Head Light Problem

[Orland Dewey]

Note to older A/S Motor Homes

I went for a 100 mile trip a week ago and noticed a head light blinking on
return trip. Next day I decided to check the wiring and sealed beams out.
Low and behold! The screws (16) that hold the stainless steel ring in place
were all rusted and only 6 came loose. They were all ready ruined by some-
one else. I had to use a Die Grinder and also an electric drill to either drill off
the heads or grind the heads off of the ones that couldn't be drilled due to
hardness of the screws. In the process of drilling I ruined two of the SS rings (Sealed Beam Retainers)
when the drill popped through. Made a fast trip to my local junk yard and
got two more rings from an older chevy truck. These rings can be bought
from local parts store but he would have to order and their $15.00 each. I
paid the junk man $5.00 for the pair.

My point in writing this is to warn you ahead of time. Go check the screws and see if you can turn the screws. If not now would be a good time to get
them loosend up. Trying to fix a broken head light on the expressway or
some out of the way place could prove to be very expensive.

I would like to again thank AIRSTREAM for saving all the money they could by not not using Stainless Steel screws and Bolts on this vehicle. It sure would not have cost an awful lot more to use SS.

Any good hardware store usualy carries a line of Stainless Steel screws and
bolts. The old screws were #12 x 3/4" Long and I went to a #14 x 3/4" and
bought one #14 x 2" long to use as a thread cutter and it worked very well.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact me.

Mixed Nuts