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Topic: LED Tail Lights on 99' U270, now I am committed! (Read 1418 times) previous topic - next topic

LED Tail Lights on 99' U270, now I am committed!

Well, I bought these LED tail lights of of eBay and after I got them, I discovered that they combined the brake lights and turn signals. Our 99' has separate amber turn signals which I prefer. So rather then go the route of using diodes to combine them as you might for a toad that has combined lights (or as some do even when the toad has separate turn signals), I just added a couple (for now, might add two more in the future) amber round LED turn signal lights (KC Hilites 1005). They mount in grommets which have to be purchased separately and have a three wire connection. I bought the pigtails but will just be using the stop/turn wire and ground, because as I read it, taillights are required to be red where as turn signals can be red or amber in the US and Canada and Europe requires Amber turn signals. There are some studies that seem to show that amber turn indicators are safer than red ones. I happen to think that the amber ones are more noticeable. Anyway, here are some pictures of the current iteration. I will be adding some side marker turn signals as well on the rear corner, likely at the same height as the front side turn signal (just above the wheel well level), as well as one admidships also at that level. The curve of the corner mandated that they be more narrowly set than the corner mounted Econoline style taillights, because I didn't have Rance handy to mould them into the corners. ::). I can't step back and see how they look from farther back because I have a canopy set up right behind the coach. All in all, not as slick as Xtreme's LED conversion, but I can live with it, and the tail lights are a lot brighter!. Next are the LED docking lights, but after the solar, etc.
Don
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Don & Tys
1999 U270 3602 WTFE #5402
Xtreme Stage 1 w/Headlight, Step Conversion, etc.
2009 Honda Fit Sport with Navi
Freedom is NOT "just another word for nothing left to lose"... with apologies to Kris Kristofferson

Re: LED Tail Lights on 99' U270, now I am committed!

Reply #1 –
I "converted" mine by just buying the LED replacement for the incandescent and plugging them in. :)

Craig
1993 U225 36' Unihome GV with PACBRAKE exhaust retarder, Banks Stinger and Solar Panels.
Toad: 1999 Jeep Wrangler 2-door soft-top.

"No one has ever had to evacuate a city because the solar panels broke."

Re: LED Tail Lights on 99' U270, now I am committed!

Reply #2 –
Looks good Don.  I was going to have Rance use the rubber grommets on mine, I even found chrome trim rings to cover the black grommet if I decided I needed the shiney look but then Rance found two stainless steel flanged hemispherical holders for the LED lights.  He said they would be better.  I said OK.  They charged me about $4 each.  He wired them into my toad wiring harness so that they are tail, turn and brake (all red)

A hole saw and some courage is all that is needed.  Double check so that nothing is in the way behind and that you have sufficient depth to put them in.

I like them a lot.

See
LED Tail Lights for 1995 to 2001 Unicoaches

Roger
Roger Engdahl and Susan Green
2001 U320 3610 #5879 (Home2) - 2014 Jeep Cherokee or 2018 F150
Hastings, MN

Re: LED Tail Lights on 99' U270, now I am committed!

Reply #3 –
tsk tsk ... give a man a hole saw, like giving a boy a bb gun  >:D

okay, okay... I'm just jealous.
something else to consider when I'm at Xt in a few weeks.
Mogan David
1999 U295 36'

Re: LED Tail Lights on 99' U270, now I am committed!

Reply #4 –
Don,
 
I don't remember noticing your taillights before. They look like an aftermarket replacement for the econoline van (or whatever Foretravel used). What are they, and where did you get them? They look a lot better than the originals, which have gotten pretty stale by now.
 
Thanks,
 
Trent

Trent and Jean Eyler
2000  U295  4003  WTFE  ISC  350
Build#5603 MC#17385

Re: LED Tail Lights on 99' U270, now I am committed!

Reply #5 –
Crystal Eyes LED Taillights
These are the ones I bought from eBay. They were quickly shipped and the price was about the best I could find. I think they add a more contemporary look, but what I like most is that they are very bright. I do like having the turn signals separate from the brake/taillights. I think it is just that much more noticeable, and having a different color (amber) makes them even more so.

Don
Edit: If somebody just read this post and not the one that started this thread, they might think the link to the product I bought had amber, separate turn signals. To be clear, they do not, which is why I installed the KC Hilites 4" round amber lights above the ones referenced in the link. Also, the back up lights are not LED and just provide a socket for the harness containing the standard 3156K socket for the lamp from from the original fixture. I have ordered LED replacement bulbs for the back up lamps from Amazon.

Quote from: TulsaTrent –
Don,
 
I don't remember noticing your taillights before. They look like an aftermarket replacement for the econoline van (or whatever Foretravel used). What are they, and where did you get them? They look a lot better than the originals, which have gotten pretty stale by now.
 
