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Replacement driving lights

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Jerry Carr:
Can the driving lights be replace with LED lights? They would last longer and use less power?

Joel Ashley:
LED's are typically a lot more expensive.  What a lot of us have discovered the hard way is that driving lights get broken by rocks before they wear out.  Since your typical alternator puts out plenty of amps to power them, I don't think that's a factor in choosing LED or standard.  For something that's in harm's way, I'd rather spend less on it, than more on a version with a long life that it will never reach anyway.

Keith, there are no adapter plates;  you have to fabricate them.  I've become well healed at making aluminum and steel adapters for many installations on my coaches, from coax cable reels to club egg plaques.  It's not difficult;  you just have to be precise in the final dimensions after each bend.  

Just looking at your photo, I'd find a short piece of steel similar in width and thickness to the new bracket - most home centers should have what you need.  Bend it in a "U" shape with approx. 1 inch wings and a 1 1/4" center section.  Drill 2 matching 3/16" holes in both the "U" adapter and the short wing of the new lamp's bracket, and bolt them together with 5/32" bolts and lock washers.  A properly sized hole in the adapter's opposite wing will take the old lamp's mounting bolt.  Alternatively, you can bend an "L" adapter instead of a "U" and bolt it to the bracket's long section.  Or you could bend down the short wing of the bracket and bolt a short "L" adapter to it.

Obviously there are several options, and I am only guessing at dimensions;  you have to determine the exact measurements that will provide the best alignment of the light.  You might want to use POR-15 paint, or at least Rustoleum, to finish your fabricated bracket with.

I'd also be real tempted to cut and bend the old lamp's bracket as the adapter;  it already has the mounting bolt hole.  But whether it will be as strong after you cut it is questionable -  thinner metal may be why it has two legs.  You could cut it off at about 2 1/2", flatten the two arms together in a vice, and use two bolts to mount it to the new bracket.  Your call.

-Joel

Keith Cooper:
Good advise, I will probably make an L bracket with the following dimensions 14ga steel .75" W x 1.5" L e/w elongated .25" hole on side A. Side B = .75" W x 4" L w elongated .25" hole. Hole sizes match the current bracket.
FYI professional fabrication costs approximately $75 for 2 brackets.

Jim Crawford:
Keith great post,  I too am having issues and in need to replace the driving lights on my 2003 Patriot. Would  you happen to have the part number that was used when making the purchase on Ebay for these driving lights ?

Neal E Weinmann:
I just completed a purchase and replaced a broken driving light on my 2005 Monterey based on this thread. Just search Pilot 195 on Amazon and both driving lights and fog lights will come up. Had to change out the pin connectors for spade connectors to match the coach, but other than that it was a direct replacement. Thanks to all the posters on this thread!

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