On this page:

•  Interior Bulbs
•  Exterior Body Bulbs
•  Rear License Plate Bulb
•  Spare Bulbs

NOTE - For the sake of simplicity, all bulbs found on the Rialta will be found on this page. This includes bulbs supplied by Winnebago and bulbs used on the VW cab portion of the vehicle. Almost all bulbs and fuses used throughout the Rialta are common automotive application products. With only a few exceptions, you do not have to purchase spare or replacement bulbs from a VW dealer or a Winnebago dealer. In fact, your local Wal-Mart, Radio Shack, or auto parts store probably has all that you would ever need, and at a more competitive price. In my opinion, the bulbs and fuses are so common, that it makes little sense to carry spares as replacements can be readily purchased whenever or wherever needed.

All of the fuses used in the Winnebago Electrical load center are of the common automotive blade-type design and are also equally readily available at most automotive parts stores. See the "Electrical Load Center" page for more information.

Interior Bulbs:

The interior coach overhead lights all use a #1141 bulb which is a single contact, bayonet type base with a clear, relative high-intensity light bulb. Most of the light fixtures into which this bulb fits will have a warning label instructing the user to use the same identical bulb. Higher wattage bulbs can produce more heat which may melt the plastic housing or lens. Some people have complained that this bulb puts out too much light or creates a "hot spot". Here are several other style bulbs that are direct replacements but I suggest that if you are to ignore the manufacturer's label, use a bulb that uses an equal or lower wattage than the original.

 

Bulb Number	Design  Voltage	Amps	Watts	Candle  Power	Avg. Life Hours	Service Description
1141 (OEM)	12.8	1.44	18.4	21	1,000	Auto/RV Backup

The following chart indicates some other alternative bulbs that may "fit" into the interior light receptacles of the Rialta but are not necessarily designed for it. While the bulb's base may interchange, the overall size, wattage, average life, and intended service use may be vastly different. Many automotive specialty stores may carry some of these bulbs in a frosted or amber finish.

Possible Substitutes for the #1141 Interior Light Bulb
Bulb Number	Design Voltage	Amps	Watts	Candle Power	Avg. Life Hours	Service Description
67	13.5	0.59	7.97		5000	Automotive
89	13.0	0.58	7.54	6	750	Automotive Interior
93	12.8	1.04	13.312	15	700	Automotive
97	13.5	0.69	9.32	4	5,000	Heavy Duty Automotive. License
1003	12.8	0.94	12.03	15	200	Auto/RV-Interior
1003LL	12.8	10.94	12.03		400	RV recommended replacement for C93	no pic
1093	12.8	1.19	15.2		1,000	Good replacement for 1003 only 1.9W more & much longer life
1141	12.8	1.44	18.4		1,000	Old standby bulb easy to find at any auto parts store
1156	12.8	2.1	26.88	32	1,200	Auto. Backup or Brake Old standby bulb but too hot - could melt your fixture
C93	12.8	1.04	13.3		700	New bulb used in outside RV lites	no pic

 

Other interior bulbs:

Closet Bulb
Bulb  Number	Design Voltage	Amps	Watts	Candle Power	Avg. Life Hours	Service Description
561	12.8	0.97	12.416	12	1,000	Double Wedge Miniature Bulb

[ return to top ]

Exterior Body Bulbs:

Location	Bulb Number	Design Voltage	Amps	Watts	Candle Power	Avg. Life Hours	Service Description
Turn Signals	3156	12.8	2.10	26.88	32	1,200	Auto. Park, Tail &Signal
Back-up Lights	3156	12.8	2.10	26.88	32	1,200	Auto. Park, Tail &Signal
Brake /Tail Lights	3157 (Dual Contact)	12.8 14	2.1 0.59	27 8	32	5,000	Auto. Park, Tail &Signal
Running lights on front (amber) or rear (red)	194	14	0.27	3.78	2	2,500	Heavy Duty Auto Instrument
Porch Light***	1003	12.8	0.94	12.03	15	200	Auto-RV-Interior
Headlight NOTE- It is not necessary to get a special replacement bulb for the headlight. This is the standard 9003 Halogen bulb. There are other specialty 9003 Halogen bulbs such as "Super-Bright", "Cool-Blue", but they are not the OEM design. Typical price is less than $10	9003	12.8					Automotive Headlight

***NOTE - Winnebago uses a porch light with a #1003 bulb. Many owners have reported shortened life of these bulbs. According to the above chart, this bulb is expected to have a short life. Owners may wish to consult the "Interior Bulbs" chart and select an alternative bulb such as a #1093 but should be cautious about using any bulb that burns much hotter and may melt the plastic lens.

