Have a question about clearance and marker lights.

[LowTide]

While I have the ceiling out in the coach I am ready to ad all LED clearance lights and marker lights.
I would like the marker lights to be dual purpose, turn signal and marker light with a reflector built in.

Does anyone have a good source for the items I mentioned? I found a good bit online, but would feel a bit better having a company referred to me as opposed to taking a shot in the dark.

Thanks
Mike

[Nick Badame Refrig/ACC]

Hi Mike,

IBP is where I acquired my LED's.
http://www.ibpindustries.com/

Good Luck
Nick

[bevans6]

Are you going with 12V or 24V?  I found it was hard to find 24 volt that were not quite expensive.  I also could not find ones that were a great fit to the stock MCI size.  Please let me know what you come up with.

Brian

[scanzel]

 www.superbrightleds.com Has a large selection mostly 12V but some 24V.

[TedCalvert]

Since there seems to be a greater variety at less cost of  the 12v lights, may I suggest 2 possible solutions, the first of which I am doing in my Prevost.  Using the wiring diagrams, isolate and re-feed the existing wiring to the lamps you're changing.  That is, if they come from a relay contact, remove the 24v feed to that set of contacts and feed that terminal from 12v.  I know that's going to imbalance your Vanner, but not enough to matter.  All the LED's you could install would not equal a couple of incandescents.

The second solution would be to put a 3-pin regulator at each lamp.
http://www.radioshack.com/radioshack-12v-fixed-voltage-regulator-7812/2761771.html#.VQmzw8aDlFI
I would recommend  Mouser or Digi-key.  I've not had real good results with Rat Shack quality in the past.

One pin of this regulator is your input from existing wiring, up to 35 volts, one pin is ground and that is mandatory, ground means that it's good all the way back to your negative battery terminal, one pin is the 12v to LED lamp.

A combination of the methods is a possibility also, depending how your coach wiring is laid out.

HTH

[bevans6]

I've thought about both solutions, plus I've done one other.  So far just as the sockets eventually fail in each light.  The first thing I did was last minute before a trip, so I made up a piece of lexan with two normal 12V LED lights mounted on it, and scabbed it on over the hole where the original marker light was.  Worked great, looked like hell, but it's 10 feet in the air on the curb side of the bus and no one has noticed it in three years...

Next I got a tiny little 24V LED light (cost like 30 bucks, which was a bit of shock and awe) but I fit it into the socket hole in the original fixture.  Amber light behind an amber lens, should have gone with a white light, it's fine at night but a little dim in the sunshine.

Next, I got two of the same tiny little lights but 12v this time and fit both of them in a plate that I mounted inside the original fixture.  Looks great, the lights are about $10 each so cheaper and brighter.  I think I did red behind a red lens, can't remember.

The main issue is no aftermarket light is an exact match for an MCI light fixture, and I have a completely irrational need to keep it looking like it does.  I really don't want generic aftermarket lights on the bus, it would bug me no end.  I think the next time I have to change a light I will take the very odd step and call MCI and ask what they have.  BK told me he used Setra LED lights once for an MCI.

Brian

[belfert]

The main issue is no aftermarket light is an exact match for an MCI light fixture, and I have a completely irrational need to keep it looking like it does.  I really don't want generic aftermarket lights on the bus, it would bug me no end.  I think the next time I have to change a light I will take the very odd step and call MCI and ask what they have.  BK told me he used Setra LED lights once for an MCI.

One nice thing about my Dina is they used off the shelf marker and clearance lights.  The did use custom brake/tail lights and custom front turn signals.

As far as the OP goes I had a hard time five years ago finding many decent LED marker/turn signals, but things may have changed in the past few years.

[Boomer]

MCI has drop in 24V LED replacements for 5-8-9's.  Look the same as original.

[LowTide]

Hi Mike,

IBP is where I acquired my LED's.
http://www.ibpindustries.com/

Good Luck
Nick

Thanks, Nick. I had this bookmarked as well as other important links to topics and lost all of my bookmarks so I am starting over and this time they will be going of a external drive so I don't lose them.

[LowTide]

MCI has drop in 24V LED replacements for 5-8-9's.  Look the same as original.

Thanks Boomer, I will check them out.

Mike

[LowTide]

Thanks for the information, guys. Well, it looks like I am in for another class in lighting for the coach....sometimes it intimidates me as I don't want to fry anything......already lost the house batteries shortly after we returned home with the coach.....that mistake hurt a little....LOL

I was thinking about converting the system for my lights to 12 volt, but then again there are not too many selections with the old style marker/clearance lights that I know of. I am not too impressed with the new style lights and they wouldn't look right with the older style lights. I guess what I am trying to get across is that I would like to keep with the original look as much as possible.

Here is what I would like to do.
Let's say I stick with the original system. I want to add a clearance amber light about 15-20 inches back from the vista window up front (on each side) I would also like to add a red on towards the rear up topside, I already have one amber clearance light about midway back. This would give me a total of six lights up top and I would like to add 3 more amber marker lights and a red one on the lower rear of the coach. This would give me 4 amber marker lights and one red towards the rear.

If I can do this, what would need to be done to accommodate the extra voltage needed to run the added clearance and marker lights?

Thanks, I am new to this and want to be sure I do it right, but then again I would like to do what is the least complicated to achieve adding x-tra lights.

Here is the style of light I am speaking of
http://www.midwestbusparts.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1_44_186&products_id=96

Mike

[bevans6]

Those look nice, look like the OEM side turn signal lights on my bus.  FWIW, the minimum requirement is for three identification lights clustered in the middle front and rear, two clearance lights front and rear as far towards the top and side as possible, facing front and rear, two marker lights on the top sides front and rear, and marker lights on top middle.  So your minimum is 9 amber identification, clearance and marker lights, and 7 reds, all around the roof line.  I haven't been able to find anything that says you can't make the front and rear clearance and marker lights into turn signals as well as normal lights, and I haven't been able to find anything that says you can't make the three red identification lights on the rear into a high center brake light set, as well as normal lights.  You can add more lights, but that is the minimum for top/roof mounted lights.

They call the grouped triple lights at the top front and back "identification" lights because they are required on any vehicle over 80 inches wide.  It's so you can instantly tell where the middle of the vehicle is.

Brian

[RJ]

They call the grouped triple lights at the top front and back "identification" lights because they are required on any vehicle over 80 inches wide.  It's so you can instantly tell where the middle of the vehicle is.

AKA "Michigan Markers" because, IIRC, Michigan was the first state to require them.

Mike -

I like your idea of having the top clearance lights also function as turn signals, especially in the rear.  Take a close look at the way GM cars set up the front side markers to blink with the turn signals by grounding thru the front turn signal bulb.  Might be able to do something similar with your clearance lights.

I don't think using the Michagan markers as a center brake light is as good an idea, tho.  Better, IMHO, to put one or two of the new LED units centered near the top of the rear radiator blower compartment hatch.  That's where I have one on my 5C.  May not look OEM, but neither does the bus anymore either, right? 

FWIW & HTH. . .

[Jim Eh.]

You can use those KD marker light housing you linked and just change the bulb to a 24v like:

https://www.google.ca/search?q=24v+bulb+to+fit+Ba15S+Base&biw=1366&bih=637&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=rBoLVb-VDYedgwTauoL4Aw&ved=0CC0QsAQ

You could even use the LED bulbs

Not too sure if KD is still around but other manufacturers still have them listed.

[Iceni John]

Here's the federal requirements:
http://www.nhtsa.gov/cars/rules/standards/conspicuity/TBMpstr.html

Confusing, isn't it?

John