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Old 01-13-2019, 12:33 AM   #1
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Broken running light needs replacement

Hi all, Happy New Year. I just noticed that the running light and lens above my bug guard is missing it's lens. Do you have any source for original lights? Or can you suggest a replacement for both front lights on my T1850?
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Old 01-13-2019, 12:34 AM   #2
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Can't wait to take my "dragon" out this year. I just replaced the jeep with a one ton Ford E350. No more worries about weight!
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Old 01-13-2019, 07:09 AM   #3
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When I was a young teen I worked for a gas station that actually fixed things. They also parked school busses and did things like checking all of the lights. From that day on I learned to hate clearance lights! Missing covers corroded bulb holders dead bulbs. When I bought my T1700 it had 3 or 4 lights that did not burn it was the very first thing I repaired with a complement of shiney new LED lamps!
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Old 01-13-2019, 09:08 AM   #4
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I see the new LED's online. I was wondering if I could replace them. Do you have a link for a product that will work in the T1850? Thanks Mainah
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Old 01-13-2019, 12:38 PM   #5
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Do you think these will work as replacement for original?
https://www.rvpartscountry.com/Clear...ED-99-Red.html

https://www.rvpartscountry.com/Campe...w-Pigtail.html
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Old 01-13-2019, 03:04 PM   #6
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Yes as long as they are sealed units they basically will last forever. The ones on mine were for a Fruehauf trailer they were flush mount. There are any number look alikes, to make your life a little easier find ones that have two pigtails some are designed for metal body trailers and relaying on aluminum siding for a ground won't work. Sunline did provide a ground wire along with the + so get the ones with two wires.
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Old 01-13-2019, 08:00 PM   #7
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Originally Posted by Photokit View Post
Do you have any source for original lights? Or can you suggest a replacement for both front lights on my T1850?
Hi Kit,

I think your camper is a 1995 model, is it? I am not totally sure myself what series clearance lights were used in 1995. There are a few styles over the years.

If you look real close at one of the lights that is still intact, and if they say Bargman 68 on them,( it would be embedded in the plastic,) the last I found out on them a few years back, Bargman stopped making the 68 series lights. If they say another number let us know.

I have found an aftermarket replacement that is an exact fit, meaning it fits the holes in the camper for the 68 series as my 2004's use them. Here is an option for a series 68 direct replacement.
Amber: https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Lig...cs/MC48AB.html

Red: https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Lig...cs/MC48RB.html

The good part about them, again if you have series 68 lights, is they are a direct fit and low cost. No different holes to drill, or figure out how to seal the light to the camper. The reality is, they are only as good as the original and the Optronics does not supply new screws. You need to get your own new screws at the hardware store. A question is, how long do you want them to last? 5 years, 10 years, 20 plus years?

The replacements I linked I would say they are in the 8 to 10 year range if you use some 303 UV protectant on them. You may have less years if you do nothing to protect the sun damage. The sun bakes these lights to death. The 303 helps prolong that. And if you drill 2 small drain holes in the bottom of the light, they will last more towards the 10 plus years. See here for the 2 holes in the bottom



Your question was a source for the orignal, the optotronics is a replacement as the original is no longer made that I know of.

By going the upgrade route of a sealed LED, you can get a better sealed light. It will last longer, the sun issue is still there so 303 can help that too. The LED's if they are quality lights, can outlast the camper, again less the sun issues. The mounting of them may have to be changed and how to seal the to the camper.

I myself have not changed to the LED's yet on the camper. It is a good thing to do and I will on all my equipment trailers. Just I have managed it with the 303 and drain holes on the original ones on the camper. I did have to replace all of mine once so far for cracks and leaks. The new ones have not yet failed so the time experience on them continues.

