Community Forums

mannebk · 02-13-2025, 02:59 AM

Good Morning RVers,

my headlamps are blind. Cant find replacements, neither used nor new. Or anything fitting my headlamp holes in the Dolphins front bumper...

so what should I do? get not fitting replacements? send em somewhere to get em fixed? stick high power LEDs inside? my bulbs are about 20 years old.

what are the rules for additional lamps and light bars? Montana registration, if place of registration does mat6like it does in Europe.

e.g. in Germany we have rigid rules: only approved lamps with an approval label and accompanying paperwork can be fitted. The bulb inside also needs to have an approved design and as owner/operator during a DOT roadside inspection you need to be able to prove that on the spot. otherwise its getting towed to the next inspection site for an inspector to have a look at it. and no matter if your okay or not, your having the towing bill and the hassle with the inspection. and they might find other stuff, and you have to tow it to a shop to get it fixed.... can become a real pita real fast.

furthermore on the front you can have a maximum of 6 lamps, that includes fog, low and high beam. at any given time a maximum of 4 lamps can be on, bars are a nono.

if you have more, like offroad stuff that doesn't need approval, they MUST be covered while on road.

so coming from such an environment im kind of hesitant to just add some new lamps to my RV. however i k ow the rules are way more relaxed. so what are the rules actually? and what's in for me if i break them?

zrock2010 · 02-13-2025, 05:45 AM

Have you tried those polishing kits? I usually use automotive body work sand paper and go from 800 all the way up to 3000 grit and then use the polish out of one of the headlight kits and they come out looking like new. I have run into a few that have some sort of coating over the lens that has to be sanded off and that takes some time as it feels like glass.

**Lt Dan** · 02-13-2025, 06:32 AM

Accessory light bars and lamps are illegal in most states for on road use. Before you do that, give this headlight restoration kit a try. I've used it on mine and it restored the fogged plastic back to like new condition.
https://www.amazon.com/CERAKOTE-Cera.../dp/B084RQKLV8

Mark_K5LXP · 02-13-2025, 07:33 AM

Do you know for a fact these are unobtainium? Generally the headlight assemblies are from some common make/model of vehicle. Example, mine are chevy silverado pickup lenses, many options for replacement. Though after 30 years it's not unexpected yours may not be all that common anymore, but it's not like they're custom to your RV. The place to start if you haven't already tried is to get the DOT number off of the assembly. Likely easier to search that way than what your RV manufacturer might've assigned as a part number.

Another data point - my pickup truck is 30 years old with the factory headlights. Here in New Mexico the UV roasts them pretty soundly. I have to refinish them fairly regularly, about every 2 years or so. I could easily buy new ones for this model truck but I'm a cheap arse. 15 minutes wet sanding with some 400 grit and a swipe with a paper towel soaked in acetone and they look great again. So maybe as you're searching for a replacement, the sand 'n' swipe could get you down the road for a while.

I would not entertain LED bulb replacements. To get one with the correct light distribution would be expensive. If you're going to spend that kind of money for an LED conversion, get ones that include the lens assembly so the light distribution is correct, and the LED's are properly thermally managed. A clear lens and a $8 halogen bulb is going to work pretty well, try that first before going down the spendy road of LED's. Then if you want, add on a couple off road or a bar light you control separately when you actually need the illumination going down a forest road or whatever.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

d23haynes57 · 02-13-2025, 07:43 AM

What year is your Dolphin? Are the lights rectangular or the later wide 2 lamp units? Those were made by Hella.

bigb56 · 02-13-2025, 07:58 AM

I've used the polishing kits with mediocre results. On my Sprinter I sanded and polished with abrasive drill discs and compounds ending with 3,000 grit hand polish, then I covered them with 3M paint protection film. So far those came out the nicest, like new.

On one of our cars I got Jiffy Lube to do them, they use a kit and UV light. They came out very nice and they give you a lifetime warranty, if they fade they'll do it again free. It was $60.

tderonne · 02-13-2025, 09:42 AM

Did you find this thread?

That the headlight you have? Something like 10"x6". Seems it is either a Hella light (936 591-00) used on some Mack trucks, or a copy of one.

There was a Dolphin in a junkyard near me last summer. Could still be there, lights were on it. But you already have a used set, not sure that'd be of any help.

I also found a Dorman 888-5515 that may be the correct thing. It's listed as being for some Mack trucks (different trucks had different lights, can't just look for a "Mack" headlight, even the same model truck had different hoods with different lights.)

As for what's legal, yes seems all 50 states have different laws. US DOT doesn't regulate or certify anything. They publish specs, but that's it. Any light being advertised as being DOT legal isn't technically so. It may meet the specs, but the DOT hasn't checked it or anything like that.

