Lighting upgrades on Beaver Contessa

[terry@dandbtrucking.com]

We currently have a 2001 Beaver Contessa. The rear light units are not very bright even though I have polished the plastic lens. While we were at the Portland RV show we noticed Fleetwood's new Revloution LE, and the rear light units are amazing and look to be the same size as my Beaver's units. If so, I would like to use those to replace the ones on my Contessa. Have had no luck contacting Fleetwood or "ACA Performance Inc.," which is stamped on the light unit. Anyone have any ideas?

[tbutler]

A few years ago friends were traveling with us. I noticed his tail lights were just barely visible. We got to looking and found that the inside of the light unit (reflector) was coated with dust. He gave them a good cleaning and they looked great. Next thing you knew, they were all dusty again. He sealed them with silicon and it helped but the design of those taillights was never going to keep them clean. Have you checked the inside of your lights? You might get better performance until you can find the manufacturer of the ones you want.

[wolfe10]

Tom has you off to a good start. Make sure the lens and bulb are clean.

Is this just tail lights (running lights) or is it stop lights as well?

While in there, turn on the lights with the bulb removed and verify voltage. If not very close to battery voltage (around 14 VDC with engine running) you may have a problem with the 12 VDC positive or ground. If voltage is more than .5 VDC less than at battery, we can talk you through using a relay to get voltage back to where it should be for the lights themselves.

You can also look at a higher-wattage bulb or for more $$ LCD lens packages.

Brett Wolfe

[terry@dandbtrucking.com]

A few years ago friends were traveling with us. I noticed his tail lights were just barely visible. We got to looking and found that the inside of the light unit (reflector) was coated with dust. He gave them a good cleaning and they looked great. Next thing you knew, they were all dusty again. He sealed them with silicon and it helped but the design of those taillights was never going to keep them clean. Have you checked the inside of your lights? You might get better performance until you can find the manufacturer of the ones you want.

Tom, thanks for the post. Everything checks out as far as clean, correct voltage and good ground. I just can't get over how good those new lights on Fleetwood's Revolution LE are. Clear color plastic lens with light bulb shroud that looks like a multi LED application. I called ACA Performance with the number listed and got a recording that this number does not take incoming calls. Maybe someone knows a contact number with Fleetwood parts. Can't get one without a coach serial #

[Roodriver]

There are a number of outfits selling LED replacement lamps, and some have replacement lens. You might try this site

Ward

[hermanmullins]

Tom has you off to a good start. Make sure the lens and bulb are clean.

Is this just tail lights (running lights) or is it stop lights as well?

While in there, turn on the lights with the bulb removed and verify voltage. If not very close to battery voltage (around 14 VDC with engine running) you may have a problem with the 12 VDC positive or ground. If voltage is more than .5 VDC less than at battery, we can talk you through using a relay to get voltage back to where it should be for the lights themselves.

You can also look at a higher-wattage bulb or for more $$ LCD lens packages.

Brett Wolfe

Brett, I have earned my living as a mechanic in my youth(too long ago to think). I am intrested in your thought on a higher wattage bulb. How do you go about looking for such a bulb? As am example, do I just go to the parts house with a 1057 bulb and ask for a higher wattage? I have always looked for bad connections and dirty sockets but didn't know about the higher wattage bulb, thanks for the hint.

[wolfe10]

Brett, I have earned my living as a mechanic in my youth(too long ago to think). I am interested in your thought on a higher wattage bulb. How do you go about looking for such a bulb? As am example, do I just go to the parts house with a 1057 bulb and ask for a higher wattage? I have always looked for bad connections and dirty sockets but didn't know about the higher wattage bulb, thanks for the hint.

