We have had a few discussion concerning dim headlights. Here is one reply from Hank Wadley; Bill,
Your suggestions are right on target, but let me add some additional suggestions.
I had dim headlights for years...even took my unit to Barth way back when for a complete fix, but they were unable to improve them at all. Finally found out that while there were many problems, the REAL problem was the ground circuit. They used a single (and long) 12gage wire to supply the ground side! So, I ripped out all the wiring, installed twin Bosch 40A relays with a 10gage wire per bulb on the hot side and another 10gage wire for EACH bulb ground. I mounted the relays very close to the headlights to further reduce losses. The headlight switch now carries only the relay coil current, so it runs cool and my dash lights are now twice as bright. I also replaced the halogen bulbs with high-output halogens. Now, we can run at night in the rain on blacktop (my old worst nightmare) with few vision problems.

I am going to get some things fixed up on my Barth Regal and would like to bright my dull headlights. Does anyone have a better idea and if so can't it be explained in such a way I can take it to the RV guys and say "do this buddy".



------------------

There is no better idea. I will rephrase a little, though.

Tell them:

Replace all headlight sockets with highest quality from NAPA.

Run a 10 ga ground wire from each headlight socket to the frame.

Install two Bosch relays on each side, one for high beam and one for low. Be sure they are protected from road spray and rain and lubed with boat trailer tail light grease. Use sockets, not terminals.

Use 10 gage wire directly from the batt terminal of the isolator.

Make sure the wiring and connections from the starting battery to the isolator are good.

If this is not clear enough, shoot.

Here is a slightly different take on the subject:

http://www.rallylights.com/useful_info/headlamp_wiring.htm

And another:

http://www.6066gmcguy.org/wire-tips.htm

Headlights are an individual choice. I like Hella. Marchal, Cibie and Carello are good, too. www.suvlights.com has site problems now, but they are good. They also sell a complete harness.


http://www.rallylights.com/hella/165mm_lo.asp is very good, and sometimes has better prices.

You might start out with a pair of H4 hi/lo beam units and then decide whether or not you want brighter H1 hi beam units, too.

Do not, repeat, do not buy any headlight from India or China unless you can try it out first. The quality control is in the toilet. Yes, I really know that.

I wired a racing off road vehicle so both high and low would be on when high was selected. This allowed me to see far ahead with the high beams as well as to either side with the low beams. The best of both worlds, but more work to wire up. Haven't done it yet to the Barth, but gonna.


[This message has been edited by bill h (edited September 26, 2005).]

Another area that is worth a visit at the same time is your alternator. Like Bill's trip with India lamps (and you wonder why they call it India ink?) I did three "rebuilt" alternators before I did it right and purchased an alternator that puts out what is should.

Ah and so we learn. When your head lights are running an alternator that is putting our less than it should they do run dim to more than sorta dim.

So yea relay and good wires.... and as Bill says terminals (the ones that screw on to round connectors) not the slip on spade connectors.


As Bill says "ask me how I know".


Timothy

Don't overlook replacing the headlight relay - it can also be the culprit.. In my experience, the biggest issue is a bad ground connection, followed by a bad supply connection - removed the terminal from the lug, burnish everything, reinstall, and spray with battery protectant or Super Lube spray....

This is what I was hoping someone would start a discussion for. I just bought a 92 breakaway and was not at all pleased with The low beam headlights and was wondering if this was a common problem with these Barths. So let me clearify I understand the coil hookup but where do you pick up the voltage for the contact ? Maybe I should put it this way I take it Barth did not install a headlight relay and they ran to the headlights directly from light switch ? Or did they install a headlight relay and its just to small to carry load and you tore this relay out and replaced it with a 40 amp with one size larger wiring ?
Thanks Richard

My experience is limited to one Barth, our 1973 25 footer with a 454 in a P30 chassis.

Our coach had the headlights wired through the switch in the dash. In fact by the time I purchased the coach there clearly had been a number of quick and dirty workers hired by the previous owners to “fix” things so the wiring was far from elegant. Power for just about everything was tapped off a single stud mounted on the alternator bracket and over the years people had just added wires. When I got the coach there must have been at least ten wires poorly stacked on this one rather sad single stud.

The point of the previous paragraph is if your coach has a similar set up then the relays will not cure the voltage drop at the ten-wire heater found on the alternator bracket. (For those of you that are not electrical people if connectors are not tight, big enough or are making bad physical contact, the electricity has to use up part of its power to get past this physical problem.) When it does this two things happen, one it gets hot (worst case the smoke hidden in the wires escapes and it stops working) and two the voltage drops. So in my case I found that the voltage going into the headlight switch and everything else in the dash area was about a volt or more below that what the alternator was putting out.

My approach was to install a new power distribution box I fitted to the firewall on the inside behind the glove compartment. This is energized by a constant duty solinoid that kicks in when the ignition is on. I put a new buss-bar on the alternator bracket and left just the +12 volt wires to energize the alternator and the output of the alternator on this buss-bar. I then pulled a big fat (not quite 00 but well over 4 gage) wire from the alternator buss-bar to constant duty solenoid and off to the new buss bar in the distribution box. The power side of the headlight relays gets their power from this buss-bar. I energize the solenoid from the switch in the dash. While doing this I used a Chevy wiring book and labeled a good number of the wires (106 – power to amp meter) this gave me a chance to learn how things had been set up and makes checking things easy.

The buss-bars and solenoids are from west marine, the relays I got at a local electronics shop.


Wine is from the box, music is from K-Mozart and the “are you done yet” support is from my wife.

Timothy




[This message has been edited by timnlana (edited September 30, 2005).]