LED bulbs

[PaulB12]

Are led bulbs too hot as replacement bulbs for side markers.
Cost wise it's about a wash of changing just the bulb or changing entire side marker.
Same question for break lights.
Yanks,
PaulB12

[kevysinc]

LED lights are not hot at all, they are a lot cooler than incandescent, no reason why you can't use them in marker or brake lights

[Jagiven]

A watt is a watt.

Think about your house light bulbs, If you have a 100 watt incandescent bulb, and you want to replace it. An equivalent 17 watt LED bulb will give you the same amount of light.

I did try replacing my incandescent marker lights with LEDs years ago (2013ish). The LED I picked out, I was not happy with, just not bright enough. They were 921 base, with a small flat board that faced straight out. LEDs have come a long ways since then. I would recommend watching the overall lumen rating.

[PaulB12]

Originally Posted by kevysinc

LED lights are not hot at all, they are a lot cooler than incandescent, no reason why you can't use them in marker or brake lights

Why do they try and sell heat sinks with them?
Plus....I have burnt my fingers on leds, don't tell me they don't get hot!
Just my experience, I don't want to argue.

PaulB12

[Scott91370]

Some will get hot but heat is the enemy of a diode and will kill them quick but it takes a lot of wattage to get one hot. I've got a 9000 watt lamp that will blister your finger in about 3 second from turning it on.

The replacement side markers and brake lights usually don't get hot enough to require a heat sink but something like a fog/running or headlamp will.

[TaftCoach]

LEDs are the coolest running of any light source.

[JB13502]

Originally Posted by Scott91370

The replacement side markers and brake lights usually don't get hot enough to require a heat sink but something like a fog/running or headlamp will.

X2.
Side marker units and clearance lights are fairly affordable, and usually quite a bit brighter than incandescents. I haven't been too impressed with the "retrofit" bulbs for brake lights; I would replace the entire unit.

[Stan&Sharon]

Hello, I recently upgraded to 2021 GMC Sierra 2500. It's got some fancy software that watches the tail lights on both the truck and a towed trailer.

Last year I upgraded all the lights on my older travel trailer to LEDs. This season, when I plugged it into my new truck the dash started flashing warnings... warnings= turn signal light burned out, brake light out. My infotainment center flashed errors too then went blank (first time I've seen that) then everything was back to normal. Strange I thought. I only needed to tow it 4 miles so I took off. During the trip, the warnings returned then stopped again. Infotainment screen went on/off.

When I arrived at the destination all the lights on the trailer were blinking... all of them!

I left the trailer and returned home to do some research. Seems my new truck needed "Trailer Adapter for Towing Trailers with LED Lights"
https://www.etrailer.com/Custom-Fit-...rt/C57003.html

My 2018 Silverado saw nothing wrong with LEDs. I'm sure this new problem is only because I upgraded this older trailer to LED and my new truck freaked out. I have no doubt when my new Jayco 321RSTS arrives (still on order) I won't need this adapter again. Until then though, it's a requirement for my new truck with this 2013 Rockwood trailer with upgraded lights.