Bargman LED Tail lights

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Original Message Sent: 11/4/2008 8:47 AM

Just a heads-up for you guys if you ever decide to upgrade your tail lights to the Bargman triple LED cluster...the backup light is still incandecent!  Don't ask me why, but they don't have an LED version for the backup light, although the lens does match the red LED lenses.  Grrrrrr!  For the money I paid to convert ALL my exterior lights to LED, this is frustrating!

Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Sent: 11/8/2008 8:30 AM

Well, I checked and rechecked the wiring, and I'm having a couple of issues:

I know the starting battery is almost toast, so it would probably account for what Excalibur is doing now....but it didn't do it with incandecent bulbs, so why is it doing it now that LEDs are installed, which are supposed to draw LESS power?  This is what its doing now with its new VERY bright LED tail lights and front LED signal lights:  Turn on the signals, and yeah, they flash very brightly...AND very slowly!  VERY slowly!  And they don't flash at all if the headlights are on...grrrrrrr!  Now granted, the battery is almost toast, and even with the headlights off it wouldn't flash until I put a charge on the battery.  Could be coincidental to the battery being dead on 2 cells...but still...they were flashing fine with just the 2 front signal lights installed...maybe its the amount of LEDs?  Or maybe the flasher relay is about dead too?  I'll let you know what it does when we put a new battery in her next week.

The other thing its doing is that the backup lights don't come on in reverse.  Not the units, no power at the supply wire when you put the rig in reverse, so its gotta be the backup switch.  Any idea where the backup switch is on a 77 P30 chassis with a 454?

Thanks!

Kev

[JDxeper]

Sent: 11/8/2008 9:01 AM

Kev  Did you change the flasher unit, I read somewhere, that it take a different flasher for the LEDS.  Just a thought.

JD

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Sent: 11/8/2008 9:12 AM

Anyone else hear about this, and if so, what flasher unit should I get, and where would I get it?...lol!

Kev

[Clyde9]

Sent: 11/8/2008 10:23 AM

Yes, I have heard of it. There are 3 ways around it.

1. You can replace the current lamps with an LED lamp that employs a resistive load which is similar to the resistive load of a 12 volt lamp for the flasher unit to work.
2. You can replace the lamp with what is known as an LED that flashes on its own.
3. Or, you can replace the flashing circuit with an electronic circuit that will control the on/off cycle of the Light Emitting Diodes (LED's).
The easiest method is to use a replacement LED that is designed to match the resistive load of a lamp. The only lamp that requires the resistive load is the flasher lamp. The running lamps do not require it.

clyde9

[ibdilbert01]

Sent: 11/8/2008 8:08 PM

Kev, that is correct. When I converted to mine to LEDS I bought a electronic flasher from Autozone, I think it was 9 bucks.

A regular thermo flasher works via heat. The resistance of the bulbs cause a strip of metal to heat up and expand in a way that it doesn't make a connection anymore, when it cools down, the it makes a connection, thus flashing lights.

"http://static.howstuffworks.com/flash/turn-signal-thermal-flasher.swf"

Most LED lights use very little current and doesn't heat up the metal fast enough. The flasher I bought said on the package it would work for LED lights.

And it did, but the clicking from it was so quiet, I couldn't tell if the blinker was on or off other than looking at the dash, so I replaced it with an audiable electronic flasher, they have a small speaker inside that makes a churping sound when the turn signals are on. The second flasher I found on ebay, for again, I think 9 bucks. 

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Sent: 11/8/2008 11:14 PM

Hey Dilbert!

Do you remember a little more about the flasher relay you found on Ebay?  There are a BUNCH of them on Ebay, and I want to make sure I get the right one.  I can figure out the pin configuration easily enough, but did it say "audible" in the description?

Thanks!

Kev

[ibdilbert01]

Sent: 11/9/2008 9:02 AM

I'm trying to remember who I bought it from. I bought some clearance lights for the back that were two stage, a normal mode, and a "bright" mode. (I tired the bright mode into the brake lights, so the clearance lights get bright when you step on the brakes) I remember ordering those lights and the blinker from the same guy.

I'm thinking it was this guy "http://stores.ebay.com/TMI-LED-TECHNOLOGY"

But I don't see the style flasher I have on his site anymore. My winnebago had a two prong flasher, and the one I bought was a two wire, but the package said it could be used with a three wire version, as it had a jumper wire in the package.

I would bet a truck store would have them too.

