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Old 12-20-2016, 01:08 AM   #1
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THOR #5941
Wimpy Headlights

The H9 bulbs for low and high beams in our Windsport do a meager job at best to light up the road.

So, I ordered two sets of LED lights from LED Headlights Kits - Free Shipping, Lifetime Warranty - LedHeadlightsPro..

H9 - Single Beam - LED Headlights Kit - Free Shipping & Lifetime Warranty - LED Headlights Pro

I chose 35W White (no CanBUS) for the low beams and 45W white (no CanBUS) for the highs.

The install is very straight forward (plug-n-play), although, be sure to remove the outer protective cover from the bulb before trying to install them... Don't ask! Also, the light harness connector can connect in two ways. If your lights don't spin up, just reverse the light harness connector.

I saved off the four H9 Bulbs (just in case).

And WOW what a difference. The low beams are bright, but will not blind others, since the low beams are in projector housing, which came with the Windsport.

The high beams are extremely bright.

Before you run out and get some, be sure your RV has "projector style" low beams. If you have standard reflectors style, then LEDs and HID replacements will not throw light effectively and tend to blind on coming traffic.

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Old 12-20-2016, 01:12 AM   #2
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I guess I have no idea what the term "projector style" means.
Chuck Peck in CasaLoca
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Old 12-20-2016, 01:17 AM   #3
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Try this link: Headlights: Explained.
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Old 12-20-2016, 01:30 AM   #4
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Originally Posted by CasaLoca View Post
I guess I have no idea what the term "projector style" means.
Chuck Peck in CasaLoca
I should add, yes, the Hurricane does have projector style low beams
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Old 12-20-2016, 02:49 AM   #5
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Some say you can't teach an old dog new tricks. Still, the old dog can try.
Let us move from the general to the specific. My Hurricane is equipped with the stock headlights. The part number on the headlight assembly tells me it was intended to be installed on a 2004 Lincoln LS. Somehow they got thrown into a box of parts headed to Thor.
I just recently bought new low beam bulbs, not yet installed. I bought Sylvania Silverstar Ultra 9006 bulbs. Looked like the best compatible bulbs available at Advance Auto. Did I get good, bad, so-so? Not likely to do much night driving if it can be avoided but want to be somewhat ready in case of need.
Chuck Peck in CasaLoca
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Old 12-20-2016, 03:08 AM   #6
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The silver stars are good bulbs. I stopped using them due to the higher current draw and they give off a lot heat which can melt some light housing.

Check out the discussion on silver stars here: http://saacforum.com/index.php?topic=5435.0

All though expensive, I favor LEDs for there lower current draw (lower than the stock H9 bulbs) and light output.

I believe a stock H9 uses 50W where as you can get LED replacements in 25, 35 and 45W. I believe 25W LEDs put off more light than a standerd H9!
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Old 12-20-2016, 03:50 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CasaLoca View Post
...
I just recently bought new low beam bulbs, not yet installed. I bought Sylvania Silverstar Ultra 9006 bulbs. Looked like the best compatible bulbs available at Advance Auto. Did I get good, bad, so-so? Not likely to do much night driving if it can be avoided but want to be somewhat ready in case of need.
Chuck Peck in CasaLoca
If you aren't intending to do much night driving - it is hard to justify the price tag on the LED bulbs... If I added right - about $500 for what bulldogpilot did - even with the discounts the site kept throwing at me.

I've found the stock lights on my Hurricane to be 'ok'... might look at an upgrade next time bulbs are needed - but don't see springing for LEDs unless they come down in price.

Now - my interior lights - anything I use while parked and on battery - have all been converted to LED for the heat and power savings. Not as worried about the draw/heat when the engine is running.

(Not sure what the legal light output allowed is before considered 'off road use only' like many LED light bars, etc...)
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Old 12-20-2016, 04:04 AM   #8
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Originally Posted by gmc View Post
If you aren't intending to do much night driving - it is hard to justify the price tag on the LED bulbs... If I added right - about $500 for what bulldogpilot did - even with the discounts the site kept throwing at me.

I've found the stock lights on my Hurricane to be 'ok'... might look at an upgrade next time bulbs are needed - but don't see springing for LEDs unless they come down in price.

Now - my interior lights - anything I use while parked and on battery - have all been converted to LED for the heat and power savings. Not as worried about the draw/heat when the engine is running.

(Not sure what the legal light output allowed is before considered 'off road use only' like many LED light bars, etc...)
Yah, I am a bit psycho when it comes to headlights. My AMG S63 is full LED, so I get a bit spoiled. I even swapped out the H11 fog lights in my Windsport, for some H9 Digital HIDs I had lying around. Yes, an H9 will fit in an H11 socket (just not the other way around). Not, that I really need the fog lights to begin with.