Hope this helps

John
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Old 01-14-2019, 06:21 AM   #8
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There is another plus to LED's they do not shake themselves to death and the cover don't fall off. I like the ideal of plugging the camper in when I'm ready to leave and know all of the lights will work! To me drilling holes in a lamp assembly is admitting they leak! My camper is far less than original and there is not a shot it will ever be considered as Concour D'elegance at a trailer show but my LED's will work!
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Old 01-14-2019, 07:09 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnB View Post
Hi Kit,

I think your camper is a 1995 model, is it? I am not totally sure myself what series clearance lights were used in 1995. There are a few styles over the years.

If you look real close at one of the lights that is still intact, and if they say Bargman 68 on them,( it would be embedded in the plastic,) the last I found out on them a few years back, Bargman stopped making the 68 series lights. If they say another number let us know.

I have found an aftermarket replacement that is an exact fit, meaning it fits the holes in the camper for the 68 series as my 2004's use them. Here is an option for a series 68 direct replacement.
Amber: https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Lig...cs/MC48AB.html

Red: https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Lig...cs/MC48RB.html

The good part about them, again if you have series 68 lights, is they are a direct fit and low cost. No different holes to drill, or figure out how to seal the light to the camper. The reality is, they are only as good as the original and the Optronics does not supply new screws. You need to get your own new screws at the hardware store. A question is, how long do you want them to last? 5 years, 10 years, 20 plus years?

The replacements I linked I would say they are in the 8 to 10 year range if you use some 303 UV protectant on them. You may have less years if you do nothing to protect the sun damage. The sun bakes these lights to death. The 303 helps prolong that. And if you drill 2 small drain holes in the bottom of the light, they will last more towards the 10 plus years. See here for the 2 holes in the bottom



Your question was a source for the orignal, the optotronics is a replacement as the original is no longer made that I know of.

By going the upgrade route of a sealed LED, you can get a better sealed light. It will last longer, the sun issue is still there so 303 can help that too. The LED's if they are quality lights, can outlast the camper, again less the sun issues. The mounting of them may have to be changed and how to seal the to the camper.

I myself have not changed to the LED's yet on the camper. It is a good thing to do and I will on all my equipment trailers. Just I have managed it with the 303 and drain holes on the original ones on the camper. I did have to replace all of mine once so far for cracks and leaks. The new ones have not yet failed so the time experience on them continues.

Hope this helps

John
Johnny on the SPOT! as always. I came today here with the link from etrailer and planned to paste it in to this thread to say just what he did .

What I will say about the replacement with the original Bargman 68 style (if that is what you have) is that you can replace the lens and use the original back that is already in the camper. I did that and could not have been happier. It is a super easy job, all the holes line up with no wiring at all.

The Bargmen 68 as I understand it is an industry standard now and the optronics John linked are identical in every way. Also the Peterson V132A (Amber), and V132R (Red), are the same lights too (per customer support at the company that now owns Bargman).

I installed push in replacement LEDs into the lights when I installed the new lenses. They have been 100%, no trouble replacements. Cheap, no wiring, fast and reliable.
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Old 01-14-2019, 07:32 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mainah View Post
To me drilling holes in a lamp assembly is admitting they leak! My camper is far less than original and there is not a shot it will ever be considered as Concour D'elegance at a trailer show but my LED's will work!
Yes, you are 100% correct on the drain holes! And I totally agree with you.

Here is the problem. The 68 series are actually a fairly good sealed unit on the front side. Even the bulb socket is a fairly good seal. But, they have a downfall, the sun and winter in the north east living outside.

The sun bakes the plastic from day 1. If you were never there since day 1 trying to help the UV situation with 303 etc, then the light fixture started to degrade. While my camper is now close to 15 years old, I myself was never there to help stop the UV damage since I bought it used about 2.5 years old. Last year I had to replace the top 5 red lights on the back, those were the last ones to go. So they had 14 years on the back ones with some level of help from me along the way.

I did not catch onto the drain holes trick and the 303 UV until the camper was approx 5 years old. I found the lens all cracked, some starting at the screws, some from in the middle with no screws. The entire fixture was full of water inside! Not good.

