2016 Adventurer Headlights Dim

armullis59 · 11-11-2022, 06:37 PM

My headlights seem to really dim. It almost make me dread driving at night! Has anyone found a better compatible headlight that actually illuminates the road in front of you?

My chassis battery is brand new, and the alternator seems to be doing OK. So, I don't think this is an electrical problem. Just poor headlights!

I found the web site below with replacement headlights for my coach, I am just not sure if they are indeed an improvement over the stock headlights I currently have.

Any thoughts or ideas appreciated.....

https://www.headlightsdepot.com/winn...1660-hlap.html

Morich · 11-11-2022, 06:52 PM

One of the big shocks when we first started dealing with the Texas sun was how quickly it eats up anything outside!
Have you taken a good look at the headlight lens to see if they are the real problem?
If you have trouble seeing the bulbs, they will have trouble lighting the road so a swap of the lens may be in order.
The problem with that is the lens may cost nearly as much as the whole fixture so do some shopping if that seems right.
I found the idea of cleaning solutions, etc to be bogus as the damage was through the whole thickness of the plastic, not an outside surface problem that could be scrubbbed off.
Those you mention might be a good choice as the price is not shocking after I looked at car lights.

armullis59 · 11-11-2022, 07:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Morich

One of the big shocks when we first started dealing with the Texas sun was how quickly it eats up anything outside!
Have you taken a good look at the headlight lens to see if they are the real problem?
If you have trouble seeing the bulbs, they will have trouble lighting the road so a swap of the lens may be in order.
The problem with that is the lens may cost nearly as much as the whole fixture so do some shopping if that seems right.
I found the idea of cleaning solutions, etc to be bogus as the damage was through the whole thickness of the plastic, not an outside surface problem that could be scrubbbed off.
Those you mention might be a good choice as the price is not shocking after I looked at car lights.

The lenses are not fogged up. It just appears to be poor lighting. Is there a better replacement bulb maybe?

Morich · 11-12-2022, 07:22 AM

Replaceing the bulbs? I have to say, "maybe" as it depends on the bulbholder, etc but that is defintiely an idea to chase as there are so many new LED bulbs out now and brighter is often what we can get.
Are you an LED shopper and know about the various ratings?
You may/may not get lumens as we do on older bulbs, so it may take looking at different ratings like Kelvin or K. That is the "color" of the light with 3500 K being a bit more orange and 5000K much brighter almost "operating room" bright bluish?
I would expect to find LED with the same base and bright white.
That might also be a big plus on less work if the mounting, etc. lets you get to the bulbs from the rear?

One point that I've found on LED is that most are made in other countries and I fidn the name brand are much like the others, so I often look for pricing. Once I get the base type in mind, I find E-bay is a great price place to shop. I shop only US dealers to avoid getting hung in the shipping traffic jams off the coast but I feel I find some real bargains for inside LED bulbs for the RV.
Good luck on the chase. That's about all I know on the subject!
Everything I try on RV seems to be different with every model!!

**creativepart** · 11-12-2022, 07:30 AM

I wish I could help but I’ve never driven my 2017 Adventurer after dark in my 5-years and 46,000 miles. I’ve never seen the headlights on.

I have seen this subject discussed on www.irv2.com. This seems to be a common complaint for many different brands of motorhomes. You also might try posting there. This forum is an off-shoot from irv2.

Ray,IN · 11-12-2022, 01:43 PM

IMO the problem, at least for me, is perception. In an auto the drivers eyes are perhaps 2-3' above the headlights, in a MH the drivers eyes are perhaps 6-7' above the headlights.
This angle difference makes a huge difference in how headlight beams are seen.

Then there is the actual problem of low voltage at the headlights themselves. This problem is not particular to MH's. I bought a new 2002 Chevy dually, a few years later GM sent me a recall letter about installing a new headlight wiring harnessto correct low voltage at the bulbs.

So, IMO checking voltage on the ground side of each Illuminated bulb is a prudent action.

NormD · 11-16-2022, 08:10 PM

Have you checked the aim of the headlights? Someone had set the headlights on my unit to shine about 30 feet down the road, instead of 300 feet. The first time I tried driving with this setting was terrifying! A simple minor adjustment made a huge difference.

Wyatt · 11-16-2022, 09:18 PM

OMG! The OEM headlights are so bad on ours…”How bad we’re they?”. They were so bad, that driving home from the dealer when the sun went down I had to pull over off the side of the road to see if I had actually turned on the headlights.

I don’t care what angle it is—the difference between an RV and a car—the fact is I couldn’t see the road.

