Visit our Popular Forums

reggiemon · 06-12-2009, 11:19 AM

Well I just had to do it!
Couldn’t leave well enough alone when I saw the new 20 LED Stop/Turn/Tail lights for $36.99 a pair. Red Round 20 LED Truck Trailer Stop Turn Tail Lights:eBay Motors (item 140325319156 end time Jun-16-09 02:22:55 PDT)
Could they really be the right size to fit into the Bargman wedding cake lens?

silverleeper · 06-12-2009, 11:26 AM

Interesting. So, are you thinking about placing this inside of the Bargman 99 lens? Or is this for the Bargmen 6/11?

reggiemon · 06-12-2009, 11:29 AM

I got them in AND........

Here we go....

silverleeper · 06-12-2009, 11:32 AM

Oh! That's very cool and something I will use. Thanks!

easyride · 06-12-2009, 11:32 AM

Let us know if they will fit,I must park my trailer out in the swamp to keep zoning off my butt. Dave
OK,you answered it,I`m a slow typer. Dave

reggiemon · 06-12-2009, 11:35 AM

Well it was a very close fit!

But not perfect…..I had to enlarge the mounting holes slightly in the new lens for them to match the Bargman lens screw posts. See the last picture.

reggiemon · 06-12-2009, 11:39 AM

Bear with me!
The installation is complete and I am very happy with how it turned out. It is not simple as the post of the new tail light extends thru a hole you have to cut in the tail light housing & trailer!
I will also show how I converted the license plate lite & clearance lights to LED.

reggiemon · 06-12-2009, 01:41 PM

The thickness of the new tail light outer flange works well as it will act as a spacer to prevent the outer lens from being screwed down so hard that it cracks the lens. Reportedly a common problem.
Ok, so we need to remove the bulb holders from the light base plate.
Drill out the rivits!

reggiemon · 06-12-2009, 07:11 PM

After the bulb holders were removed I saved the bases for cleaning the rust off & repainting. Here's what the license plate light assembly looked like. It is a Hollywood Accessories Model D42 model which is not available anymore.

reggiemon · 06-13-2009, 09:33 AM

After seeing the only license plate light replacements available, I decided I really wanted to restore this one.

LED?

Here is what I decided to try to convert.
White LED Truck RV ATV Trailer License Plate Light:eBay Motors (item 140326561215 end time Jun-21-09 21:04:35 PDT)

reggiemon · 06-13-2009, 09:39 AM

Another picture of the existing old light assembly.

AND
The new LED light assembly, "disassembled"

Hang in there Ladies & Gents cause I will get back to the tail lights!

silverleeper · 06-13-2009, 09:46 AM

VTS has two replacment sizes like the one you have. License Plate Light Bracket - Smaller. I see from the next post you have it covered.

reggiemon · 06-13-2009, 09:57 AM

When I started this all of my focus was getting better lighting for safety reasons. I had no idea I was going to find the beginnings of significant corrosion under all of the exterior lights.

I took the time to clean up the corrosion & rust stains and I would reinstall the light fixtures with neoprene gaskets and Vulkem. In the end, this seems as important as the light upgrade!

reggiemon · 06-13-2009, 10:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by silverleeper

VTS has two replacment sizes like the one you have. License Plate Light Bracket - Smaller. I see from the next post you have it covered.

VTS has one larger (shape is very different) and one smaller (same shape as the one I have but smaller)

reggiemon · 06-13-2009, 10:30 AM

The license plate light frame was cleaned up and repainted with PQR-15 & Krylon aluminum paint.

Now what to do with the disintegrating rubber base?

I decided to laminate 1/4" solid neoprene to the base and then laminate a 1/8" solid neoprene strip around the edges. This was done with the black 3M weather-strip adhesive.

reggiemon · 06-13-2009, 02:09 PM

With the license plate light assembly finished, I drilled 2 mounting holes for the LED assembly and mounted it over the hole that housed the removed bulb holder. I added a new clear Plexiglas shield on the frame (under the LED emitters) and used the 2 SS mounting screws for the whole assembly to attach the ground wires.

reggiemon · 06-13-2009, 02:28 PM

OK now the marker lights are getting the LED treatment too!

And to add insult to injury we are going with a 2 LED assembly.......(double blasphemy! two lights where there should be only one!)

Here is what I used. $4.99 ea (yeah I know......do I have stock in that company?)
Nope, this is just a source I found when I was looking. They have a better selection now than when I purchased so you may find something more suitable for your purpose.
Red
(1) Red LED 2.5" Trailer RV Marker Clearance Lights:eBay Motors (item 140326350630 end time Jun-21-09 01:04:38 PDT)

Amber
(1) Amber LED 2.5" Trailer RV Marker Clearance Lights:eBay Motors (item 140326350629 end time Jun-21-09 01:04:38 PDT)

reggiemon · 06-13-2009, 02:39 PM

I had to trim one of the mounting ears off to make the LED assy fit the VTS teardrop light base.
Then I had to drill a hole in the VTS base for the wires coming out of the bottom of the LED assembly. (That hole lined up with the original wiring hole in the Airstream.)
The LED parts came with a rubber gasket and I glued that gasket to the VTS light frame and then glued the LED assy to the gasket.
I have the ground wire that will attach to a SS screw that goes thru a hole in the bottom of the L shaped lens mount.
The marker light assembly was then reinstalled with Vulkem & SS screws.

reggiemon · 06-13-2009, 02:45 PM

See what you think about them........

reggiemon · 06-13-2009, 02:52 PM

Ok everyone is asking, "When are you going to get back to the tail lights?"
Here is the painted tail light housing installed with the hole cut thru it and the Airstream. The neoprene gasket has been sealed to the Airstream skin with Vulkem and then the tail light base has been sealed to the gasket with Vulkem. You will notice the gray tail light lens gasket stuck on the one housing