[VAC] Water intrusion '69 Safari tail light bezels

["Mr. Joy H. Hansen" <joytbrew@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi,

Lots of tips were posted regarding sealing the likely areas of the rear
bottom edge of the skin where the water wicks into and rots out the floor.
However, I've found that the tail light bezel that may be common to several
year models near the '69 are poorly engineered with regard to water leakage.
Most units that I have taken the lens off the tail light and backup light
exhibit sufficient rust that the lamp base is useless.  On closer
inspection, there isn't a seal between the light base and the aluminum
bezel.  Which means that any water running down the back of the trailer and
over the bezel has a great chance of entering around the light base and into
the interior behind the bezel.  There is a plastic cup held to the outer
skin from the inside with Vulkem; however, the water entering has no place
to go except fill the cup til it runneth over.  Meaning that if the water
stays in the cup, the base of the lamp holder/light base will be kept wet -
forever!  If the water level reaches the holes in the cup for the wiring,
then the water will run down between the skins and most likely wet the
floor.

As the gasket for the lens ages, it shrinks and no longer make a water
resistant seal.  The water entering the lamp base can't go anywhere except
to sit and rot the metal - eventually allowing water to flow inside the skin
cavity.  As part of an annual maintenance activity, it might be a good idea
to open the lenses of tail/stop/turn lights and inspect the interior.  Where
corrosion is present, it should be removed and the metal parts painted or
protected with a good anti corrosion grease.

My thought is to use plumber's putty to try to seal the lamp base against
water seepage, yet allow the lamp base removal for wiring maintenance and/or
lamp base replacement.  NAPA sells the lamps with lens for $25 and I don't
want to make continual replacements.  Inside the new lamp base, I will also
fill the lamp base area with plumbers putty to prevent water from puddling
inside the lamp base.  Comments are invited to determine if these "fixes"
will keep the lights burning.

I also noted that the A/S engineers failed to provide wiring clearance for
the wires.  When the lamp base is forced into the bezel, the wire is bent at
90 degrees and wedged between the bezel and the lamp base.  As you might
suspect, the wire must be able to move as the electrical contact between the
lamp holder and the lamp base is spring loaded.  My fix it to grind out part
of the bezel so the wire hangs loose when the lamp base is installed.  The
stop/turn wire is tight, but can move enough to compromise the insulation
during installation.  Not a nice thing to do to a $25 replacement.  The
backup light wire is completely blocked and can't function at all when the
lamp base is installed in the bezel.

BTW, the interior of the bezel isn't accessible and extensive wiring
replacement requires the removal of the bezel from the outside of the A/S.
The service manual gives appropriate instruction for removal of the bezel.

This seemingly small maintenance activity that might prevents unseen water
intrusion could prevent serious and costly repairs that I encountered with
my restoration.

Hope this information helps A/S restorers - tinkerers and keeps the tail
lights glowing.

                                                    '69 Safari, Joy