LED taillight bulbs

[Alistair Camelford]

Got my nice shiny new!!!(NOS)lenses installed on the 73 Trill( thanks to buddy David at Emily snapping up a pair for me this summer!) Thought that I'd try the new red LED bulbs that replace the old double filament incandescents. CTC in the "tuner car" section...$7.95 ea.
Put em in, hooked up the Sienna...voila one worked on both running lights and turn/ brake, but the other wouldn't flash in turn signal mode On top of that, the directional nature of the LED bulb did not allow "spill" light to illuminate the TT licence plate through the clear lower part of the lens. Soooo, back to the refunds desk and back to old school lighting. Progress...Humph However the interior LEDing is great. IKEA had four strips of one foot clear LEDs on sale for $40. I cut off the 110 to 12v transformerand hard wired them into the 12 v circuit. They, in addition to the four LED cluster units give a ton of ambient light.
Win some...lose some
Cheers...Alistair

[brendadave]

IKEA had four strips of one foot clear LEDs on sale for $40. I cut off the 110 to 12v transformerand hard wired them into the 12 v circuit.

I took a look at those lights on their web site, they look promising. Where did you mount them? Do you have pictures?

Thanks

[Alistair Camelford]

Hey Brendadave...sorry, no pix. I took "The Road Toad" to the Stor'n'Lok for the winter yesterday. (footnote: They assigned me a spot right beside another 13" Trill...purchased at the the SAME dealer...and, by the reg'n sticker, one month older than my rig! What are the odds on that?) ...but I digress- The strips were attached to a 14"x1" wood strip which I then screwed to the wood shelf at the window -top level. One strip above the head of each dinette seating place, one centered over the couch/bunk, and one behind the stove-top fluorescent. Now when we boondock, I'll have lots of light and still enough juice to power my CPAP at night. Cost worked out to $10 a strip...not bad! The white strips are the new "warm" white...a bit of a contrast to my earlier LED pods which are the bluish white.
Oh yeah...CTC took back the 1157's no problem
Cheers...Alistair

[Brian B-P]

Is this the set of LED strips from IKEA? TRETTIOEN

It looks like they also have a puck-style configuration: TJUGOFYRA

I have spent too many hours of my life in IKEA, but had not noticed either of these products before - perhaps they're quite new.

Fluorescent lighting is generally more efficient than LED, but since these are already set up for 12V, it looks like another good option.

[Alistair Camelford]

Right Brian, they are Trettioen supplier code 16670 $39.95 for four strips. As I recall they also had red,green, and blue kits (would be cool for inside cupboards and closet hmmm)
I already had four LED pods and I didn't want fluorescents. So these were just fine. When we are in the south we want as little heat as possible from the lighting. I have three recessed halogen pots up on the top shelf but WOW do those puppies put out the heat! Well, I'm off to the Stor'n'Lok to pour some pink stuff in the Toad's plumbing before our balmy weather turns nasty. Regards...Alistair

[Alf S.]

Right Brian, they are Trettioen supplier code 16670 $39.95 for four strips. As I recall they also had red,green, and blue kits (would be cool for inside cupboards and closet hmmm)
I already had four LED pods and I didn't want fluorescents. So these were just fine. When we are in the south we want as little heat as possible from the lighting. I have three recessed halogen pots up on the top shelf but WOW do those puppies put out the heat! Well, I'm off to the Stor'n'Lok to pour some pink stuff in the Toad's plumbing before our balmy weather turns nasty. Regards...Alistair

Hi: We put Grote 4" Super Nova 10 diode LED stop/turn/tail units on the rear of our Boler and Also my Brothers Boler... Requires the pig tail and s/s mounting ring to complete the instalation...They fit inside the old Top Hat Dominion lenses so it looks origional...nice retro...All of the Grote line is available at Traction Heavy Duty Parts Div. of U.A.P.
gro53252 lights @$19.95ea
gro43253 s/s flange@$6.30ea
gro67001 pig tail@$1.86ea
At the same time we did the Clearance lights
grog4603 x2@$9.95ea
grog4602 x2 @$9.95ea
All prices in Canadian$$$s
I hope this helps as both my Bro. and I are very pleased with the results Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie

[Alistair Camelford]

Thanks, Alf. I had seen those on a previous thread but alas they wont fit into the rectangular Bargman lenses on the Trill. I still don't know if I had a faulty LED bulb or that the Sienna's flash system wasn't getting enough electrical load to flash the TT lights on the turn setting. Seems to me I read on a posting a year or so back that the flasher unit might not activate an LED if it was replacing a tungsten filament bulb.
Next year we do the side running lights in LED format...I'll keep your data for that project
Alistair

[Brian B-P]

...I still don't know if I had a faulty LED bulb or that the Sienna's flash system wasn't getting enough electrical load to flash the TT lights on the turn setting. Seems to me I read on a posting a year or so back that the flasher unit might not activate an LED if it was replacing a tungsten filament bulb...

I doubt that this is the problem with the turn signal power being supplied by a trailer-light isolator, but the check I would try is to use a voltmeter to probe the trailer socket of the van without the trailer plugged in - if the turn signal goes on and off in that state (no load), then it definitely doesn't care if the trailer's lights cause little load.

[Alf S.]

Thanks, Alf. I had seen those on a previous thread but alas they wont fit into the rectangular Bargman lenses on the Trill. I still don't know if I had a faulty LED bulb or that the Sienna's flash system wasn't getting enough electrical load to flash the TT lights on the turn setting. Seems to me I read on a posting a year or so back that the flasher unit might not activate an LED if it was replacing a tungsten filament bulb.
Next year we do the side running lights in LED format...I'll keep your data for that project
Alistair

Hi: Some time you need a H.D. flasher as the flasher thinks the bulbs are burnt out as the LED bulbs draw so little current Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie

[Alf S.]

Thanks, Alf. I had seen those on a previous thread but alas they wont fit into the rectangular Bargman lenses on the Trill. I still don't know if I had a faulty LED bulb or that the Sienna's flash system wasn't getting enough electrical load to flash the TT lights on the turn setting. Seems to me I read on a posting a year or so back that the flasher unit might not activate an LED if it was replacing a tungsten filament bulb.
Next year we do the side running lights in LED format...I'll keep your data for that project
Alistair

Hi: Again... Check www.grote.com as they also have rectangular S/T/Tail lamps in the LED's I think??? Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie