Command 003-30 tail light change

[eldermike]

We own a 2019 Adventurer that came with incandescent command tail lights. I noticed recently that water had made it's way into the lights. I tried to remove the lenses on one light and quickly reached a point of no return based on the screws being glued into the light lens and the screw heads were to large and wedged into the recesses of the lens. So began an unintended project. I am not surprised at all after 6 RV's but the industry can still show you something you haven't yet seen.

I called Command Electronics and found out that a replacement LED version of this light exists and ordered a pair. Why not call Winnebago and ask them why they glued my non-sealed lights shut so the bulbs could not be changed? Because once I removed them and finally got one apart I didn't want them anymore if something better could replace them. The folks at command electronics were very friendly and helpful and very fast shipping.


So first thing was to open up the stripped screw holes in the fiberglass on the motorhome so I could fill them with fiberglass putty and re-drill so they would hold a number 8 stainless pan head screw. The screws that came out of the oem lights were number 8 steel screws with rust and heads that did not fit the light recesses but were jammed in by a screw gun never to come out again. The new screws I found had the same issue and thankfully I have a shop and quickly turned the heads down to a size that fit the pockets of the new lights. I am not sure if any standard pan head screw would have a head diameter small enough to fit in the Command lights. Command does not supply hardware and I understand why, you have to make your own. But it's a minor issue if you have a drill press or a bench grinder or some way to turn them, perhaps even a drill with a chuck and simply file them down a bit.
Just remember to buy stainless steel number 8 pan head sheet metal screws.

With the fiberglass now ready to accept my new lights and modified stainless screws and all the green/yellow wires marked before I cut them I was ready at last to install the new lights. I used standard crimp butt connectors and buttoned it all up in very little time. 90% of the day it took to complete them was spent fixing the stripped out fiberglass on the motorhome and modifying the screws. Also the time of running around town to find the screws.

The good news is the water is out of the oem lights, the bad news is they are sitting on one of my work benches. They are a year old and in perfect condition. I have a hard time throwing things away, so what to do?

We love our Adventurer and have driven it 7000 miles in a year. Ours now has sealed LED taillights.

[99dart]

Pictures or it didn't happen! :P LOL

[eldermike]

Old lights and new lights

[Wyatt]

I did the same swap out. I also had a hard time getting the old screws out, but they worked on the new lenses. I’m glad I didn’t have the issue you did, as I did mine at a campground.

In any case, they blink a lot faster and are brighter as well.

[99dart]

Those look like the same units I had on my Thor Quantum. The factory didn't seal them to the outside wall, so water was getting into the wood structure. I caught it before any damage was done thanks to other forum members.
Looks good guys!

[starcrwzr]

I noticed that my backup lamps had condensation in them after rain too. So I ordered new ones from Command Electronics at $2.50 each and $11.95 to ship. So, yesterday I replaced the gaskets on both of my light assemblies. This is a fairly easy task but you do have to cut the inside connecting parts of the foam gasket in order to slip it over the lights, otherwise, you have to cut all the wires and then reconnect them. Cutting the inside pieces has no effect on the gaskets sealing. You also have to scrape off the black gummy adhesive that they used around the screw mounting holes, not fun, then use some sort of sealer when you put it all back together, I used clear silicone. Words of advice: I don't think the large gaskets were leaking! There was some dust behind the gasket on the wall of the RV, but no signs of water ingress. What I did find is that the very thin, flat o-ring behind the clear backup light is how moisture was getting into the assembly. The clear lens only has two mounting screws and when you tighten them down, it warps the clear lens a tiny bit and you lose the seal on the opposite edges. I could see this because I used some silicone o-ring lube on the o-rings when I put them back in and I could see it make contact with the clear lens and lose contact when I tightened the screws. I sent an email to Command telling them of this poor engineering design but haven't heard back yet. However, I did find a solution. I had a roll of 1" butyl tape left over from a window replacement so I cut a very thin strip of this, rolled it like you did as a child to make a very thin round piece out of it and pushed it into the edge of the lens. I pressed it into place and tightened the screws, happy to see the butyl squeeze out around all the edges. I wiped this off and now have a tight seal that can be pulled off if you have to replace the bulb. Here are a couple of pictures.

[Blastvalve]

I did the update as well, also had the “swimming pool” in my lights when it rained or when washing the RV. After reading some of the horror stories on the net I was happy to see the inside of my coach was dry when I removed.

The LED version has been updated and is now one sealed, flush mount unit, no separate lens for the backup light. Good news it’s very easy to seal to coach and have a “watertight” seal. Only other change is there is just one ground wire coming out of the unit, bit of fun to connect the 3 Wires from the coach and 1 one wire from then light but it can be done. There were some complaints online about no instructions, however the wiring codes were clearly stamped on the back of mine.

[eldermike]

It looks like (so far) that I was the only one that had the screw issue where the heads on the screws were to large and jammed into the light assembly. My screws did not back out as they should and I had to back them out a bit at a time to bring the whole assembly out to prevent stripping the fiberglass of threads. My repair has worked very well.

[Lakejumper]

Ok ow that this an old thread but I want to do this upgrade. Do the screw holes on the replacement LED unit line up with the old holes? What did you use to seal the assembly to the back wall or does it come with a satisfactory gasket? Thanks!

