Date:         Thu, 20 Sep 2007 16:31:27 -0400
Reply-To:     Mike S <mikes@FLATSURFACE.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Mike S <mikes@FLATSURFACE.COM>
Subject:      Re: Back-up lights
Comments: To: adhocMedia@COMCAST.NET
In-Reply-To:  <092020071812.17682.46F2B8190000D38900004512220702085302019
              DD202019C02080106@comcast.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

At 02:12 PM 9/20/2007, Ron Johnson wrote...
>In addition to terrifically under-powered headlights on a Vanagon, the
>back-up lights are also below expectation.

Stock BU lights are a P21W bulbs (so are the rear turn and stop bulbs),
which is usually crossed to an 1073 or 1156 in the US. One can instead
use 1295 bulbs for an increase from 32 to 50 candlepower. You could
also go to a 795, which is a 50W halogen bulb which produces 108
candlepower. I would be careful with the latter, it gets quite a bit
hotter than the other bulbs, and could melt the light housing. Should
be fine for the limited duty cycle of these bulbs, though.

Rear tails are P5W, which crosses to a 67 or 89. A 93 bulb will give
you an increase from 4 to 15 candlepower.

Oddly enough, my owner's manual says that the rear stop/tail light is a
dual filament bulb, and spec's a 1034. In actuality, they are separate
bulbs, as described here.

The front marker/turn bulb is a P21/5W, crossed to a 1034 in the US.
Brighter is a P3496 (27/8W), brightest a H1157 (50/15W).

The 795, P3496 and H1157 will probably not be found at the local FLAPS.
You can get them from http://store.candlepower.com/