David 70 · 02-13-2025, 09:55 AM

Look on the bottom edge of the lens and there should be a DOT number on it. Post it and we can try to help you find a replacement. So far as the laws for lighting in the US they are the same as you said in Germany. Any light on a motor vehicle must have a DOT approval number on it along with the bulbs. Is it enforced as rigorously? No.

George Schweikle · 02-13-2025, 07:39 PM

Some motorhomes run the headlight wiring all over the place so check that you don't have significant voltage drop to the headlights. If so, there are many different relay kits that provide full battery voltage to the headlights. Search here, or Google headlight relays.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mannebk

Good Morning RVers,

my headlamps are blind. Cant find replacements, neither used nor new. Or anything fitting my headlamp holes in the Dolphins front bumper...

so what should I do? get not fitting replacements? send em somewhere to get em fixed? stick high power LEDs inside? my bulbs are about 20 years old.

what are the rules for additional lamps and light bars? Montana registration, if place of registration does mat6like it does in Europe.

e.g. in Germany we have rigid rules: only approved lamps with an approval label and accompanying paperwork can be fitted. The bulb inside also needs to have an approved design and as owner/operator during a DOT roadside inspection you need to be able to prove that on the spot. otherwise its getting towed to the next inspection site for an inspector to have a look at it. and no matter if your okay or not, your having the towing bill and the hassle with the inspection. and they might find other stuff, and you have to tow it to a shop to get it fixed.... can become a real pita real fast.

furthermore on the front you can have a maximum of 6 lamps, that includes fog, low and high beam. at any given time a maximum of 4 lamps can be on, bars are a nono.

if you have more, like offroad stuff that doesn't need approval, they MUST be covered while on road.

so coming from such an environment im kind of hesitant to just add some new lamps to my RV. however i k ow the rules are way more relaxed. so what are the rules actually? and what's in for me if i break them?

mannebk · 02-13-2025, 10:20 PM

wow.... thanks folks.

its Hella, glass, rectangle, i think 10x6 but not shure, I've got the number somewhere but can't find it right now, but I'll be back at the rv start of next week, flight is on 18th, plus a day on Amtrak and bustang to make it to my landlord in an agreeable way for my handicapped father.

i tried calling the hella headquarters, im basically living like right next door and do speak their native language:-). its unobtainium.

its a 97 Dolphin.

wiring was the first i checked, and changed to relay s fed traight from alternator with just a fuse in between.... i know that from classic cars in Europe, don it plenty times before to safe the unibtainuim light switches

the glass is fine, so those repair kids wont work, they are for plastic headlamps. with mine it's the mirror inside, it is the problem, its just not reflecting any more. but i know there are companies out there re-chroming them, but cant fine one right now.

haven't found a replacement number for them. as far as i recall its not a mack light but not sure.

tderonne so a good used set would probably go a long way if in good condition. if that is still available and same year or close, im looking also for a driver side windscreen... haven't found a junkyard that had my year.... im not just out west nut also in Toronto on this year's travel, so i gladly come by to get the parts if they still have it and condition is confirmed.

but the number comes pretty close to what im looking for.

ill try to find the number but it looks like I'm missing some pictures from last year

Manny

mannebk · 02-14-2025, 01:53 AM

found it

936 591 00 driver side

pax side schoule be 936 592 00

tderonne you where spot on

mannebk · 02-14-2025, 02:28 AM

i ordered two from Dorman via Amazon and take a looke for if them are fitting... if them do, i probably will get a spare.

they currently have them for 43$ in re-sales used like new without or in damaged original packaging... pay 106 or check other sources if you need headlamps for your 90s RV rockauto asked 65 in a stock sell off or 125 or so regular

David 70 · 02-14-2025, 04:54 AM

https://www.vanderhaags.com/detailvi...cf=parentmodel

Here's what I found by Googling the number. It says Mack truck.

mannebk · 02-22-2025, 02:57 PM

so the new Dormans are in, an almost perfect fit replacement.

and a world of difference...

just need to get some washers, the quality work from national made the factory screws fit by filling thr holes with glue, and the new lamp doesn't fit the old units frame, metric vs imoerial adjustment screws, so either more glue or 4 frigging washers per lamp to make it like professionals would do, if one insists on the same scree head for headlights and signal, but then the cover is screwed on with Philips.... i just dint get it with national.

a lot of folks told me national was the creme de la creme in US RV building...?

on a side note, i went with amazons used like new. one was, and for 42 bucks a true kicker.

the other one well, i got an used one that looks just like mine.... someone returned his old crap and Amazon shipped it straight out again, even the package cushions where missing... so besides being used not like new it also came totally broken fro tumbling around inside the package.

ordered a new one through rock auto at 65 bucks plus shipping.