Community Forums

JPMaly · 11-23-2009, 03:54 PM

My coach has 8 seperate gauge (not the cluster). They are backlit in brite red and I'm having a hard time seeing them and driving at night. Is the color changeable, and has anybody done so?

CaptBill · 11-23-2009, 05:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JPMaly

My coach has 8 seperate gauge (not the cluster). They are backlit in brite red and I'm having a hard time seeing them and driving at night. Is the color changeable, and has anybody done so?

Did you try using the dimmer to tone the brightness down some? The best gauge illumination color is red, and is what is used exclusively in aircraft, as it has the least affect on night vision.

JPMaly · 11-23-2009, 05:40 PM

Yes, I dimmed the gauges. Its probably my eyesight, cant read the mileage. The red has to go, and the coach may go with it, if I cant change the color. Blue or green would be nice.

CaptChet · 11-23-2009, 06:05 PM

Our 2003 Journey DL39 has Green Lighted back ground lights and is great to my old eyes.
We used the Red Lights in the Pilot house on the ships and that was OK back then but I admit the Charts were not clear in that color lighting. Course if you study and prepare you usually don't need to read the charts underway.

mrschwarz · 11-23-2009, 06:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaptBill

Did you try using the dimmer to tone the brightness down some? The best gauge illumination color is red, and is what is used exclusively in aircraft, as it has the least affect on night vision.

Except for those of use with Red/Green colorblindness that cannot see red gauges at all.

JPMaly · 11-23-2009, 08:34 PM

I am getting new glasses tomorrow. Reds seem a bit blurred, but on this dash I'm sure no glasses will correct it. The wife, who has good vision asked how in the world could I drive, the glare is that bad. My coach is a late 1999, the year they went from the from the cluster gauge to the seperate ones. We bought the coach a year ago, and I never thought of driving it at night, never had this problem before. Hopefully, I can do something, short of posting it in the for sale adds. Yeah, it's really that bad.

New RV Guy · 11-24-2009, 02:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaptBill

Did you try using the dimmer to tone the brightness down some? The best gauge illumination color is red, and is what is used exclusively in aircraft, as it has the least affect on night vision.

Sorry Capt Bill, but I fly a 737-700 NG and all the panel lights in the airplane (Boeing) are white. My Triple E Empress motorhome on a 1999 Freightliner chassis is all red. Not good. Would love to change my background lighting as well.

Gary RVRoamer · 11-24-2009, 03:18 PM

The dash lights in my 2004 are all green, but that's the way American Coach spec'ed it. Maybe a call to Freightliner would get some info on how they do it? I suspect it is either the bulbs or perhaps even a cover over a white bulb, since it is obviously tailorable.

JPMaly · 11-25-2009, 10:15 AM

Thanks for the replies. I see I'm not alone with my dislike of the red color. Eye doctor says some of it is coming from the need of new glasses, but red color likes to "bounce around" in the eye and is sometimes hard to focus clearly. Now that I know some coaches came with green, I will check with Freightliner and I'll post what I find.

JPMaly · 11-25-2009, 03:53 PM

OK, I talked to a very pleasant gentleman at Freightliner in Fontana California. After doing some vin # investigation, he believes that the gauges might have colored LED's and they are sold as a complete unit and Freightliner does not stock anything but the complete gauge, ranging from $112 to over $500 for the tach and speedo. He suggested I remove one of the cheaper gauges and see if it can be taken apart and if so, Radio Shack might stock colored LED's. Anybody have any opinions on this?

Hooligan · 11-25-2009, 08:01 PM

Starting 1-1-99 until 5-1-2000 Freightliner used Kysor - Medallion, System III gauges for RV, School Busses, etc. . The company now is called Medallion Instrument Systems and they may be able to help with the lighting for those gauges. Medallion Instrumentation :: About Our Company :: Heritage

Hope this helps,

JPMaly · 11-25-2009, 08:58 PM

Thanks Hooligan, I just them an email and will call them on Monday.

N4QVB · 12-02-2009, 12:13 PM

JPMaly, if they are LEDs then replacing them is cheap and easy after getting to the board that they are soldered on. They are polarized but the pins are easy to identify. Online suppliers such as DigiKey have them for less than a dollar each.

You are not alone with the red color situation. My wife can't read a red sign or gauge and they are getting a little fuzzy for me, too.

EngineerMike · 12-02-2009, 02:14 PM

For a 1999, LEDs would be ahead of the average curve, tho not impossible. I've installed aftermarket gauges that had a small plastic sock over the changeable light bulb, and the kits came w/red & green socks. You may find they have a small socket type bulb w/color cover. If so, you could use a green Mylar film over the bulb, or other color of your choice.