Also, I live in the Santa Cruz Mountains, CA, where there are no street lights and the mountain roads tend to be extremely dark and full of wild life and sometimes a single lane. For me, the brighter the better.

The 35W LEDs, like the 45W HIDs are street legal. Like I said previously, you have to take care that you have the correct type of light housing when switching to LED or HID, because you can and will blind on coming traffic, not to mention, the light output will not spread correctly in standard reflector style light housing. The 45W LED's I placed in my high beams, are bright and will blind on coming traffic, just like what high beams usually do.

Also, the LEDs can have a greater life span when compared to halogen or HID bulbs.

But as you said, if you do not drive a bunch at night, then spending a ton of money to upgrade your lights would be a totally waste of money. But, if you need more light at night, then I would go the LED route.
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Old 12-20-2016, 10:55 AM   #9
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I do not see anywhere that states the bulbs are DOT approved for on road applications. May be a total waste of money when a coach goes in for a state safety inspection and fails because of non-DOT bulbs.

Bottom line, if your state requires an annual safety inspection beware and doe some safety inspection research first.
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Old 12-20-2016, 11:35 AM   #10
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With our Windsport it's not so much the output as it is poor aiming. I'm going to reaim the lights first and see how much that helps.

I'm not sure a state inspector would know the difference, I don't think they look that close, or would even know what they were looking at.
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Old 12-20-2016, 02:09 PM   #11
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With our Windsport it's not so much the output as it is poor aiming. I'm going to reaim the lights first and see how much that helps.

I'm not sure a state inspector would know the difference, I don't think they look that close, or would even know what they were looking at.
Don't have much respect for the intelligence of state safety inspectors do you? Any individual with half a brain can see the difference between incandescent, halogen, LED and HID headlights.

Also, suggest folks look at insurance policies to see who pays in the event of an accident (i.e. hitting a deer at night) if non-DOT compliant headlights were installed on the vehicle.

Bottom line, you are free to do whatever your wallet can afford.
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Old 12-20-2016, 03:15 PM   #12
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Originally Posted by dstankov View Post
I do not see anywhere that states the bulbs are DOT approved for on road applications. May be a total waste of money when a coach goes in for a state safety inspection and fails because of non-DOT bulbs.

Bottom line, if your state requires an annual safety inspection beware and doe some safety inspection research first.
CA has no inspections. I am not an idiot. If the lights would blind oncoming traffic, I would not install them.

If these 35W LEDs are not DOT, then my S63, my X5 and my 335i would fail due to their stock LEDs.
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Old 12-20-2016, 05:47 PM   #13
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Just went out to the link provided below and asked this question in their on-line chat:

"Are your LED Headlight bulbs US DOT compliant in all 50 states?"

Within 15 seconds I received a one word response "No"

There may be DOT legal LED headlights out there it's just not the ones at the link provided below.

Buyer beware. The website does not disclose the DOT non-compliance anywhere that I found. When I asked about the disclosure I received the response "Once again, the bulbs are not US DOT compliant."

They do however disclose that if you purchase and then return the product there is a 20 percent restocking fee.

BTW, I never implied that anyone was an idiot. I just try to be a responsible and informed consumer when it comes to the lives of my family and others travelling the same roads.

Here is the website for a firm that clearly marks their products DOT Compliant.

https://www.vehicode.com/products/led-headlights.html
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Old 12-20-2016, 07:26 PM   #14
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Originally Posted by dstankov View Post
Just went out to the link provided below and asked this question in their on-line chat:

"Are your LED Headlight bulbs US DOT compliant in all 50 states?"

Within 15 seconds I received a one word response "No"

There may be DOT legal LED headlights out there it's just not the ones at the link provided below.

Buyer beware. The website does not disclose the DOT non-compliance anywhere that I found. When I asked about the disclosure I received the response "Once again, the bulbs are not US DOT compliant."

They do however disclose that if you purchase and then return the product there is a 20 percent restocking fee.

BTW, I never implied that anyone was an idiot. I just try to be a responsible and informed consumer when it comes to the lives of my family and others travelling the same roads.

Here is the website for a firm that clearly marks their products DOT Compliant.

https://www.vehicode.com/products/led-headlights.html
Take a read of FMVSS No. 108. FMVSS states, "the Federal Government does not regulate installation of equipment by consumers." The "off-road only" designation that has the potential to be used on the highway "will likely be subject to regulation under FMVSS No. 108". But there is guarantee.

So its a grey area.

In California, Motor Laws section 24255, 25400 and 25950 are vehicle codes related to auto lights.

Basically the lights have to under a candela rating of no more than 0.05 per square inch, be diffused and non-glaring, Cannot display red to the front, are positioned more than 12 inches away from the other required lights and reflectors.

