Incandescent marker clearance lights on the outside of your RV burn out and frequently need to be replaced. To solve this problem, replace the old incandescent marker lights with inexpensive and long-lasting LED fixtures. I did this on my RV and haven’t changed a burned out bulb since. I even added a new LED motion sensing porch light that’s much better than the original light.
Upgrading the exterior lights on your RV to LEDs is an easy DIY project. Let me walk you through it.
Where to buy the LED lights
Our Class C RV had 14 clearance and marker lights. So I didn’t want to spend a lot of money on expensive lights (x 14). I searched Amazon for replacements and found a set of 10 LED replacement bulbs containing five amber and five red lights for under thirty dollars. I ordered them plus 4 additional fixtures. The order came to around $45 for all 14 LED marker lights. Not bad!
Here are the LED fixtures I used.
- Pack of 10 LED Marker / Clearance Lights
- Pack of 2 Amber LED Marker / Clearance Lights
- Pack of 2 Red LED Marker / Clearance Lights
I also replaced my incandescent porch light with a lower power LED that had a motion-sensor feature. I found this replacement porch light on Amazon for around sixty dollars. The reviews were good so I placed the order.
How to Replace the incandescent lights with LEDs step-by-step
Follow these steps for each light you’re replacing:
- Make sure the lights are turned off
- Remove the lense and remove the two screws securing the light
- Pry the old fixture away from the wall of the RV (TIP: Applying heating the sealant/caulk around the old fixture makes it easier to remove)
- Remove any existing sealant using a scraper, a towel and some WD-40 or mineral spirits
- Cut the two wires connecting the light fixture and remove the old fixture
- Strip the ends of the wires
- Attach the positive and negative wires to the new fixture using wire connectors. (Note: The black wire on these fixtures is the positive wire and the white wire is the negative ground wire)
- Wrap the wire connectors with electrical tape to ensure they stay connected and weatherproof when pushed back into the wall
- Cut a piece of weather proof tape (like Eternabond) to fit over the main opening and the screw holes
- Apply the tape so the wires come out the bottom to prevent any water from entering the wall if the light fixture leaks
- Screw the new LED fixture back on screwing through the tape
- Apply a bead of silicon sealant around the edges
- Attach the lense and you are done
This was a pretty simple DIY project. I had many lights to replace on my RV, so it took a little while to finish. The most difficult step in the process was removing old sealant left over from the original light. After replacing half a dozen lights it got easier.