[ return to top ]

Rear License Plate Bulb:

This is listed as a separate item on this page because of its unique design. In what in my opinion appears to be a dumb choice of products and a dumb design in installation, the license plate light does not have a replaceable bulb. It comes in a small plastic unit in which what appears to be a standard T-type automotive bulb that is sealed in the housing which also provides the two wire sockets for connection. The assembly is mounted at the very top of the license plate which serves to illuminate the top of the license plate frame. You'd think the light would be mounted down towards the center of the plate to illuminate the license numbers. In addition, the wires are held to the light assembly not by a rubber boot or snap connector but rather a few wraps of vinyl electrical tape, something that is sure to let go in a matter of time. Winnebago will never change this design or mounting location because of their "that's the way we've always done it" attitude. The good news is that these bulbs last a long time and if yours is not working, then the problem is probably a loose or disconnected wire on the sockets of the light assembly. If you have one or more bulbs that is not illuminating then follow these instructions:

Checking and repairing the wires and light connectors:

1. Remove the two small screws holding the light assembly onto the bumper.
    

2. Grasp the assembly and pull outward. You'll have to rotate the assembly forward in order to the L-shaped tail end to exit the hole in the bumper. Try to keep the wires connected to the tail end of the socket as you remove the entire assembly. You should have enough slack in the wires for the whole thing to hang out at least 4 inches which is more than sufficient to fix the wires or replace the entire assembly. If the connecting wires came off of the old unit as you removed it, don't panic about how to get them back through the hole in the bumper. Simply look underneath at the inside of the bumper and you can clearly see the wire loom going up to the license plate lights. Just grab the wires and attempt to poke them through the hole. Because this hole in the bumper reinforcement plate is offset from the actual hole for the light, you may need another person with a small hook tool to grab the wires and pull them through. Another method is to take a short piece of wire about 12 inches long and poke it through the hole in the bumper. Take the end of this wire that is now on the inside of the bumper and tape it to the end of the real wires for the light. Now simple pull on the outside loose end of the wire to fish the real wires up and out of the hole.
    

3. At this point you should be able to see the black electrical tape which seal and hold the crimped on connectors to the sockets on the light assembly. Please note that there is nothing else that holds these wires into the socket; once the black electrical tape has dried out and let go of its adhesive qualities due to exposure to road dirt and water, then it is very easy for the connections to come apart. Each wire plug will then easily slide out of the wire socket in the assembly.
   
   
   
    

4. Carefully remove all of the old electrical tape. Then push in to ensure that the wire end plug connectors are fully inserted into the sockets on the light assembly. Use new electrical tape to secure to the light assembly similar to the original factory method. Either wire can go into either socket as it is a DC lamp. I can't think of any better method right now to make this a more permanent connection but you are free to try your own design. At step #8, I'll suggest a simple but effective method of securing these connections.
    

5. At this point you need to test to see if a loose wire was the problem or if you indeed have a burned out bulb. With the light assembly hanging loosely but with the wires and connectors firmly attached, turn on the headlight switch on the dash. If both rear license lights are illuminated, then your problem was nothing more than loose connections and you can continue re-installing the lights. If one or more bulbs are not working, then they need replacing as detailed at the section entitled "Replacing the Light Assembly".
    

6. There is a small gasket that goes between the light assembly and the bumper. It is not symmetrical and the large hole is slightly offset from the center line. This gasket helps keep dirty road water from splashing through the hole in the bumper but is not really critical due to the somewhat protected location high up in the inside of the rear bumper. Don't worry if it is missing or deformed.
    

7. Push the wires back through the hole in the bumper until the lamp assembly is back in position. It may help to slightly pull on the wires from inside the bumper to help get everything back in place, Replace the two screws to hold the light in place. Turn on the vehicle's headlight switch and confirm that the replacement is working. If not, check that one of the wires didn't become dislodged from the socket in the assembly.
   
   
   
   
    

8. The permanent fix to the loose wiring problem involves not only re-taping the wires and connectors to the light assembly but affixing the wiring loom on the inside of the bumper so that there can be no additional movement of the wires to cause them to become disconnected. An easy solution is to merely drill two small holes along the metal edge on the inside of the bumper and use plastic wire ties to hold the wiring loom in place.

Replacing the License Light Assembly:

If the bulb is burned out, the entire assembly must be replaced. It is not a major issue because the replacement cost should be less than $10 but the biggest problem is availability as Winnebago Industries is probably the sole source for the item. Normally such bulbs can be replaced for around 49 cents but now the Rialta owner must order the part and pay for shipping so the total costs will now approach $20.

One problem with ordering a replacement light assembly from Winnebago Industries is their penchant for changing suppliers for some of their hardware at various times during model years without changing part numbers. The replacement light assembly that you get may not match the existing assembly. Worse, the mounting holes may be different in which case you may end up drilling a larger hole in the plastic bumper, something you wanted to avoid in the first place.

One alternative to replacing the OEM light assembly is to simply purchase a standard license plate light assembly from a local automotive parts stores such as AutoZone, NAPA dealers, etc. However, that would probably require you to drill different or larger mounting holes in the plastic bumper, something that I'd rather not do unless absolutely necessary.

[ return to top ]

Spare Bulbs

Carrying spare bulbs for a Rialta is not recommended simply because all of the bulbs are commonly available at auto parts stores, RV stores, and most large hardware stores.

If you desire to carry any bulbs, here is a complete list of usage:

1141    Interior Light Fixtures

561      Closet

1003    Porch (if equipped)

3156    Turn Signals

3157    Tail / Brake

194       Running

9003     Headlight

[ return to top ]