As I suggested, the first things to do are verify that the lens and bulbs are clean and that voltage is close to chassis battery voltage. If voltage is not close to that of the chassis battery, "powering" them with a relay (applies to an even greater degree to the headlights) directly from the chassis battery is relatively inexpensive. You just use the existing wire to the bulb to turn on/off the relay, with power to the relay and then the bulb coming directly from the battery with a large enough gauge wire to have minimal voltage drop. Supplying a light bulb with 13.8 VDC instead of, say 13.2 WILL give you more light. Same as interior bulbs brighten when you plug in and turn on your battery charger.

But, if everything is "up to snuff" and the lights are still too dim, upping the wattage of the bulb WILL give you more light. A couple of caveats: There are restrictions on how bright tail lights can be, there are restrictions on the wattage that the wiring can supply-- not a danger, as they are fuse-protected, but too large a bulb (too large an electrical draw) will cause a voltage drop in a small gauge wire, which may lead you back to using a relay from the battery to supply the lights.

You can upgrade the bulb to larger-wattage incandescent bulbs or to LED's designed for that socket.

Brett Wolfe

[hermanmullins]

As I suggested, the first things to do are verify that the lens and bulbs are clean and that voltage is close to chassis battery voltage. If voltage is not close to that of the chassis battery, "powering" them with a relay (applies to an even greater degree to the headlights) directly from the chassis battery is relatively inexpensive. You just use the existing wire to the bulb to turn on/off the relay, with power to the relay and then the bulb coming directly from the battery with a large enough gauge wire to have minimal voltage drop. Supplying a light bulb with 13.8 VDC instead of, say 13.2 WILL give you more light. Same as interior bulbs brighten when you plug in and turn on your battery charger.

But, if everything is "up to snuff" and the lights are still too dim, upping the wattage of the bulb WILL give you more light. A couple of caveats: There are restrictions on how bright tail lights can be, there are restrictions on the wattage that the wiring can supply-- not a danger, as they are fuse-protected, but too large a bulb (too large an electrical draw) will cause a voltage drop in a small gauge wire, which may lead you back to using a relay from the battery to supply the lights.

You can upgrade the bulb to larger-wattage incandescent bulbs or to LED's designed for that socket.

Brett Wolfe

racerss said that his lights are dim. If he is only looking at them when he has his toad hooked up, he may have too much draw. In the past I had a problem with the headlight switch on a 1 ton Ford Dualy. I was pulling tandum boat trailers at night with both of them hooked up. It was too much draw and I had to change out the switch several times. I then wired a plug direct from the battery with a 15 amp inline fuse for the tail lights. This solved the problem with dim lights and failing switches. Just a thought.

Herman Mullins

[pianodan]

Your coach is 10 years newer than mine so you probably don't have the options I had for correcting the problem. Mine came out with those now unobtainable surface mount tailights (two red, w/back-up in the center). They were almost invisible especially in bad weather. I removed the assemblies and replaced the square red ligts with oval rectangular led lights (in aluminum frames screwed thru the old plastic box that I gutted), and it's real visible at night and in inclement weather as well. The job's not quite done yet, I'm going to make complete new light assemblies in fibreglass frames with led backup lights as well, just haven't had the time to do that part of the upgrade yet.

[wolfe10]

racerss said that his lights are dim. If he is only looking at them when he has his toad hooked up, he may have too much draw. In the past I had a problem with the headlight switch on a 1 ton Ford Dualy. I was pulling tandum boat trailers at night with both of them hooked up. It was too much draw and I had to change out the switch several times. I then wired a plug direct from the battery with a 15 amp inline fuse for the tail lights. This solved the problem with dim lights and failing switches. Just a thought.

Herman Mullins

A relay achieves the same thing (battery voltage to the bulbs and no heavy load on the switch while retaining all original switch operation.

Brett

[jjgnn@yahoo.com]

I once did a "wattage upgrade" in a tail light, and managed to partially melt the plastic lens - more watts, more heat. Just something else to watch out for.

If your wife does not drive with her foot on the brake all the time, then higher wattage brake lights may not melt the plastic lens. Don't ask me how I know. The higher wattage may have been fine for the intermittent duty of a "normal" brake light application.