[ontheroadagain]

Sent: 11/9/2008 9:44 AM

Kev. the back up switch is at the base of the steering colunm under the dash  it is your neutral saftey switch also. When i installed my LED's I just got the electronic flasher from autozone. The other problem is that with the LED lights they were contiually on just a slight glow only noticable at night due to the way GM wires the flashers and brake lights this slight glow will dischage your battery.What i had to do was wire in a small incadesant bulb into one of the brake light/turn signal circut to prevent the backfeeding of the LEDS. I used a small astray light bulb and socket and wired it in under the dash near the steering colunm to the wires for the turn signal  switch and ground and then just tucked it under the dash I can give you the wire colors later if you need them .
Chris

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Sent: 11/9/2008 6:46 PM

Thanks guys!

I'll be going to Autozone tomorrow on my supply run, and I'll let you know if it fixes the problem!

I checked my lights at night (its very dark tonight), and there isn't the faintest hint of a glow, so hopefully I won't have to wire in another light...lol!

Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Sent: 11/10/2008 7:23 PM

Fixed the flasher problem!  I went to CarQuest, and they had a heavy duty flasher capable of handling up to 14 incandecent bulbs, and it works great with the LEDs!  It was only 2 bucks more than the standard version.

Now I gotta find the problem with the backup lights.

Kev et al

[bluebird]

Sent: 11/11/2008 12:07 AM

What's going to happen when you start pulling the van or trailer with it. An extra set of lights might cause more problems, as they will affect the way the flasher behaves. Don't wait till you're ready to pull out before you try it.

Chuck

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Sent: 11/11/2008 9:48 AM

Hey Chuck!

We are for now pulling the trailer with the van, since the tongue weight capacity of the Itasca is only 300 lbs...we load a lot of weight in the trailer.  The last thing we want is to warp the subframe and have the back bedroom fall off on the highway...lol!

We do intend to eventually get another trailer, a light weight flatbed type to haul around a golf cart and maybe a motorcycle or two, but for now Wart is doing the towing.

Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Sent: 11/11/2008 9:54 AM

Oh yeah...and the flasher we bought is the electronic version, not the heat actuated version with the bimetalic strip.  This one should work no problem with a trailers lights added on.  The reason the old one didn't work was because the LEDs, even with so many and so bright, weren't drawing enough juice or making enough heat to make the mechanical old style flasher work properly.

Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

ATTENTION!!!  ANOTHER PROBLEM WITH BARGMAN LED LIGHTS!

THEY LEAK!!!

Yep...its was a design flaw and not my installation.

When I bought the lights I had to cut holes in the back of the RV because they are recessed. I used the putty tape and Alex caulk and figured all would be well.  But about a month ago Patti noticed moisture accumulating on the back wall under the matress...on both sides!

I went out an inspected my install and the caulking, and it was seamless.  Hmmmmmmmmmm...

Just to be on the safe side, I took them out, reinstalled them with new putty tape and caulk...and they leaked again during the next rain storm!

They leak where the lenses inset into the body.

So, I used clear Alex caulk and removed the lenses.  I laid a thin even bead in the recess for the lenses and reinstalled them.

Now they are leak free and watertight.

Just keep this in mind if you either HAVE installed Bargman LED lights, or plan to install them.  You will need to seal the lenses as well as where the body meets your rig.

Kev

[ibdilbert01]

I'm not sure what brand these are, but these are the clearance lights I purchased for my RV.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/LED-Rich-Amber-Truck-Trailer-motorcycle-light-Dual-Mode_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem563414f365QQitemZ370240975717QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

They have went up in price, as I don't remember paying that much for them.   

You can't tell by the picture, but the circuit board and leds are submerged in a clear resin type material making them waterproof.   There is an "o-ring" around the base, and the lens cover snaps over the top.   

They are not self grounding and have their own ground wire.   The wiring comes out of the back corner and can be fed out the side, or straight out the back, as I did mine.    They also come with about 5 or 6ft of wire.

They can be purchased in two styles, Dual Mode or Single Mode.   Dual mode cost a bit more but there is a third wire that enables a super bright mode.   I ran an extra wire from the brake switch to the back 5 red clearance lights, so when you hit the brakes, they get brighter.   I also bought Dual Mode ambers for the front fender marker lights, as I had plans on wiring their bright mode into the turn signals. 

I would say the quality is ok.  not great, not bad, very fair. To keep water out of the RV, I used gutter seal on the back sides.  Currently still holding a leak free roof record of two years.

For the tail lights, I used two School Bus LED style tailights, dual mode.   Maybe this year I'll find matching School Bus Reverse lights.