Vanagon LED lighting upgrades and HID projector retrofit

DASMULE · Posted: Thu Sep 11, 2014 6:33 am Post subject:

As promised, here's a shot of the Pilot lights installed.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

_________________
MULE Expedition Outfitters
Specializing in Overland Equipment & Accessories
www.dasmule.com

dubbified · Posted: Thu Sep 11, 2014 8:45 am Post subject:

To the OP.. That's a clean breakdown and retrofit!

To DasMule.. your setup is awesome! Dope bumper.. whoa... Do you have any night pics?

There is a 5x7... and I'm curious about anyone updating the squares..

http://www.amazon.com/GE-NIGHTHAWK-Rectangular-Rep...+rectangle

geo_tonz · Posted: Thu Sep 11, 2014 11:03 am Post subject:

Those GE LEDs look awesome and have great reviews. Please post your findings Jay. Damn! Shouldn't have bought the Ecodes as it'd be much easier to justify buying these without a nice working set on my van!
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Red Vanagon

"Ron Burgundy": 1991 Vanagon Multivan (Weekender) 2.1L Auto - Driver/Camper

vanonimous · Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2014 9:15 pm Post subject:

thatvwbusguy · Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2014 11:53 pm Post subject:

The headlight wiring will also need to be converted from 9004 to H4 sockets on 86-91 vans.
_________________
Jay Brown
'85 Zetec Westfalia
Newmarket, NH

If you want others to be happy, practice compassion.
If you want to be happy, practice compassion.

thatvwbusguy · Posted: Fri Sep 19, 2014 1:43 am Post subject:

Finally got a chance to install the GE NightHawk 7" LED headlights and take them out for a short drive tonight. These are pretty decent headlights and would be a good match for any Vanagon running 7" round lenses. I did however find the X-shaped artifact that is common to many automotive LED headlamps to be distracting (see photo) especially when cornering.

The color temperature of the lights is a very bright white, but not blue. On low beam, there was very little noticeable upward glare, so dazzling oncoming traffic shouldn't be an issue if your lights are adjusted properly. The cutoff is nearly flat on low beam and well controlled on high beam. Lumen output and amp draw were both approximately as listed when measured by my inexpensive equipment.

Here are a few shots of the lights in action. All photos were taken with the same settings on my trusty old Cannon A500.

Street view showing the X-shaped lighting artifact:

Low Beam Cutoff:

High Beam Cutoff:

Overall, I would give these 7" LED's a favorable review. I am still not 100% sure that they are worth the $320.00 price tag however. For now, a combination of Cibie e-Code lenses and Osram Hyper H4 bulbs remains my preffered setup for Vanagon lighting.
_________________
Jay Brown
'85 Zetec Westfalia
Newmarket, NH

If you want others to be happy, practice compassion.
If you want to be happy, practice compassion.

bluefirefly · Posted: Fri Sep 19, 2014 4:17 am Post subject:

Thanks a lot for the review, it is appreciated.
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86 Syncro Tintop G60
work in progress ...as always!

DASMULE · Posted: Fri Sep 19, 2014 7:41 am Post subject:

Thatvwbusguy,

what is the distance in the first pic?
_________________
MULE Expedition Outfitters
Specializing in Overland Equipment & Accessories
www.dasmule.com

Aerosport · Posted: Fri Sep 19, 2014 9:18 pm Post subject: LED LIghts

The Dasmule setup looks really great and I love the versatility of the Vision X 4.5" lights, but wondering how you mounted them? I'm planning on going with that setup if I can find a SA grill in stock somewhere for my 87 Westy
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Stan L

'87 Westy GL - "Stanagon", 2wd WBX 4 speed
15" Rhein alloys, GW 1.5" lift springs & Fox shocks

thatvwbusguy · Posted: Sat Sep 20, 2014 2:52 am Post subject:

Distance to the back of the silver Forester in the first photo was roughly 30' away. The shot was taken just after installation and before aiming the lights up to the proper height. I highly doubt that these LEDs will reach out further than a halogen bulb installed in a decent lens as claimed in their literature http://www.gelighting.com/LightingWeb/na/consumer/...index.jsp, but they should certainly be more than adequate for most people's daily driving needs.

