Vintage Tear Drop Running Light Instal Report

[mello mike]

Yesterday I broke out the Dewalt and some white rouge and cleaned up the old mounting surfaces where all of the light and door prop assembles were installed. Some corrosion had formed in some spots, especially where the old door props were located (see pic below). The white rouge did a great job in cleaning up the surfaces.

As you can see the new tear drop running lights are sweet looking but the main aluminum mount is very thin and easy to bend if you're not careful. I wish they were a bit more rugged in construction like the old ones, but they'll do. They are only $4.95 from Vintage Trailer Supply so you can't complain too much.

One thing about the new running lights, the wire-pass-through hole doesn't match where the existing hole is located in your Airstream. You'll need to drill another small hole. I considered drilling a hole in the light mount to match the existing hole underneath but the hole would be located right next to the light bulb. Over time the light would melt the insulation on the wire and short out. So, unfortunately, drilling another hole in the Airstream was the only real option. The three mounting holes matched perfectly. I used vulkem to provide a good seal to prevent leaks.

[Colin H]

Hi Mike,
Nice job! I see trailers all the time that come into my shop with the markers replaced, however it's very rare that the repairer takes the time to drill another hole for the wire or seal the existing holes. If this is not done correctly, the wire is pinched between the base plate & the trailer body, potentially causing a short circuit over time. The base plate doesn't sit flat either, which is rather unsightly.
Colin

[mello mike]

Thanks Colin for the compliment. I hated to drill another hole in the skin but there really was no other choice.

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by mello mike

Thanks Colin for the compliment. I hated to drill another hole in the skin but there really was no other choice.

Mike.

It is what it is, and you have to do what you have to do.

Safe wiring, even for 12 volts DC, is not always the easy way, but it is always, the best way.

Andy

[worldinchaos]

I know this is an old thread, but how is everyone sealing the plastic lenses to the mounts? I used loads of Vulkem to fix the mounts to the skin with olympics, but since it is an aluminum mount, I shouldn't use silicone on the lens right? What other clear sealants could I use then? Are other people not even sealing them, and letting them drain?

I actually modified my lights for LED, so I used the existing wiring hole, drilled a new hole in the mount for the wiring, and then covered the entire hole in vulkem as a seal to the inside of the trailer. So if I get a leak into the plastic lens, it wouldn't get into the trailer. However, a bad enough leak could still short the LED panel.

Thoughts?

[mello mike]

I really don't see a need to seal the plastic lenses to the mounts. I don't think enough moisture can get in there to leak or short circuit the light.