So installed his M4 replacement headlights which worked very well.

https://m4products.com/headlights-h1...with-2-lights/

But good wasn’t good enough so I added the Sylvania light bar which was the cats meow.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

LizandBruce · 11-17-2022, 08:08 AM

We replaced our factory bulbs with LED replacements. They burn bright and eliminated the yellowish glow from the factory bulbs. Had them in for 3 years and still working fine.

moabdds · 11-17-2022, 10:54 AM

Wyatt,

I'm surprised you haven't been pulled over and ticketed when using the light bar. They are illegal to use on public roads in most states, including California, and very restricted in all the rest. California even requires an opaque cover on them when driving on a public road, just to make sure you don't sneakily turn them on when no one is looking.

https://www.cjponyparts.com/resource...ght-bars-legal

Just a word to the wise.

Wyatt · 11-17-2022, 11:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by moabdds

Wyatt,

I'm surprised you haven't been pulled over and ticketed when using the light bar. They are illegal to use on public roads in most states, including California, and very restricted in all the rest. California even requires an opaque cover on them when driving on a public road, just to make sure you don't sneakily turn them on when no one is looking.

https://www.cjponyparts.com/resource...ght-bars-legal

Just a word to the wise.

First, I only use the auxiliary lights when I can’t see, and no one is around.

But second, the devil, or in this case, the salvation, is in the details of the law:

Mounting

This is from your link:

Most states also have regulations regarding mounting location. This is mostly to differentiate between fog lights and off-roading lights.

These height restrictions reduce the mounting area so that anything above the grille won’t make the cut. Lifted vehicles will be limited even further since measurements are taken from the surface of the road.

Some street legal light bars mount at or below the headlight heights. For people who frequently drive on public roads that are rural, these can improve safety without breaking laws.

And this is from the CA specific website:

24402. (a) Any motor vehicle may be equipped with not to exceed two auxiliary driving lamps mounted on the front at a height of not less than 16 inches nor more than 42 inches. Driving lamps are lamps designed for supplementing the upper beam from headlamps and may not be lighted with the lower beam.
(b) Any motor vehicle may be equipped with not to exceed two auxiliary passing lamps mounted on the front at a height of not less than 24 inches nor more than 42 inches. Passing lamps are lamps designed for supplementing the lower beam from headlamps and may also be lighted with the upper beam.
(Enacted by Stats. 1959, Ch. 3.)

24403. (a) A motor vehicle may be equipped with not more than two foglamps that may be used with, but may not be used in substitution of, headlamps.
(b) On a motor vehicle other than a motorcycle, the foglamps authorized under this section shall be mounted on the front at a height of not less than 12 inches nor more than 30 inches and aimed so that when the vehicle is not loaded none of the high-intensity portion of the light to the left of the center of the vehicle projects higher than a level of four inches below the level of the center of the lamp from which it comes, for a distance of 25 feet in front of the vehicle.

(Amended by Stats. 2003, Ch. 451, Sec. 20. Effective January 1, 2004.)

24404. (a) A motor vehicle may be equipped with not to exceed two white spotlamps, which shall not be used in substitution of headlamps.
(b) No spotlamp shall be equipped with any lamp source exceeding 32 standard candlepower or 30 watts nor project any glaring light into the eyes of an approaching driver.
(c) Every spotlamp shall be so directed when in use: That no portion of the main substantially parallel beam of light will strike the roadway to the left of the prolongation of the left side line of the vehicle.
That the top of the beam will not strike the roadway at a distance in excess of 300 feet from the vehicle.
(d) This section does not apply to spotlamps on authorized emergency vehicles.
(e) No spotlamp when in use shall be directed so as to illuminate any other moving vehicle.
(Amended by Stats. 1967, Ch. 544.)

Sullivanclan · 11-17-2022, 05:25 PM

Armullis, if you go that route with the new headlights please report back. Same issues on my 2012 Sightseer.

armullis59 · 11-17-2022, 06:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sullivanclan

Armullis, if you go that route with the new headlights please report back. Same issues on my 2012 Sightseer.

I am hoping there is a better bulb (LED?) than what is provided with the coach headlights. I am just getting started researching this, so I don't yet know what to order from where.

Thanks!

Wyatt · 11-17-2022, 08:34 PM

I am the one that swapped out the ones above with the photos. If I had it to do over again I would probably use these. They’ve been rated number one by every independent (e.g. non-sponsored) test I’ve seen. Right now they’re on sale for 25% off on Amazon.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1