Tail Light Assembly Defective Seals

[jenlanning]

We have a 2018 Minnie Winnie 26B that has had both tail light assembly's in need of replacement. The bulbs kept shorting out. I was told by Camping World that the unit seal doesn't keep water out and therefore causes damage. Both units are being replaced by our Winnebago Warranty. One was within 1 year and the other outside of 1 year but Winnebago is honoring the fact that bulbs have been replaced many times in the first year and it has been deemed a defective part.

After replacing the units Camping World said they are going to silicon seal the units so they don't allow water to enter. I really don't like this solution as every time a bulb goes out the silicon will have to be removed and then re-installed. I suggested that there must be an alternative,such as a better seal or gasket that sits where the lighting unit comes into contact with the RV.

I am hoping that Winnebago would considered correcting the tail light unit defect themselves -maybe a recalled part replacement.

However, please tell me if Camping Worlds silicon solution is the only fix to this problem of leaking seals in the tail light assembly?

Jennifer

[hank857]

where is the leak from, the lens or from the seal of the light assembly? No I would not use silicone on the lens as you noted. If its the assembly that leaking there is the putty tape that can be used/built up to seal uneven surfaces to some degree. If its leaking into the assembly from the rear, seal with polyurethane all holes for the wiring etc. although you can do same with the putty tape. This stuff available from rv shops, ace hardware etc

[jenlanning]

I was told the leak is the seal of the light assembly as it fits against the body of the RV.

[thompwil]

Both of my tail light assemblies leaked at the body seal, and at the seal where the lenses for the back-up lights are screwed on. After fiddling with the gaskets for a while, I used a little clear silicone in both places and they have been fine for over two years now. I had to replace another bulb since sealing them and it wasn't a problem getting it apart. The silicone sticks good enough to keep the water out but not too good that it can’t be easily peeled off the plastic.

[creativepart]

If sealed properly you wouldn’t be changing the light bulbs all the time. So a little clear silicone should be just fine.

By the way, we owned a Forest River Class C that had this exact problem. We were on a trip and both taillights went out on the same day. Of course, I thought it must be a fuse or relay because it couldn’t be the bulbs both going out at the same time. So, I spent 4-hours searching for the fuses and the relay and buying parts. Finally, I checked the housing and saw the waterline. The day the bulbs blew out we drove through rain all day.

I replaced the bulbs, cleaned the housing and electronic parts and resealed the lens cover with clear silicone. Job done. No more problems.

[hank857]

Ok you defined the issue as an assembly leak to the MH body. Yes you can use silicone or once again use the sealing putty that is normally used but build it up enough to fill in all voids. Another is to seal ALL holes in the backing plate so any leakage has no place to go. Leave an opening on the bottom of the assembly so that any water entry has a way to escape.

[jenlanning]

Thanks for all the wonderful insights and suggestions. I feel much more confident that our problem will be solved successfully.

[Blastvalve]

I wasn’t familiar with your coach but the problem sounded familiar. From the pics I was able to find online, you likely have the Command Brand taillights, and the design is very known for leaks on Winnies, Fleetwoods and Jayco’s. The problem is exactly as you described, the best thing to do is silicone the unit to the body of the coach, which makes it impossible to change bulbs down the road.

Command recently came out with a LED unit that is a sealed unit and a perfect replacement for the old Command units. I installed on mine earlier this year and so far so good. You can purchase directly from Command online or I’m sure the dealer can order for you.

Some details here of a few owners attacking the problem, might help:

https://www.winnieowners.com/forums/f263/command-003-30-tail-light-change-356693.html

[jenlanning]

That's a great suggestion. I will definitely look into LED units.

[Blastvalve]

Anytime, this might help your hunt. This is the page for the old style light you have and has all the parts avail, there is a link for the LED version near the bottom the page as well. I ordered direct from them and while a little pricy, the turnaround was quick and more importantly, no more blown lights from the thing filling with water!!!!

003-30 : COMMAND ULTRA MODERN RECESSED TRIPLE 12 VOLT TAIL LIGHT — Command Electronics

[jenlanning]

Thanks for the link, I am going to purchase the LED.

[Santee2]

I replaced the whole taillight assembly on my 25B with upgraded LED lights that can be replaced without removing the whole fixture. The new ones are 10X brighter

[JoeC]

I had the same issue on my 2015 Itasca Spirit, close cousins. On mine, the mounting screws were all or mostly stripped and needed replacing with larger screws or using the glue and toothpick method. I went with larger stainless screws and silicone sealer, plus replaced lights with LEDs. Fortunately, Winnebago uses modern flasher controls so the LEDs worked well without further electrical system modifications.

[Morich]

This may be a time to do some more watching even if you do change the fixture for one which doesn't let the water get to the bulbs. I have this problem but the bulb is the smaller part of the problem to me as when the water gets in, it has two choices. It can follow the wires down into the bulb or it can take a short cut and go into the body of the RV! And that is not as easy to fix as a bulb! Let it go long enough and the back corner of the RV can rot off!