LED running lights

Oh ya,

It's LED time on the back of the TM, hahahaha I ordered the running lights from etrailer: http://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Ligh...s/MCL46RB.html
and I'm trying to upgrade the tail lights with plug in LED lights. We will see if it works.

Bob

[Civil_War_Buff]

Originally Posted by retiredgoat

Oh ya,

It's LED time on the back of the TM, hahahaha I ordered the running lights from etrailer: http://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Ligh...s/MCL46RB.html
and I'm trying to upgrade the tail lights with plug in LED lights. We will see if it works.

Bob

I picked these up on Ebay http://www.ebay.com/itm/Red-MCL-31RB...item53e979c207

And I bought surface mount led tail lights from there as well.

[Civil_War_Buff]

Originally Posted by retiredgoat

Oh ya,

It's LED time on the back of the TM, hahahaha I ordered the running lights from etrailer: http://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Ligh...s/MCL46RB.html
and I'm trying to upgrade the tail lights with plug in LED lights. We will see if it works.

Bob

OK Bob, your upgrade was a smarter way to go I saw the LED replacements with the plug in to the existing sockets and go as you are using. If anyone has done the the hard way (like I am), is there a trick to wiring the LED lights in? There is the wire to the old fixture which is a brown to brown wire and the LED has a red and white. Do I just attach the red to one side the white to the other? Or is there a need to do something else? Any LED experts that can answer this for me?

[Bill]

LED lights are polarity sensitive. It is safe to assume that the red wire is positive, and must be attached to the positive wire in the fixture (the wire that goes to the center contact of the bulb receptacle). By the same token, the white wire is negative, and must go to ground.

In a fixture like a taillight, the placement of the "bulb" with respect to the reflector and lens is somewhat critical, in order to form a proper beam pointing backward at the vehicle behind you. In a running light, it probably is not.

Bill

[Civil_War_Buff]

Originally Posted by Bill

LED lights are polarity sensitive. It is safe to assume that the red wire is positive, and must be attached to the positive wire in the fixture (the wire that goes to the center contact of the bulb receptacle). By the same token, the white wire is negative, and must go to ground.

In a fixture light a taillight, the placement of the "bulb" with respect to the reflector and lens is somewhat critical, in order to form a proper beam pointing backward at the vehicle behind you. In a running light, it probably is not.

Bill

Thanks Bill I agree, but the existing running light bulbs are not polarity specific (there are no center and side contacts), they have the small bent wire loops that plug into the socket. The wiring could be that I attach the red wire to both wires coming from the existing socket and ground the white, that is probably what I need to do, but what confuses me is that to do that I would just be shorting the running wire and tapping into it, but maybe that's how it works??????

For running lights the socket will have 2 wires. One is +12v the other is ground and probably goes to the metal skin on the TM. Two options use an ohm meter to check which wire is which. Other is plug into tv and connect wires one way if led doesn`t light reverse them. this way is not preferred as you risk blowing fuse in TV if wires touch. Do not connect wires together. I suggest volt ohm meter. lYou can get a good one at Sears on sale for about $10. They are very handy to have in TM tool box. For tail lights, be careful there are a lot of 12v auto bulb replacements that are ok inside, but , not DOT approved for stop/tail/signal lights.

[Civil_War_Buff]

Originally Posted by rumbleweed

For running lights the socket will have 2 wires. One is +12v the other is ground and probably goes to the metal skin on the TM. Two options use an ohm meter to check which wire is which. Other is plug into tv and connect wires one way if led doesn`t light reverse them. this way is not preferred as you risk blowing fuse in TV if wires touch. Do not connect wires together. I suggest volt ohm meter. lYou can get a good one at Sears on sale for about $10. They are very handy to have in TM tool box. For tail lights, be careful there are a lot of 12v auto bulb replacements that are ok inside, but , not DOT approved for stop/tail/signal lights.

I just went and checked and the volt meter shows 0 ohms at both wires. I may have to try the hook up light test, but I am in no position to do that right now as the TM is up on jack stands. :-(

[micheljames]

Originally Posted by retiredgoat

Oh ya,

It's LED time on the back of the TM, hahahaha I ordered the running lights from etrailer: http://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Ligh...s/MCL46RB.html
and I'm trying to upgrade the tail lights with plug in LED lights. We will see if it works.

Bob

Have you got these lights upgraded? Share your experience

[Harry Womack]

My tail sockets corroded and never worked correctly even on the first trip which the trailer was 1 month old. I replaced the sockets inside with these LED lights and have never had a problem. I used this type of light because it did not alter the outside look of the trailer. Complete LED tail lights will not always cover up the old "foot print" of holes and faded area.

http://www.trailmanorowners.com/foru...6096#post26096

Hi All,

The install of the LED running lights went slow and interesting, that is if you like to take apart the TM to see how it's built. I found out real quick that all the wiring is tucked away behind the interior ceiling molding. Now that being said it was not so hard to pull and get to the wires and replace the old units but make sure you have extra quick splice wire connectors, the old one did not last for me.

One note the ground wire and hot wire runs all the way around the trailer behind the trim pieces so be careful nailing!!!

I've posted pictures of the molding removed and some wiring. Hope this is helpful.

Bob