Thanks,
 
Trent


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Don & Tys
1999 U270 3602 WTFE #5402
Xtreme Stage 1 w/Headlight, Step Conversion, etc.
2009 Honda Fit Sport with Navi
Freedom is NOT "just another word for nothing left to lose"... with apologies to Kris Kristofferson

Re: LED Tail Lights on 99' U270, now I am committed!

Reply #6 –
Nice work, as usual.  I wish they made something like that for the GVs - the existing rear light unit is a very poor design, IMHO.
1993 U280 SE 40' WTBI, Build: 4359
C8.3 300hp, 6-Speed, Exhaust Brake
960 watts on the roof (6 x 160)
Sorento (or BOLT) on a Kar Kaddy SS
"Nature abhors a vacuum"

Re: LED Tail Lights on 99' U270, now I am committed!

Reply #7 –
Quote from: cajk –
Nice work, as usual.  I wish they made something like that for the GVs - the existing rear light unit is a very poor design, IMHO.
Yes... we're pretty much stuck with what we got. Wish I could put the ones Don found into our GV.

 But you can buy plug-in LED replacements for the existing ones, at least. Better than nothing. I even found plug in LED replacements for the running lights. At the local O'Reilly's in fact. I also replaced the lights on the '99 Jeep Wrangler with LEDs. Since we hardly ever tow the Jeep at night I just set up a Harbor Freight LED light assembly (for $50 or so) at the back and between those and the tail lights on the motor home (which are clearly visibile over the Jeep) called it good. But they don't come on with the headlights or tail lights. So we just turn on the parking lights. Since they're all LED they don't run the battery down on the Jeep too much. It might be an issue if we ran all night, though.

Craig
1993 U225 36' Unihome GV with PACBRAKE exhaust retarder, Banks Stinger and Solar Panels.
Toad: 1999 Jeep Wrangler 2-door soft-top.

"No one has ever had to evacuate a city because the solar panels broke."

Re: LED Tail Lights on 99' U270, now I am committed!

Reply #8 –
The LEDs that Don has put on are what we have had on coach for over 5 yrs. We also like them as very bright. I have the red turns so may do what Don has done as agree that amber is better for visibility when braking and turning.
Nice work Don.
JohnH
Coachless, now use aircraft. 2003 Ford Travelair TC280 class C. Super shape. Just for 1 yr .
1994 Ford E350 ClassC,total renovation inside and out. Now sold.
2000 U295  36' Cummins 350 c/w Banks Stinger, Resonator upgrade,Solar, LED lites.Residential fridge with slide out pantry. Build 5674. Sold
ex 92 GV 022C ored Cummins. Sold
ex 95 GV240 cat 3116. Sold
2017 Mini cooper s & 2016 land Rover LR2 HSE  LUX.
jhaygarth@aol.com    SKP #130098
treat everyone as you would like to be.

Re: LED Tail Lights on 99' U270, now I am committed!

Reply #9 –
Roger,
I wanted the black grommets because the Econoline LED replacements have a black rubber gasket around the edge and I wanted the round turn indicators to look like they were siblings of the large rectangular mains. Both the KC Hiltes round Amber turnsignals and the Crystal Eyes Ecoline replacements have chrome surrounding the clear (when not lit of course) LED's, so I figured the black rubber around each of them puts them in the same family :D
I actually like them more than the ones that Rance put in the front. The ones Xtreme used have less LEDS's and when the headlights are on, two of the center LED's light up and when the turnsignals are on the rest join in. On the new three wire ones I used in the rear, if you were to wire them like the ones in the front, all the LED's in the fixture come on at a lower level with the headlights, and get much brighter when the turnsignals is applied. Since I bought four of the KC's, I will replace the front ones with the extra two if I don't end up adding two more turnsignals in the back.
Don

Quote from: Home2fromHastings –
Looks good Don.  I was going to have Rance use the rubber grommets on mine...

Roger
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Don & Tys
1999 U270 3602 WTFE #5402
Xtreme Stage 1 w/Headlight, Step Conversion, etc.
2009 Honda Fit Sport with Navi
Freedom is NOT "just another word for nothing left to lose"... with apologies to Kris Kristofferson

Re: LED Tail Lights on 99' U270, now I am committed!

Reply #10 –
I got my upper lights (Grote) at the truck parts place on South Main in NAC.  Huge selection.  They looked like they hade more LEDs in them than the ones Rance was using.  Putting in another set of amber lights is always a possibility.  I would do it myself, not hard and the wiring would be easy.

I have noticed a difference in driver's behavior behind me since adding the new LED tail lights and the higher lights.  Seems like folks notice quicker when I want to do a lane change into their lane. And it appears that I am getting more room behind to following cars. 

Maybe not.

Everytime we are doing a light check on the toad and the back end of the coach lights up I am glad I did it.

Roger
Roger Engdahl and Susan Green
2001 U320 3610 #5879 (Home2) - 2014 Jeep Cherokee or 2018 F150
Hastings, MN