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Amazon is sending me new marker lights as mine are pretty shabby looking. I'm pretty sure the front ones have caused water damage to the rig. The taillights also look like they could use an upgrade to LED. I've been searching online for replacements, but I'm a bit confused by what I'm finding compared to what is on my rig. Below is a photo of mine. They appear to have a raised wedge shape mount for the lights to go on. Just wondering if anyone else has dealt with this type of taillight. I don't want to go taking it off and then find I can't get a replacement and  end up with a bigger project than I expected. Thanks all!

IMG_7505.JPG

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The lights look like pretty standard Bargman type lights. Measure the outside light section only to find a replacement. I know for a fact that the wedge thing they are mounted on is not available anywhere. Remove them very carefully and clean up the wedge. Strengthen it from the inside if possible to make it last.

Linda S

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On 6/12/2018 at 9:53 PM, linda s said:

The lights look like pretty standard Bargman type lights. Measure the outside light section only to find a replacement. I know for a fact that the wedge thing they are mounted on is not available anywhere. Remove them very carefully and clean up the wedge. Strengthen it from the inside if possible to make it last.

Linda S

Thanks Linda. Do you happen to know if there is a cut out in the filon under the wedge, or is that in place of having a cut out for the lights? 

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1 hour ago, LittleShack said:

Thanks Linda. Do you happen to know if there is a cut out in the filon under the wedge, or is that in place of having a cut out for the lights? 

I do not know what it looks like underneath. Never owned anything but a Sunrader and don't remember seeing where someone else had taken it all off. Think there is some kind of cutout there though

Linda S

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The marker lights I got from Amazoom work fine, but will not mount flush unless I want to move the mounting holes (which I did not want to do) so be prepared for filling fiberglass to accommodate smaller mounting screws (less room in LEDs for bigger screws used in incandescent lamps) and possibly using silicone caulk for filling up the space left between the lamp and the camper body for the wires that you can't fit back into the camper body.  In the top corner on one side (or the other) may be a rat's nest where the marker lamps connect their wire to the wire that goes down to the power source - leaving four wires to run through your two connectors on your lamp.

In the end I used some rather flimsy-looking drywall anchors which I epoxied into the holes.  I got them at Ace hardware in gauge six.  Other brands were much larger diameter and I didn't want to drill away that much fiberglass just to mount marker lights.

 

There is a rectangular cutout for the wiring in the fiberglass camper body.  Mine measures about 2 inches by six inches.  Did the swap last month.  Between the rain and the wind, what had started as maybe being a photo-essay tutorial turned into a grind.  A fun time was not had by all.

 

The white 'wedge thing' is a spacer and detaches from the Bargman lights.  If you order black lights, you will either need to mount them to the white spacer/ base or paint the base.  The mounting screws go through the Bargman light assembly, through the white spacer and attach to the camper body.  Be careful not to strip out the screws or their holes, as they may be screwed into plywood behind the camper body exterior.

The coloured lenses are screwed in separately to the lamp assembly and should not require your attention for many years, if ever.

The light assembly is available on Amazoom and Fleabay.  I ordered mine from eTrailer and was disappointed in the shipping time and lack of overall customer service; for a few dollars more it would be wise to order them from elsewhere.  There are instructional videos on the eTrailer site if you are unfamiliar with DC wiring, but it is not incredibly complicated.  If you are using Bargman lights, there are difficult-to-read guides on the back of the lamp assembly explaining which wires connect to which lamp...

 

On my Warrior the ground was Green and the power was Purple.  Your wiring may vary. It is easier to swap out one wire at a time and test each connection along the way.  Good project for a youngster to help you with as they can turn the lights on and off and press the brake, etc. without drinking all of your expensive craft beer.

The white base/ spacer will need to be sealed against leakage.  I needed to scrape away the existing clear silicone with a razor blade and buff it with a nonabrasive pad and some window cleaner to get it clean enough for fresh silicone.

The previous screws had rusted and the heads crumbled under the force of the screwdriver tip, so what appeared to be a quick one hour project turned into half of the day.  The previous repair guru also used four different bit types (#2 flat, a star-tip security bit, #1 square and #2Phillips) which helped reduce the monotony of quickly removing each screw one after another.I've learned to approach small projects as if they are big projects and so on.

Best wishes.

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Thanks Stayingretired! I spent the afternoon removing, cleaning and reinstalling the taillights. New LEDs will wait for awhile. I left the wires all connected as to avoid any mixups, and just cleaned the fixture with a bucket of soapy, bleachy water. There was old sealant to remove and oxidation of the plastic. I ended up spray painting the wedge to match the colour I will be going over the original decals with this summer, (so the base is now grey). I removed all the lenses and cleaned inside as well. There was actually moss growing inside one! They look much better now!

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  • 2 years later...

I've got a 1979 Dolphin and my tail lights need to be replaced. They measure 21" x 5.25" x 2.5". Does anyone know where I could get these? Also, the ones that came with it are pretty basic. I would prefer a more pronounced Back Up lens and upgraded black rim. Thanks, Ron Alan

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From the pics I could find online your lights appear to be the old Bargman 1400's. There is no exact replacement. Some people have upgraded by making a new frame and using larger single  LED lights in those frames. All replacements will require some work. Maybe someone here who has already done it will tell what they have done or you could search Sunrader tail lights. Sunraders used the same lights

Linda S

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  • 1 month later...

I can clean up my original tail lights if someone is interested.  They will accept LED bulbs.  Please message me if interested.

 

I also have a variety of interior parts I am removing as I am insulating the interior also and the original blinds, lights, etc. will be removed.

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