[Wyatt]

Originally Posted by Lakejumper

Ok ow that this an old thread but I want to do this upgrade. Do the screw holes on the replacement LED unit line up with the old holes? What did you use to seal the assembly to the back wall or does it come with a satisfactory gasket? Thanks!

On our rig, it was a direct replacement. The screws lined up, and it comes with a gasket already. Be sure and run your wires through the gasket when installing the new lights, or you’ll have to start over.

[Lakejumper]

Thanks Wyatt. I found the replacement lights on Command’s website.Have the new lights been reliable? Did the wires match up easily? Electrical work isn’t my best skill!

[Wyatt]

Originally Posted by Lakejumper

Thanks Wyatt. I found the replacement lights on Command’s website.Have the new lights been reliable? Did the wires match up easily? Electrical work isn’t my best skill!

Yes, the new lights are reliable so far, and probably, won't be burning out in my lifetime.

When you install the new lights, if you're uneasy about the wiring, just do one old wire to new wire at a time, then you can't go wrong.

[Lakejumper]

Wyatt, I looked at your upgrades/pics. For your headlamp upgrade to LED lights, did you replace the bulb or entire fixture? I know that you used M4 but which model? Also, on your dimmable LED switch for inside lights...are the factory LED lights (I believe that they are ITC) dimmable or did you need to replace the light fixture as well? If so where did you get the switch/lights from? Thank you for all of your help!

[Wyatt]

Originally Posted by Lakejumper

Wyatt, I looked at your upgrades/pics. For your headlamp upgrade to LED lights, did you replace the bulb or entire fixture? I know that you used M4 but which model? Also, on your dimmable LED switch for inside lights...are the factory LED lights (I believe that they are ITC) dimmable or did you need to replace the light fixture as well? If so where did you get the switch/lights from? Thank you for all of your help!

The LED headlights from M4, are just the bulbs. They took about 30 minutes to install. had to remove my hood, in order to get better access, but they are just plug n play. Use some zip ties to clean up the loose wiring.

I used two types of dimmers. The larger ones I installed in my console up front. The smaller ones I replaced the wall switches. They are a tad larger, so I had to enlarge the hole just a tiny bit on the side. They need a negative ground wire in order to make them function well. They'll still work without the ground wire, but they have to warm up in order to dim properly that way.

The switches I found on Amazon.

The OEM LED lights all dimmed just fine. Hope that helps.

[bdub]

Originally Posted by Wyatt

The LED headlights from M4, are just the bulbs. They took about 30 minutes to install. had to remove my hood, in order to get better access, but they are just plug n play. Use some zip ties to clean up the loose wiring.

I used two types of dimmers. The larger ones I installed in my console up front. The smaller ones I replaced the wall switches. They are a tad larger, so I had to enlarge the hole just a tiny bit on the side. They need a negative ground wire in order to make them function well. They'll still work without the ground wire, but they have to warm up in order to dim properly that way.

The switches I found on Amazon.

The OEM LED lights all dimmed just fine. Hope that helps.

Hey Wyatt, just got one of those little dimmers and want to replace the main cabin switch with it. What's the trick on finding the ground? I'm assuming the positive is the top yellow wire on he original switch.

[YGoHom]

There is no ground wire. You have to run your own. I dropped it down to the nearest metal structure/frame bolt. I have the 2nd switch with the skinny slider.
For the existing wires, one is hot and the other goes to the lights. Use a 12v test light to determine which. It’s not really necessary, though. If the lights turn on by pressing down, just swap the two.

[bdub]

Originally Posted by YGoHom

There is no ground wire. You have to run your own. I dropped it down to the nearest metal structure/frame bolt. I have the 2nd switch with the skinny slider.
For the existing wires, one is hot and the other goes to the lights. Use a 12v test light to determine which. It’s not really necessary, though. If the lights turn on by pressing down, just swap the two.

Sweet. Thanks very much!

[Wyatt]

Originally Posted by YGoHom

There is no ground wire. You have to run your own. I dropped it down to the nearest metal structure/frame bolt. I have the 2nd switch with the skinny slider.
For the existing wires, one is hot and the other goes to the lights. Use a 12v test light to determine which. It’s not really necessary, though. If the lights turn on by pressing down, just swap the two.

Agreed. I pulled the side panel behind the switch under the sink to get better access to run a ground wire, which I attached to a screw in the back of the Converter/charger.

[bdub]

Originally Posted by Wyatt

Agreed. I pulled the side panel behind the switch under the sink to get better access to run a ground wire, which I attached to a screw in the back of the Converter/charger.

Sounds good. Saw some advice to just tie off the black and white wires and connect them to the lights wire....sounded off to me.

[Wyatt]

Originally Posted by bdub

Sounds good. Saw some advice to just tie off the black and white wires and connect them to the lights wire....sounded off to me.

Well, that will work, sort of. The lights will come on and off just fine, but they may not be dimmable until the switch warms up. Typically in 30 seconds. I know this, because the only one I didn’t run a ground to is the switch in the bedroom, because I can’t fish it through the walls.

The bathroom and hall switch/dimmers have a common ground wire, which I was able to fish down through the wall where the gauges are, and attach to the metal heater shroud behind the cold air return.

It only takes about an extra 15 minutes to run the ground for the main cabin...