You would have thought that by 2016, all RVs would have LED taillights. Not so. My 2016 Grand Design Reflection model 29RS still features incandescant tail lights...

And whenever I discuss this topic, someone will make the comment "Just replace the incandescant bulbs with LED bulbs and be done with it..."; and I bet someone will make that comment again.

Well, I like doing things correctly, and the major issue is that any replacement tail light, bulb, or light fixture must be tested in accordance with FMVSS 108 - which is a Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard concerning vehicle lighting, including trailers.

In that standard, tail lights must have a certain luminosity, illumination area, and be tested according to SAE test standards. That is just the way it is - don't blame me.

So I found exact LED replacement tail lights that are FMVSS approved; and are the same model and manufacturer - they are just LED versions. So I ordered a Left (with license plate) and Right light fixure.

I used the 7-Pin Trailer Wiring Harness Breakout Box I built last year to test the operation of the tail lights. Since the RV supplies battery voltage to the wiring harness, and since each pin on the harness is available on the breakout box, it was an easy way to test the lights for proper operation without having to connect the tow vehicle to the RV.

When I built the box last year, I had no idea it was going to be so useful. I decided I will at some point modify the box to add switches for turn-signal blinker, tail, and brake light functions, but for now, the banana plug test jacks worked fine.

One thing I discovered was more shoddy workmanship. A power tool (especially a pneumatic one) in the hands of an unskilled laborer is a dangerous thing, and the installers ended up drilling extra holes in the RV to mount the tail lights - most likely because they over-torqued the first ones. Oh when will we ever learn to not buy such junk.

And as I half-expected, the wiring didn't follow any kind of color code... why would it? That would mean competence, something the RV industry lacks.

OK, I'll get off my soapbox, but it just doesn't seem you are getting what you pay for.

If you have Optronics 60/61 style light fixtures, you have two options for direct LED replacements. The "ONE" series features a single high-intensity LED that is newer technology, waterproof, and less expensive than the older multi-LED series (which is the one I used).

If you have Bargman 84/85 series with incandescant bulbs, you can buy replacement LED fixtures that plug into the light socket without having to replace the base fixture.

Of course there are dozens of different tail lights commonly used in RVs, so if you have a different type, consult the taillight manufacturer to see if there is a LED equivalent.