After taking a late night trip around town and visiting some spots with very little ambient light pollution, I had to admit that I really had no interest in "getting used" to the X-shaped hot spot artifact and decided to pull them out. This was made much easier by the fact that one of the guys I work had already told me that he wanted them for his '68 Camaro and had the cash in hand. A couple hours later, I ordered a new set of Cibie eCode's to replace the Bosch lenses I have been running for the past couple years.

DasMule, did you get a chance to take any night shots of the Peterson LEDs yet? I would love to see how they compare.
_________________
Jay Brown
'85 Zetec Westfalia
Newmarket, NH

If you want others to be happy, practice compassion.
If you want to be happy, practice compassion.

DAV!D · Posted: Sat Sep 20, 2014 5:28 am Post subject:

Speaking of headlights, am I the only one that has thought of this?

Seems a little surgery could make for a neat option. I haven't measured a set, but they look so very close to the stock vanagon size.
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86 Syncro Build - Ecotec Motor Swap - Pop Top Conversion - Camper Build & Syncro Conversion

DASMULE · Posted: Sat Sep 20, 2014 7:22 am Post subject: Re: LED LIghts

MacDude · Posted: Sat Sep 20, 2014 11:04 am Post subject:

Isn't that what the SA grill is for? Or were you talking about something besides the Two round light configuration?

grethi · Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2015 1:56 am Post subject:

Raising the dead here, but:
No.

The Chrysler halogen headlamps (like that challenger) use H13 bulbs with small, poor quality connectors. I've heard many stories of harness melting or bulb connectors breaking because of heat. I'd say H4 or LED.
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My mind not only wanders, sometimes it leaves completely.

'69 square

NASkeet · Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2015 8:04 am Post subject:

A late-model (A British J-prefix registration), RHD VW Type 25 Syncro (i.e. Vanagon or Transporter T3, with retro-fitted Truck-Lite LED headlamps, was recently featured in the following magazine article:

Dave Richards & Andrew Thompson, “Have Syncro, will travel …”, Volkswagen Camper & Commercial, Issue 92, June 2015, Pages 38~42.

Integral Sidelight/position lamp

Dipped Beam

Main Beam

Truck-lite, Barrows Road, Harlow, Essex, CM19 5FA, England
Tel: +44(0) 1279 406406
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.truck-lite.com/ledheadlamps/

http://www.truck-lite.eu.com/contact

Truck-Lite, 181 Viking Drive, Wacol, Queensland, QLD 4076, Australia
Email – [email protected]

http://truck-lite.com.au/product/truck-lite-led-headlight-ece-27291c/

http://www.mudstuff.co.uk/trucklite-phase-7-led-headlamps.html

http://www.kbcarstuff.com/Truck-Lite-s/283627.htm
_________________
Regards.

Nigel A. Skeet

Independent tutor (semi-retired) of mathematics, physics, technology & engineering for secondary, tertiary, further & higher education.

Much modified, RHD 1973 VW "1600" Type 2 Westfalia Continental campervan, with the World's only decent, cross-over-arm, SWF pantograph rear-window wiper

Onetime member, plus former Technical Editor & Editor of Transporter Talk magazine
Volkswagen Type 2 Owners' Club (Great Britain)

http://www.vwt2oc.net

imdbui · Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2015 2:49 am Post subject: Re: LED LIghts

svenakela · Posted: Tue Aug 11, 2015 12:15 pm Post subject:

Merian · Posted: Tue Aug 11, 2015 1:00 pm Post subject:

looks like that guy should have kept his stock headlights


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Vanagon LED lighting upgrades and HID projector retrofit
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