Three of the four, I know I comply with. I would have to get a light meter to measure the candela rating through the projector.

The low beams do not shine any higher than the stock H9s, and driving I cannot see the faces of on coming drivers, nor do the low beams hit the mirrors of the car in front of me.

If my low beam LEDs in the RV are illegal due to too much output, then my S63, completely stock, is illegal as well. The LEDs in my S63 are far brighter in low beam and high beam and cover more area than the LEDs I put in.

enough said.
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Old 12-20-2016, 08:54 PM   #15
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For Virginia residents, this is from the Virginia Code:

"19VAC30-70-140. Headlamps; except motorcycles.

A. Inspect for and reject if:

1. Any motor vehicle is not equipped with headlamps of an approved type. The headlamps must be marked with the headlamp manufacturer's name or trademark, and DOT. If the headlamp bulbs are replaceable, the headlamp lens must be marked with the headlamp light source type (bulb) for which it was designed and the bulb must match the lens code."

Here is a link to the entire Safety Inspection document published by the Virginia State Police

http://www.vsp.state.va.us/downloads...15%202016).pdf

As a note, in Virginia, dealer service centers and other garages are not allowed, under penalty of law, to replace headlamp or taillight bulbs in registered on-road vehicles with customer supplied bulbs unless the bulb is clearly marked DOT.
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Old 12-20-2016, 09:35 PM   #16
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Originally Posted by dstankov View Post
For Virginia residents, this is from the Virginia Code:

"19VAC30-70-140. Headlamps; except motorcycles.

A. Inspect for and reject if:

1. Any motor vehicle is not equipped with headlamps of an approved type. The headlamps must be marked with the headlamp manufacturer's name or trademark, and DOT. If the headlamp bulbs are replaceable, the headlamp lens must be marked with the headlamp light source type (bulb) for which it was designed and the bulb must match the lens code."

Here is a link to the entire Safety Inspection document published by the Virginia State Police

http://www.vsp.state.va.us/downloads...15%202016).pdf

As a note, in Virginia, dealer service centers and other garages are not allowed, under penalty of law, to replace headlamp or taillight bulbs in registered on-road vehicles with customer supplied bulbs unless the bulb is clearly marked DOT.
Interesting read. It is to bad the Feds and CA State government does not follow suit. We have too many grey area laws. In this case, some people can safely put in a non DOT bulb, without being a danger to themselves or others. However, sadly, this is not the norm. I do understand how annoying and dangerous it is, when people replace bulbs with ones that are funky colors and blind everyone else on the road.

I rather wish CA would do inspections on vehicles, kind of like Germany with their TUV. While not perfect, I rarely see a banged up hoopty rolling down the autobahn when I visit for business.
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Old 12-20-2016, 10:16 PM   #17
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On my 2016 Vegas, the high beams are excellent...very bright, aimed just right, and illuminating far down the road...as good as I have had on any vehicle. However the low beams do not illuminate as far in front of the coach as I would like...I am hoping this is just an aiming issue, but I haven't had a chance to work on it yet (just bought the coach on December 2nd.)
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Old 12-20-2016, 10:47 PM   #18
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Not sure how good our headlights are, in 34,000+ of motorhome living I have only driven once after dark for about 10 miles. Just saying.
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Old 12-20-2016, 11:27 PM   #19
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Not sure how good our headlights are, in 34,000+ of motorhome living I have only driven once after dark for about 10 miles. Just saying.
The same here. The last time I drove after dark I wound up in an unfamiliar area of Nashville towing a car through a residential area because the GPS had me take a wrong turn. Luckily I was in the prior Class C and wasn't in this 38 foot coach. I did get to Charleston after dark last December but I had been there before and knew where I was going.

I still like to get where I am going and setup before dark.
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Old 12-20-2016, 11:44 PM   #20
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Originally Posted by dstankov View Post
Don't have much respect for the intelligence of state safety inspectors do you? Any individual with half a brain can see the difference between incandescent, halogen, LED and HID headlights.

Also, suggest folks look at insurance policies to see who pays in the event of an accident (i.e. hitting a deer at night) if non-DOT compliant headlights were installed on the vehicle.

Bottom line, you are free to do whatever your wallet can afford.
Isn't state safety inspector and intelligence an oxymoron? Some of the inspectors I've dealt with were lucky to find their way to work. Seriously doubt many would look at the bulbs to see if they are DOT rated, if they do I would have the old bulbs to swap back.

I've lived in several different states, some with and some without inspections. It has been my experience that most state inspections are just a money maker, not a real service. I wish all states inspected properly, would get some of the fog machines off the road! I would be happy to pay for a "real" inspection!
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