Amazingly the bulb socket seal held and the water did not leak back into the camper wall. And I am so glad it didn't.

Once a crack in the lens starts, sooner or later it will create a leak into the fixture. Since these are almost a sealed unit, the water cannot get out. That is until another crack happens at the bottom to let the water out. Just think how a freeze and thaw happens with the camper sitting outside with water inside a light fixture.

I had heard about the drain hole trick so I started doing it. While this does not stop the cracks on the 68 series, it did stop the collection of water inside the fixture. And that was my biggest worry, water getting into the wall.

I am in total agreement with you on a good quality sealed LED fixture. But they too need to have a form of UV inhibitor in them or they will crack too. Ideally a UV inhibitor is injected in the plastic from day one that is strong enough to last. Oddly enough 50 year old trucks/cars do not have degrading plastic lenses, but the trailer industry sure does seem to have a problem!!! AKA someone wants to save $$$ on manufacturing costs.

I have 2 equipment trailers that are going to get a total rewire and a quality sealed LED light package. They used scotch connectors on the wires and they have these cheap push in connections on the lights. I say several choice words everytime I hook up a trailer tracking down some corrosion issues. ...

But, the point is an LED conversion takes time and thought on how to do the conversion plus some level of being able to do it on a camper. The walls are 0.010" thick aluminum which really does not hold a screw well. Doing the conversion means you have to deal with how to seal the new light to the camper. That can be the issue for some folks not wanting to take that on.

So, an option is to do what I was saying to try and get a light fixture to not fail so quickly.

Thanks

John
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Old 01-14-2019, 07:39 AM   #11
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Originally Posted by Tod Osier View Post
I installed push in replacement LEDs into the lights when I installed the new lenses. They have been 100%, no trouble replacements. Cheap, no wiring, fast and reliable.
Hi Tod,

OK, do tell what and where did you get the LED bulb to replace the incandescent # 194 bulb?
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Old 01-14-2019, 07:39 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnB View Post
Yes, you are 100% correct on the drain holes! And I totally agree with you.

Here is the problem. The 68 series are actually a fairly good sealed unit on the front side. Even the bulb socket is a fairly good seal. But, they have a downfall, the sun and winter in the north east living outside.

The sun bakes the plastic from day 1. If you were never there since day 1 trying to help the UV situation with 303 etc, then the light fixture started to degrade. While my camper is now close to 15 years old, I myself was never there to help stop the UV damage since I bought it used about 2.5 years old. Last year I had to replace the top 5 red lights on the back, those were the last ones to go. So they had 14 years on the back ones with some level of help from me along the way.

I did not catch onto the drain holes trick and the 303 UV until the camper was approx 5 years old. I found the lens all cracked, some starting at the screws, some from in the middle with no screws. The entire fixture was full of water inside! Not good.

Amazingly the bulb socket seal held and the water did not leak back into the camper wall. And I am so glad it didn't.

Once a crack in the lens starts, sooner or later it will create a leak into the fixture. Since these are almost a seal unit, the water cannot get out. That is until another crack happens at the bottom to let the water out. Just think how a freeze and thaw happens with the camper sitting outside with water inside a light fixture.

I had heard about the drain hole trick so I started doing it. While this does not stop the cracks on the 68 series, it did stop the collection of water inside the fixture. And that was my biggest worry, water getting into the wall.

I am in total agreement with you on a good quality sealed LED fixture. But they too need to have a form of UV inhibitor in them or they will crack too. Ideally a UV inhibitor is injected in the plastic from day one that is strong enough to last. Oddly enough 50 year old trucks/cars do not have degrading plastic lenses, but the trailer industry sure does seem to have a problem!!! AKA someone wants to save $$$ on manufacturing costs.

