights were available that fit the housings. I sanded the lights down and enlarged the diameters of the casting and the glued them in with sealant. I just masked the lens of the lights and the areas in the housings that I did not want sealant on, which created a approx. 1/4 bead area for the sealant. some where in my thread below are pictures of the install.
Wow, NICE work and what a long thread ! I finally found your pics on page 20 , my castings are still in the trailer. I guess I will take a grinding wheel and remove as little as possible from the holes to get them to recess all the way back. I am curious as to where to attach the ground wire so that I can get the lights to go flat against the casting ; rivets on the old cans did that job.
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Old 10-05-2014, 01:19 PM   #14
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You could drill a hole in one of the can pockets, countersink it and install a countersuk screw with the ground wires and nut on the back side.
I am not using a floating ground but a common ground. All my grounds will be wired to a common ground bus.
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Old 10-05-2014, 01:21 PM   #15
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Sounds good. Thanks !


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