Headlight LED Conversion Kit for Workhorse Chassis

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JoelP

JoelP

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Joined
Nov 2, 2016
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Please forgive me if this has been previously posted.  When I searched on this topic I found lots of postings about LED lighting, but found nothing on LED headlamps.

My Suncruiser headlights are miserably dim. I already polished the lens covers which helped, but it is not enough for me to feel safe when driving in really dark locations.  I see that there are kits available to convert to as much as 12000 lumen LED lamps, some of which have the ability to adjust the focus of the beam. This would seem to put no additional load on the circuitry due to the high efficiency of LEDs.

Has anyone done such a conversion on a Winnebago on the Workhorse chassis.  I would hate to spend $40-$90 on a conversion kit only to find that they are not compatible with the lamp socket in my RV.  Alternatively, does anyone know the socket type for my RV so that I could at least look for that in the spec? What is the max current for the headlamp circuit?  Lacking anything else I will check to see what the fuse rating for this circuit and stay under that. Is there any particular brand of LED headlamp kit that some has used and liked (or disliked)?

Thanks in advance for your help.
 
This is a tough one to answer, except by someone with the same unit Suncruiser as you.

The problem is that different manufacturers can use different headlights depending on what is available that year.  I believe that Winni in your case and Coachman in my case decide what headlights and taillights to use that year.  These are not installed by workhorse and therefore are not the same across all workhorses even of the same year.  Your headlamp base and mine could be the same most likely not.

I might be wrong on this and I am sure that much smarter folks will be along shortly.
 
Joel,

A lot of those LED conversions are illegal in many states. Some of them can cause hot spots brighter than a spotlight. Instead of converting your headlights, I would recommend installing a light bar instead. Light bars are also illegal for road use, but having that on a toggle switch to disable it in the city is a lot safer for other drivers as opposed to excessively bright headlights that you won't be able to turn off. If you get some smaller light bars or pods, you can at least argue that they are substitutes for fog lights.

I think I am going to end up taking the same route since we usually drive in rural areas with no other lights around. Visibility is low on moonless nights and deer can come from anywhere.  I would feel a lot safer having the option to increase visibility when nobody is around in the middle of nowhere.
 
  If you pull the existing bulb out it will have the number stamped on the side, then do a google search for that number in LED.  12,000 lumens seems extreme and remember the higher the output the more heat it generates that must be gotten rid of. While you have the old bulb out measure the distance from the socket to the lense, not all are created equal with LED's. The ones I first picked would have been too long to fit in most headlights.
 
cerd said:
Joel,

A lot of those LED conversions are illegal in many states. Some of them can cause hot spots brighter than a spotlight. Instead of converting your headlights, I would recommend installing a light bar instead. Light bars are also illegal for road use, but having that on a toggle switch to disable it in the city is a lot safer for other drivers as opposed to excessively bright headlights that you won't be able to turn off. If you get some smaller light bars or pods, you can at least argue that they are substitutes for fog lights.

I think I am going to end up taking the same route since we usually drive in rural areas with no other lights around. Visibility is low on moonless nights and deer can come from anywhere.  I would feel a lot safer having the option to increase visibility when nobody is around in the middle of nowhere.
Click to expand...


Good point about checking the legality in California.  I will also look at the light bar idea. I like the versions that allow you to adjust the cone angle of the light to avoid the hotspots that you mentioned.
 
If you use the numbers cast into the headlight unit (google search)  you can find what they were originally use in. Then look for road legal LED conversions.
Bill
 
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