Light bar replacement

RayJim

Does anyone know of a good quality180 watt light bar I can purchase to replace the Nilight light bar that came with my T@B Boondock. I would would want it to fit into the existing brackets. I dont want another Nilight, that light bar didn't even last a year with hardly any use and it already has 9 lights out on it with several others flickering.

dCliffhanger

Not quite related but.... I'm looking to remove mine. I couldn't think of what I'd used it for and suspect it could really drag down gas mpg's. Just took a trip and found it useful to light up the hatch of my car at night when I forget something in there.  It could also nearly light up a football field! Not my thing. Still, I could get by with a headlamp. One actually relevant piece of information. I started to remove it and found that the wiring connects down inside the ceiling near the bathroom light. Upon discovering that I couldn't disconnect it from the outside, I tried to reassemble it and found there is an attachment nut inside the housing. The only way to get to it is to use a very stiff putty type blade and scrape it off the roof as it is attached with 3M mastic, no screws. Once I found this out things went ok re-screwing the nut and then gluing the housing back on. I'm planning to cut the outside wire and put in a detachable plug on each end so it can be removed or put back on if I need it.

Michigan_Mike

Where is the light bar located?  There are many LED lights out there and they make some nice LED light bars that are touch dimmable and easy enough to work with.  Post up a photo if you can.  

4ncar

I never understood the reasoning for the light bars...why couldn’t nucamp have put back up lights on rather then the light bar...smh...

RayJim

Light bar is on the top dont use it to often, but I would like to keep everything on the trailer in working condition if possible.

N7SHG_Ham

@4ncar I think because light bars are currently cool, every pickup and some cars even seem to have them around here. It is a marketing boondock gimmick IMO.

dCliffhanger

4ncar said:

I never understood the reasoning for the light bars...why couldn’t nucamp have put back up lights on rather then the light bar...smh...

My 320s Boondock Edge came with both an LED lightbar and backup LED lights - which are actually useful.

T_BDancing

I agree with dCliffhanger, they are useful when arrive at a site in the dark with shore power as long as the lights are not shooting at another occupied sites. I also think that the light bar and the two in the back add some uniqueness to our T@Bs, IMHO.
Don't mean to hijack this post but dCliffhanger, does your light bar have condensation? Thanks.

dCliffhanger

T_BDancing said:

I agree with dCliffhanger, they are useful when arrive at a site in the dark with shore power as long as the lights are not shooting at another occupied sites. I also think that the light bar and the two in the back add some uniqueness to our T@Bs, IMHO.
Don't mean to hijack this post but dCliffhanger, does your light bar have condensation? Thanks.

Alright T_B just for you, hauled my ladder out, and had a look. I saw no sign of condensation in mine. I will add that when I sought help from my dealer in reconnecting my light bar wiring, they mentioned they'd never dealt with it before. But, and here may be some good news. He said he was about to install a new light bar received from Nucamp under warranty.... for condensation in the unit. So, it may be very worth contacting Nucamp.

Further comment, I think one needed be hooked to shore power for short bursts of light. I think it draws around 150 watts so wouldn't want it on long but could be useful for setup or finding something in your car or campsite. As I mentioned above, I'm thinking I'll remove the bar and leave the brackets for optional use or if sold. I've heard side mirrors can knock 2-3 mpgs. The bar, especially where located, is definitely not aerodynamic.

MiquelCamo

I've read where some off road folks take similar LED bars apart when new and add sealer (silicone caulk?) to improve their water resistance. If you get a new one you might look into it. 

T_BDancing

Totally agree with you, dCliffhanger. Thanks for all info. Can't we just clip the connection then seal or cap the wiring?

4ncar

N7SHG_Ham said:

@4ncar I think because light bars are currently cool, every pickup and some cars even seem to have them around here. It is a marketing boondock gimmick IMO.

I get it, but I was never one for “trailer queens” or jeeps that we’re so clean you could eat off them, yet had every off-road bell & whistle imaginable. All my jeeps were pure function; additional lighting was always A pillar mounted KC dayliters. Tried and true, easy to aim/reaim. Windshield hoop mounted lights, including light bars, are just screaming to be knocked off. The cubes on the back...so they are backups, I wondered...they should be standard...

dCliffhanger

T_BDancing said:

Totally agree with you, dCliffhanger. Thanks for all info. Can't we just clip the connection then seal or cap the wiring?

I think that's what I'm saying. Cut the wire about halfway between the housing and light bar. Then splice a waterproof connector to each end and zip tie the roof connected wire to the bracket. Then loosen or remove the bar, along with the other connector, holding the bar and stow it until wanted again.

gulfarea

On mine most of the supposed to be stainless steel screws are rusted! Art

Nursejoe

"Does anyone know of a good quality180 watt light bar I can purchase to replace the Nilight light bar that came with my T@B Boondock." is the opening question. Interesting, lots of comments but no one actually answered the question posted. 

I had a problem with my Nilight bar and contacted them about it. They were most courteous and sent me a new one. No fuss, No muss. Just an FYI.

Many companies make, what are called, a 52" light bars but I would be surprised if any would mount with the exact same mounting spots. My Nilight is about 51.25" without brackets, but as you can image different lights could well be that .25" or so different, which would impact mounting. However, if you find one that is slightly smaller than the Nilight you can use some nylon bushing (local hardware store) to fill the gap. They come in a verity of sizes so you can mix and match to get what you need. I have used this method myself.

I would recommend that you select 2 or 3  52" bars from Amazon and see if any work. Many brands use very similar mounting brackets ( my experience with 3 different brands). Great thing about Amazon on most things...Free returns. Just print the label and drop off at UPS.

 Hope this is somewhat of an answer to your post.

RayJim

Thanks much appreciated, I ended up selling my 320 but would have used your answer to help me select a replacement if I still had it.