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Water In Tail Lights

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Butterfly_Lee View Drop Down
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    Posted: 04 Oct 2009 at 11:22am
Well I was having coffee and looking at my POD and notice the rear tail light.


Of course the part and maintaince Guy isn't in on Saturday, so I have to wait till Monday.  But this can't be good.  The sales guy said I could unscrew the cover to drain it, but it stuck on pretty good and can't see any leaks, but of course there is one.  I'll wait for Monday.  I'm only 2 miles from the dealer.  I can hook up and just pull it to them and let them mess with it.

Has to be fix soon, so I can go to the Texas Round UP.
Lee

I'll keep you all posted.  Check out your lights.
Still a work in progress, lots of pictures.
http://podterfly.blogspot.com/
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TerryM View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TerryM Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Oct 2009 at 11:31am
My drivers side had water drops in it also.

Terry
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Butterfly_Lee Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Oct 2009 at 4:17am
The dealer replaced the tail light.  The repair / pars guys was real busy so I didn't ask to much about it.  I'll be back this week hopefully for Risers and I talk more about it with him.

LeeClap
Still a work in progress, lots of pictures.
http://podterfly.blogspot.com/
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote VenturaTom Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Feb 2010 at 8:26am
After our last trip, when we got ready to leave the campground we did a quick and routine check of light functions on the R-Pod to confirm brake lights etc.  We found that the left tail light of the Pod was out completely though the right (and my truck) were OK.  After getting home and sitting in our driveway I noticed after one of our infrequent rains here in SoCal that the right light now has condenstation in it.

I appears that the tail light on our Pod (and others?) is a product from Command Electronics Inc (#003-6019R)  from Schoolcraft Michigan.  The website (1st below) lists the part.  It retails for about $20.  Looking at the light, the internal surface is more like a circuit board with the LEDs attached than a light fixture, which seems like it would make the unit much more vulnerable to shorts due to the presence of water.  A design flaw??

Has anyone had problems with this?  My truck checks out, now I need to bring the whole thing back to the dealer we purchased it from for "warranty" service.  At the dealer they do not stock the part, and prelim discussion indicates it may be a 3+ week wait for Forest River to ship it out (per the Service Manager).  I indicated I would pay for faster shipping but was told it would be in the ballpark of $100 bucks to ship that way.  Both the standard shipping times and that sort of premium for 2nd day UPS or similar is outrageous.  The guy who checked my truck wiring mentioned that other R-Pods had this problem....and that they ought to stock the part (which they don't).

I plan to call FR about this, but was curious if anyone else has had this problem.

I've listed two other links below, each takes you to a very nice schematic of the light itself and the gasket for it.




Tom
2006 Dodge Ram Mega Cab
Cummins 5.7L Turbo-Diesel
R-Pod 177 Owner

Former VW Camper then Tent/Dirt Camper
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VenturaTom View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote VenturaTom Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Feb 2010 at 1:29am
Well....time to close out my tail light story.

Day came to take the 177 in to the dealer (they had checked my truck connections and all was well there), and when I went hook up and haul it in...I found my problem!

On our last trip I was not nearly careful enough with my power cable connection between my S-10 and the Pod....it must have dragged on the pavement Shocked as was almost cut (sanded?) in half!  I'm lucky I still had the brake controller working and did not short out anything (that I know of yet) on Pod or truck!

Had to go to our dealer anyway, and while not a warranty repair it wasn't too bad a bill really.  Chalk one up to the trailering learning curve I guess!  The service crew did put in a cable slightly shorter and that should help.  I'll also be more careful too!  

Along the way I had some minor issues with some of the service staff at the dealer, but a brief conversation with the dealership General Manager and the Service Manager took care of that.  I mention this not just because there was an issue, or because I'm unhappy with them (I'm not), but because they took care of things promptly as they should.  Handshake That is what matters in the end, problem found, problem fixed.

I'm gonna keep an eye on them lights though, don't like that condensation in a sealed lamp fixture. 
2006 Dodge Ram Mega Cab
Cummins 5.7L Turbo-Diesel
R-Pod 177 Owner

Former VW Camper then Tent/Dirt Camper
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sylviablue View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote sylviablue Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Feb 2010 at 9:18am
If the light covers are removable maybe we should put some silicone sealant around them to prevent water.  I'll check ours when we see it next month.
In the end there's just a song comes cryin up the night

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote clevispin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Feb 2010 at 10:30am
I didn't notice this thread when it started last fall. probably because I didn't notice the water in my driver's side tail light until a couple weeks ago. I tried to just unscrew it and drain, but like someone else observed, it is stuck on there pretty tight.

So, it goes on the list along with a few other warranty items.

If we ever get rid of winter enough to uncover the pod, maybe I can actually take the thing in.

Tom
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penny-podding View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote penny-podding Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Mar 2010 at 8:09am
We had this problem, too. Water in the driver's side tail light. Still under warranty and the dealer fixed it without a problem. 
The Penny-Pod is on the road!
Penny & Russell
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2006 Ford Expedition - Darth Vedar!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Nellie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Apr 2010 at 8:02pm
Getting ready for my pod's first debut in a campground this weekend and while getting some of the packing done I too noticed water in the rear tail light.  I am just curious to know how they "fixed" it for you guys or did they actually replace the light.........it looks like quite a bit of electronic bits in there........
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Butterfly_Lee View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Butterfly_Lee Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Apr 2010 at 8:50pm
As far as I know they, took the old one off and put a new one one.  Covered under warranty.  I pickup up clear silicone and went over the other one just to make sure nothing got in.  (put some on the back window too, my know everything child said I did a ugly job, but I countered yeah but no leaks)  I get better with practice.

LeeClap

 quite a bit of electronic bits in there........I think they just undo the three screws and replace the whole thing,
Still a work in progress, lots of pictures.
http://podterfly.blogspot.com/
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