Brighter Tail Lights

[slowcoach]

Ive been pretty embarrassed watching my girlfriend drive the van away from home at night and seeing how pathetic the rear tail lights are, especially compared to other cars these days. Looking into it, it seems there are higher wattage bulbs (that will not melt the housings) that would be a simple plug and play swap. Heres a thread on the samba about it. the bulbs i have are pretty new, and i did clean up any scuzz in the contacts in the housings. I think the stocks are 10w, but the housings should be able to take upto 15w? So has anyone done this??

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewto ... ts&start=0

(with some added Terry Kay entertainment in the mix also)

cheers!

[California Dreamin]

I've been massively impressed with those ultra bright Cree torches that have come on the market this last 2 years or so.

I've a feeling these would be brilliant although I haven't tried them myself.....they house a Q5 7watt Cree LED bulb which is then spread by a front lens.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2X-1156-BA15S ... 4897.l4276" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

BA15s fitting so would replace indicator/reverse/and stop lamp bulbs.


Martin

[kevtherev]

Ive been pretty embarrassed watching my girlfriend drive the van away from home at night and seeing how pathetic the rear tail lights are, especially compared to other cars these days. Looking into it, it seems there are higher wattage bulbs (that will not melt the housings) that would be a simple plug and play swap. Heres a thread on the samba about it. the bulbs i have are pretty new, and i did clean up any scuzz in the contacts in the housings. I think the stocks are 10w, but the housings should be able to take upto 15w? So has anyone done this??

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewto ... ts&start=0

(with some added Terry Kay entertainment in the mix also)

cheers!

Terry is my hero

[AdrianC]

I think the stocks are 10w, but the housings should be able to take upto 15w?

Stock is 5w.

If you upgrade the tail lights, you really have to upgrade the brake lights, too - else there won't be any visual separation when you brake at night. The brake bulbs are normally 21w.

Cleaning the lens & reflector, making sure that the earths are good, and that you're really getting full voltage at the back is going to make at least as much difference, I suspect. The tail lights wouldn't have been "pathetic" when the van was new.

[300CE]

Good point re: cleaning the lenses slow coach, mine were rotten when I took them off so put them in the dishwasher along with the front lenses

[scottbott]

you have an understanding wife I reckon

[300CE]

you have an understanding wife I reckon

I made the wise move of not telling her

[slowcoach]

I've been massively impressed with those ultra bright Cree torches that have come on the market this last 2 years or so.

I've a feeling these would be brilliant although I haven't tried them myself.....they house a Q5 7watt Cree LED bulb which is then spread by a front lens.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2X-1156-BA15S ... 4897.l4276" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
BA15s fitting so would replace indicator/reverse/and stop lamp bulbs.
Martin

They look interesting Martin, id be interested in some better vision when reversing. As they're quite low down and with no decent reflectors(?), its a pretty limited spread. Might take a punt on those and let you know. Itd be nice to find a good quality manufacturer of leds. Cree do sound good. I've had very varying results from cheapo ebay leds, some good but dont last long, some just junk from the off (For interior lights).

Assuming i find some higher rated brake bulbs too, would these 10w bulbs be ok for the tail lights? (If stock is 5w- i should obviously check what i've got in now and clean everything up again)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/BA15S-OSRAM-Ori ... B004L0K7CG

[keytouch]

Campervan culture do a range of led lights

[R0B]

I have the reversing lights martin links to.Its almost like having headlights on the rear.mine were a tad cheaper
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/261137999834? ... 0316362778" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[trucker]

I have the reversing lights martin links to.Its almost like having headlights on the rear.mine were a tad cheaper
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/261137999834? ... 0316362778" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I bought some of these for mine after seeing Mocki's ones at The Winking Man. They are bloody bright

[jed the spread]

Campervan culture do a range of led lights

Just took delivery of a whole new range of new stuff. Tail light LED bulbs is one of the items that will be on the web shop next week when we open after our Morocco trip.

Jed

[jed the spread]

I have the reversing lights martin links to.Its almost like having headlights on the rear.mine were a tad cheaper
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/261137999834? ... 0316362778" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I bought some of these for mine after seeing Mocki's ones at The Winking Man. They are bloody bright

We do those too, only they are 7w and ours are 20w http://campervanculture.com/shop/revers ... -cree-led/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Jed

[toomanytoys]

First off..
std tail light bulbs should be the 10w ones as its a combined reflector and tail light lens.. 5w aint enough.. (wilkinsons do quality ones cheap enough)
You cannot fit bigger bulbs as there is a plate in there to prevent you from doing so.. yes.. it can be modified, but a 21w will be like driving with the fog lights on..
white leds don't work either.. need red ones or the light is very washed out pink colour...

I have cleaned mine... (inside and out) dried them properly. Cleanned up all the contacts.... and used some of the alu duct tape or chrome foil tape (used for the foil type insulation stuff)
Cut sections and cover the bacing plate, and all area's of the interior surfaces of the tail lights.. much better than the black interior and dull plated back plate.... reflects all available light back out...
Fit the correct 10w tail light bulbs and they work very well....

Of course.. some sweet red led tail light bulbs would be good.. but struggled to find some that are not too bright.. So show me what you got Jed..

Reverse lights..
Well.. I got some 30w cree lamps in mine.. and they are so flippin bright.. dark rainy reversing is a pleasure...

[California Dreamin]

I can see where you are coming from with the 'white' Cree's behind red lenses, it makes sense that they might be pinkish rather than true red with that kind of intense light pushed through them. I also note that RED Cree's are available so that is a real solution for better 'Red light' on the rear.
My only issue with this is getting a good balance between what should be a reasonably bright red driving light and a more intense brake light.
Personally I wasn't thinking at all about a brighter reverse light rather a brighter rear 'side light' with a proportionately brighter brake so other uses can see me better from the rear.
My double relay mod and Osram Nightbreakers up front has transformed my square lamps.....could just do with being a little more visible from the back.

Martin