two tiny orange lights on left front side trailer

09-24-2002, 08:55 PM

on the front left side of my trailer there are two small lights inside a black rubber grommet thingy there looks like there use to be a cover for it. the bulbs are orange. this isn't one of the running lights or park lights. what is it for? i cand get it to do anything and can't figure out what its for.
its a 1977 air stream overlander

Dave-O · 09-24-2002, 09:15 PM

Hi Overlander, check this thread for the info you seek:

LED thread

I don't know if it worked (fingers crossed) I'm rather new at this.

Inland RV Center, In · 09-25-2002, 10:36 AM

What you described is the "tail light monitor system." It is NOT LED'S, but it is "fiber optics."

Andy
inlandrv.com
airstreamparts.com

09-30-2002, 09:34 PM

thanks guys i wasn't sure what they where for and i wasn't about to tear things apart to find out. i'm going to try it out tonight and see if it does anything. hey i thought they were LED's too, they look like it when you glance at them.

smily · 10-01-2002, 07:12 AM

While troubleshooting my tail lights this weekend, I discovered how the fiber optic feed fits into the tail light.

My "feed" had fallen out of the socket on street side and the feed on the curbside had deformed so light was not passing.

Let me explain deform.....

The feed is a plastic Knob that is clear. The light is captured by this knob and is carried via fiber optic line to the indicator on the side of the trailer. These knobs ar in direct contact to the tail light bulb if not in close proximity. close enogh that the heat from the tail light bulb heats the plastic knob and deforms the end of it.

This causes diffusion and the light is not transmitted to the indicatore as well as it should.

I wonder if Andy has replacement "knobs" for the tail light assembly.

Hello Andy...........

Smily

niftypkg · 10-01-2002, 03:59 PM

Overlander, got 'em too. Mine work. Trying to figure out what to cover them with?? Any suggestions ??? Tom

thenewkid64 · 10-01-2002, 05:58 PM

Since everything else is alumimum I would think a small piece of alumimum sheeting could be bent up to cover the indicators as designed and then you would not have to worry about the fixure rotting away any worse than it is today. A hacksaw, hammer and a vise are all you really need, maybe a file or bench grinder. Isn't the current cover held on with a screw?

10-02-2002, 08:44 PM

well my cover is missing......i have no idea what it looked like.........it looks like mine just clipped on i dont no for sure... i wonder if andy has those?...... anyways mine has a rubber grommet style thing that has to wires (phiber optic) comming out wich are exposed, mine have probable been exposed for ever..... they go directly into the trailer with some nice foam in the wall.. anyways i put some silicon on the wires and foam and around the back side of the grommet to keep moisture out..i was assuming it had a cover at one time... i dont think it would be hard to make a cover for it .....but i 'll probable just stick with the silicon. unless i could find a cover for it like the origional one.
does anyone have a cover they dont need?

smily · 10-03-2002, 06:49 AM

My housing is made of a hard plastic substance and the "LEDS" are embedded in the plastic. The plastic is riveted to the skin.

I will post photo tommorrow.

Smily

10-03-2002, 03:22 PM

i was looking at mine today i have found reminants of the old plastic cover. whats left amounts to about nothing, the two tiny peices arewhite and still attached to my trailer the cover was held on by two flat head screws...wich are still holding on the rubber grommet but the plastic cover is gone. i can see stains on the aluminum where the old cover was.

11-09-2002, 11:18 PM

the other day i towed my trailer 250 miles to were it will spend the winter anyways. i remebered to check and see if the indicators worked will i was making sure i had signal lights. one of the little indicator lights works it is very dim you cant see it in the mirrors.......when it was new you probable could. i thought that was a neat feature. hey smily did you ever post that picture of the cover? for the indicator.

smily · 11-10-2002, 07:20 AM

it never occured to me that there was a cover until I read this thread. I looked at mine and my cover is missing also. My indicators are embedded in a piece of black placstic and i can see remnants of what i assume was the cover. Sorry for no Pic but I will post photo of what I have.

Smily

niftypkg · 11-10-2002, 11:41 AM

Smily, I've got the same lights as you. The fiber optic cable terminates behind the signal/stop light . There is a hole in the light housing and the FO peeks through and actually touches the bulb. COOL. I just cleaned up the rust and refurbished the tail/stop/signal light assembly. Caution: if you pull out the fiber optic line from the assembly , it is tough to get it back in. I used silicon to libricate the rubbermount. Now I'm trying to recover that rubber mount on the side of the trailer. I thought of just painting it with that liquid electrical tape!! Any suggestions?? While on the subject how did you install your steps?? Mine work but I dread cleaning up the rust. Tom

**overlander64** · 11-10-2002, 11:24 PM

RE: Fiber Optic Light Covers

While my Overlander is too old to have the fiber optic system, something did occur to me as I was walking through my garage. Both of my Cadillac Eldorados (1975 and 1984) have Fiber Optic Lamp Monitors (as do many Oldsmobiles and Buicks as well). The fender mount housing could quite possibly be modified to work as a cover on an Airstream fiber optic monitor. Depending upon year and application, they were made of either pot metal that would be painted, pot metal that was chromed, or a plastic material painted body color.

Kevin