Turning and Tail lights installed and wired up
This post will as usual be long so go look at the photo and videos 1st so you will not lose interest on the subject of this post.
This post is the procedure I did for putting ALL new led lights on my bus in place of all the incandescent lights originally installed. Before I get going here, I am not going to show you how I installed my led lights in frames for the back end and front end of the bus for directional turning etc. The reason I am not showing you for the 1st time now is because I believe Wendell C. Matthews has a desire to make these and sell them and I am sure as hell not going to interfere in that dream of his. I hope I can help promote him, he is a member of our busnuts groups and I never met him before but when I saw what he wants to do I backed off. The only thing I will do now is show you how I installed my lights and there are videos of how they look all running and lit up and unfortunately the led lights themselves do not photograph as good as they actually look. Something about the lighting, but i have never led you wrong yet and guarantee you that these babies are seen for quite a distance and really dress your bus up.
Now I will remind you again like in past post, even if you only put in new led tail lights and not all your lights that you will have to put in (LED only FLASHER) up front in your front power panel or these lights will not work correctly. Save yourself much aggravation (don’t ask) and time in ordering off line a LED only flasher. (https://www.amazon.com/United-Pacific-Industries-90650-Flasher/dp/B075G5XX5K/ref=sr_1_15?crid=3LJXG35IOOUS1&keywords=led+only+flasher&qid=1653144294&sprefix=led+only+flasher%2Caps%2C98&sr=8-15. DO NOT try a led compatible flasher, Your lights will not work correctly. Only saying here.
Now, Wyndell Matthews has the mounting fixtures to the bus for these lights already and you do not have to do the messy procedure I did so he turned out to be more innovative than I and congratulations on that Wyndell.
Now back to me: This post shows the wiring procedure I did on the back doors of my bus for the wiring of my new rear tail light. This was done exactly the same on both doors to minimize mistakes and man did I make them. Only on the connecting of the led lights up front I had a big, big problem. NOTE: here is a suggestion also, if you do not know anything about DC wiring, don’t try to do this job alone and think you can. I tried to wire my bus back up the way it was wired per factory methods and that WILL NOT WORK! After weeks of trying to do this alone, I asked a friend of mine from GE to assist me, (Henry Gossett) and willingly he did. Well he straightened me out after he too realized we cannot wire the bus per the original schematics and then we both decide to use Henry’s expertise and wire up the lights OUR WAY. I worked for weeks, going back and forth from one end of the bus to the other trying to get my system to work. OH, also, I found out about the full LED FLASHER after many, many days of trying to use a LED Compatible flasher that I was assured by the seller that this would work. ”BS” on that information. I am giving you the straight skinny here, but you can try if you want.
All my led’s now mounted on the bus (without Eagle lenses) are there only temporarily until ALL the lights function correctly and we only have the brake lights left to do. Then I will remove, clean the lights and store away until the bus is painted, (who in hell knows when that will be). Also in the videos I present today you will see how I made my new engine compartment door and the new entrance door I installed where the surge tank is located for ease of removing this tank if needed and also to install new rubber elbows etc. if needed for the engine air intake tubes.
You will see how I installed single led lights in areas like the front and back roof lights and using the rubber bezels intended for the lights you have just enough room in both the front and back areas of these lights to install them. It is tight but thoroughly possible. You will also have to open up these areas with a cutting wheel carefully. Also you will see in the videos that I installed flashing directional arrows on each side of the bus just above the surge tank entrance door. Man I love these arrows, it just can be seen by vehicle’s many vehicles behind me what my intentions are to do. BUT, the area I installed them in is really tight and patience is needed here to do this if you wish to.
There are a couple of videos showing ALL the lights flashing at the same time. THIS WAS A MISTAKE on me and I finally had to ask for professional help and did after many months of struggling. Henry fixed my problems I had up to that point in only 3 hours of which I worked my ass off on for not weeks, but months of trying this, trying that and getting really frustrated.
You will see my vision of wanting to install these led lights with the rubber bezels on them in my front bumper and rear lower doors of the bus. Well now in the last videos I present, you will see this vision come to life and am I ever pleased. No more reflectors, just beautiful bright lights. In the rear lower tail lights, I put reflective tape, !/2” around the outer edge of the 4 lower led lights for night driving or to satisfy DOT (I HOPE) that there is still a reflector back there. Also these lights can be respected as being reflectors, I believe. Anyhow, that is what I did.
I did not salvage all my videos of how I mounted my lights in both the front and rear roof areas, as I said above, they just fit in there perfectly after you cut the fixture holes in the body of the bus and also so that you are careful installing them. I am considering fiberglassing an angled hood for the front lights as they now point up to the sky almost and I want everyone to see me coming or going from any direction and may want to angle them more downward. But I am not completely sure this is what I will do, but I have a sneaky suspicion I will.
You will see in my last videos, my left rear and front running and turning lights all properly wired and working as I wanted. I am making my own schematic also to record how all this new wiring is done for the entire bus as I changed so so many things and will never remember what I did forever. This will make it easier for my wife’s new husband to figure out what I did for God’s Sake. Hahaha.
Well enough of this jargon, now onto the photos and videos. Enjoy