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My Little Project originally had seven inch round sealed beam headlights, with a single H6024 bulb on each side. However, most manufacturers quit using the H6024 bulbs in the late 70's and replacement bulbs are becoming hard to find. (The need for replacements has dropped to where stores find it's not worth stocking them.) With this in mind, I decided to switch to a different type of headlight.
Up-to-date headlight fixtures, such as those used on recent cars and trucks, would be the ideal replacement. Unfortunately, most of those are made for specific makes and models and adapting them would be difficult. Also, newer fixtures would make it more difficult to retain the "vintage" appearance.
I know the H6054 sealed beam bulbs for the large (6" x 8") rectangular headlights are still readily available. I also know, from previous experience, that the mounting and aiming hardware, commonly called headlight buckets, is also readily available. Used ones can be found in just about any junkyard (or my buddy's backyard) and new ones are available through LMC Truck and elsewhere.
(All you Mopar purists can stop squawking right now. Headlight buckets are another item that is made by a single manufacturer and used, under different stock numbers, by each of the Big Three.)
As another advantage, switching to H6054 headlights allows me to try something I've been tempted by since the mid-70's. I've always liked the look of quad headlights, with a stacked pair of rectangular lights on each side of the vehicle, similar to the pickup below. Because rectangular quad headlights were used in the 70's, this also allows me to regain some of the vintage look I gave up by going to H6054 bulbs.
(Photo courtesy of TruckQueenRed, Wild Mopar Truck Country)
The magazine article that originally gave me this idea described converting a van to quad headlights, using the smaller (4" x 6") H4651, H4656, and H4666 sealed beam bulbs like the pickup above. However, I think the larger (6" x 8") H6054 lights are better suited to the scale of a motorhome. Also, the smaller headlight buckets, as well as the bulbs themselves, are now rare enough to pose problems.
Switching to H6054 headlights reduces, but does not eliminate, future problems finding replacement bulbs. Virtually all vehicle manufacturers have moved away from sealed beam headlights to fixtures that use smaller halogen lamps, such as the H4 bulb below.
(Photo courtesy of Hella)
I had previously noticed kits for converting sealed beam headlights to the new halogen systems, such as the Hella Vision Plus Conversion Headlamps below. However, for some reason I always thought of these as fancy doodads for kids with too much time and money. That is, until I realized these were the ultimate solution to what I was trying to do with the motorhome. (Don't you just love it when you finally recognize a solution that's been staring you in the face.)
(Photo courtesy of Hella)
To be legal for use on United States streets and highways, the conversion headlamps must meet SAE/DOT standards. Headlamps that conform to these standards will be marked with DOT and may also be marked with 9003/HB2, which is the appropriate bulb. Conversion headlamps marked with H4 are supposed to be identical to the 9003/HB2, with the sole difference being the physically interchangeable bulbs. However, a H4 headlamp without the DOT marking could result in a ticket. (Don't argue technical equivalence with the cop ... got to court and argue it before a judge.)
9003/HB2 and H4 bulbs are physically identical but each is manufactured to a slightly different standard. The standards are similar enough that it's possible to make bulbs that meet both standards. Regardless of the designation, the bulb must be stamped with DOT to be legal for use on U.S. streets and highways. (If you get a ticket for using a bulb that isn't stamped DOT, just pay the fine because the bulb probably doesn't meet the 9003/HB2 standard.)
NOTE: Candlepower has a downloadable pdf document that explains this very well.
Now, let me explain before you write to point out there are conversion headlamps for the motorhome's original seven inch round headlights. (1) I really like the look of quad rectangular headlights, (2) I didn't realize these were available until after I was committed to the rectangular headlights, and (3) the quad H6054 conversion headlamps allow me to satisfy another goal, which is equiping the motorhome with moose-lights.
In case you missed the definition elsewhere, moose-lights are very bright, often illegal, headlights used to spot moose before they wander out in front of you. A key part of the 9003/HB2 standard is bulbs are limited to a maximum of 60 watts for high beam and 55 watts for low beam. While researching this subject, I notice there are H4 bulbs that met the SAE/DOT standard for 55 watt low beams but have significantly stronger 100 watt high beams.
I can put a set of 9003/HB2 bulbs in the lower pair of headlamps and the 100/55 watt H4 bulbs in the upper pair of headlamps. This will allow me to run with the much brighter 100 watt moose-light high beams but drop to the legal 55 watt low beams when I hit the dimmer switch. I can also swap out the 100/55 watt H4 bulbs for another set of 9003/HB2 when I don't need the moose-lights and want to be completely legal. I'm also considering a cut-out switch so I don't accidentally turn on the 100 watt high beams when I don't mean to.
Exterior Lights (overview)
Front Lights Rear Lights
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Federal Lighting Equipment Location Requirements http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/standards/conspicuity/ |