I have 2 equipment trailers that are going to get a total rewire and a quality sealed LED light package. They used scotch connectors on the wires and they have these cheap push in connections on the lights. I say several choice words everytime I hook up a trailer tracking down some corrosion issues. ...

But, the point is an LED conversion takes time and thought on how to do the conversion plus some level of being able to do it on a camper. The walls are 0.010" thick aluminum which really does not hold a screw well. Doing the conversion means you have to deal with how to seal the new light to the camper. That can be the issue for some folks not wanting to take that on.

So, an option is to do what I was saying to try and get a light fixture to not fail so quickly.

Thanks

John
My issue with the LEDs is that they don't last as well as I'd like. I have had to replace a few on my trailers (some very expensive ones too) that failed (from lenses degrading and cracking, to the potting failing, to simple failure for no apparent reason). So the solution for me needs to be quick and easy to replace in the future. I do not want to be replacing with different hole patterns and have a bunch of holes of different placement to deal with. Replacing with the bargemen style is so fast, I can't argue with it. Also I have a lot of lights, even with spending only 10 minutes to rewire each light, that is a better part of a day.
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Old 01-14-2019, 07:48 AM   #13
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Hi Tod,

OK, do tell what and where did you get the LED bulb to replace the incandescent # 194 bulb?
I used a T10 base front shining LED like the below... The style/shape is important since the larger multi directional style don't fit. The ones I used are not available any more, but they are similar to the link (same importer too). The ones I have are 80 lumens and that is plenty bright, appear much more bright (vivid?) than the incandescent. They are 100% reliable in the original bases after about 50K rough miles. As I always do with lamps, I put a little dielectric grease on the base when installing. Super inexpensive, fast and easy.

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00GZGW4..._t1_B00EPA7CZC
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Old 01-14-2019, 09:08 AM   #14
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Hi Tod,

OK, do tell what and where did you get the LED bulb to replace the incandescent # 194 bulb?
I noted the ones I linked were pretty poor as far as reliability.

Searching "T10 LED" and "instrument cluster" on amazon gives a number of of hits of the compact front emitting style with higher reliability.

https://smile.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb...rument+cluster
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Old 01-14-2019, 03:01 PM   #15
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My issue with a replacement bulb is the connection, it is prone to corrosion it still has the same issues a light bulb does except life span. A completely sealed LED should outlast the camper.
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Old 01-15-2019, 09:06 PM   #16
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Hi Kit,

I think your camper is a 1995 model, is it? I am not totally sure myself what series clearance lights were used in 1995. There are a few styles over the years.
Bargman #99 series from about 1977/78 through 1992.

Bargman #68 series from 1993-2007.
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Old 01-24-2019, 10:13 AM   #17
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I replaced all my clearance lights on our 1996 T24 with L.E.D. cheap online and swapoed them all in less than an hour. Enjoy and have fun!
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Old 01-24-2019, 06:23 PM   #18
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My issue with a replacement bulb is the connection, it is prone to corrosion it still has the same issues a light bulb does except life span. A completely sealed LED should outlast the camper.
AGREED
Not only do they corrode but the fingers of the connections tend to get weak and break off easily. That usually goes hand in hand with age and fatigue. When I bought my 1985 T1350 it had all the original incandescent lights. Even the plastics were faded. I pulled some attitude and bought all new LEDs and never looked back. They were brighter at night and easily seen on the highway.

They're pretty much a sealed units and replacements are readily available. I always treated my TT like a classic car and like everything original. But for safety sake I upgraded everything. So, while it wasn't factory original in the purest sense I also realized how many other people would notice? I bought close to the same size and I was a "Happy Camper" after that
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Old 01-24-2019, 07:07 PM   #19
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Wow, team, thanks for all the suggestions. I ordered replacement red lens and amber lens from etrailer. One more question: Inside the rig, the wiring...black=neutral, white=positive?
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Old 01-24-2019, 07:09 PM   #20
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These are a perfect fit, and I'll drill the "drain" holes too. Thanks JohnB
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