Ford E-Series Van HID Projector Retrofit lights

[bisonthecruiser]

Hey Scott, I emailed you a few weeks back but never heard from you. Would you get back to me when you can?

[REDOVAL]

Originally Posted by bisonthecruiser

Hey Scott, I emailed you a few weeks back but never heard from you. Would you get back to me when you can?

Can you please resend the email?

Scott Thompson
Vantage Optics
vantageoptics.com
Vantageoptics@gmail.com

[REDOVAL]

It's hard to believe it's almost mid-August now and we are so happy to be incredibly busy building you all lights for your vans! With the new month comes a new discount code VOAUG20SMB good for 10% off! We have also revitalized the Chevy/GMC line of headlights for the 03-19 Express and Savanna models. Prices did change slightly over the past month as our suppliers are all making changes to their platforms as a result of COVID, but we did all we could to minimize the impact to our customers. We invite you to head over to the site and check out the new products and updates!

https://www.vantageoptics.com/shop

Scott Thompson
Vantage Optics
vantageoptics.com
Vantageoptics@gmail.com

[Chinook]

Is there a procedure for adjusting these lights properly or do they come with instructions for proper aiming?

What is the difference between these kits as far as wiring and plug and play?? .... why is one kit labeled plug and play and the others arent?
Ford Econoline Plug and Play HID Retrofit Kit
Ford Econoline Basic HID Projector Retrofit Headlight Kit
Ford Econoline Advanced HID Projector Retrofit Headlight Kit

I purchased some HID bulbs that came with ballasts a couple of years ago from ebay. I ended up throwing them in the garage because the wiring wasnt long enough to allow for mounting the ballasts out of the way in an orderly manner. How are your ballasts different, is the wiring sufficient length to allow mounting the ballasts out of the way someplace?

Are the D2S bulbs worth the extra money? If a bulb burns out and im halfway between here and a wasteland can i get these bulbs at an autoparts store or do they have to be ordered?

Do these projectors all have a high and low beam?

Im sure some of this is already answered on the forum but im not into reading 60 pages.

[REDOVAL]

Originally Posted by Chinook

Is there a procedure for adjusting these lights properly or do they come with instructions for proper aiming?

What is the difference between these kits as far as wiring and plug and play?? .... why is one kit labeled plug and play and the others arent?
Ford Econoline Plug and Play HID Retrofit Kit
Ford Econoline Basic HID Projector Retrofit Headlight Kit
Ford Econoline Advanced HID Projector Retrofit Headlight Kit

I purchased some HID bulbs that came with ballasts a couple of years ago from ebay. I ended up throwing them in the garage because the wiring wasnt long enough to allow for mounting the ballasts out of the way in an orderly manner. How are your ballasts different, is the wiring sufficient length to allow mounting the ballasts out of the way someplace?

Are the D2S bulbs worth the extra money? If a bulb burns out and im halfway between here and a wasteland can i get these bulbs at an autoparts store or do they have to be ordered?

Excellent questions Chinook!

There is a procedure for adjusting the lights and it is pretty straight forward and covered in the instruction packet sent with the kits. There are two adjusters, one for vertical and one for horizontal. With the vehicle about 25-30 feet from a flat wall on level ground the beams should be level with one another and straight out from the vehicle. The height of the cutoff on the wall should be a few inches beneath the height of the projector in the headlight, unless your van is way off the ground. This is a guideline and can be adjusted for preference or need. Send an email to vantageoptics@gmail.com and I can forward the instructions.

The kit labeled Plug and Play is exactly that. Plug the adapter harness into the factory headlight leads and connect the ballasts and high beams and you are good to go. As with all the kits you will need to mount or secure the ballasts.
The Basic/Advanced/Budget kits all have a wire harness that includes a relay. These are all mostly plug and play as well, but do require two ground connections and a single battery connection to be made. The instructions cover the install for the harness and the suggested locations for the ballasts.

The ballasts used in the kits are either Hylux or Morimoto (manufactured by Hylux). They have sufficient cable length to all for a clean install if you take the time.

D2S vs H1-
The default options selected for all kits are the H1 projectors/bulbs/AMP ballasts. The PNP and Budget kits do not have D2S upgrades available. The H1 units have been very recently upgraded again and are very good units that won't break the bank. Upgrading to the D2S components requires all associated components as well (bulbs/ballasts/projectors) that drives the price up quickly. The D2S components do offer about 20% more output and width, but the cost of the upgrade is disproportionate to the gain in output (in my opinion).

If you are going off the grid for an extended period of time I would recommend a spare bulb and ballast as they would be difficult to find otherwise.

Scott Thompson
Vantage Optics
vantageoptics.com
Vantageoptics@gmail.com

[Chinook]

Ok, thanks for your reply, that helps, now i know what im looking at and get better decide which kit to get. Do you recommend sticking with the 35 watt ballasts and bulbs versus the 55 watt, if so why?

[REDOVAL]

Originally Posted by Chinook

Ok, thanks for your reply, that helps, now i know what im looking at and get better decide which kit to get. Do you recommend sticking with the 35 watt ballasts and bulbs versus the 55 watt, if so why?

Chinook-

The current default AMP ballasts we are shipping are 45w and are a great compromise. The higher the wattage the greater the output but the bulb lifespan is reduced by about 20%. The default ballasts are my personal choice.

Scott Thompson
Vantage Optics
vantageoptics.com
Vantageoptics@gmail.com

[Chinook]

I apologize for dragging this on... Im confused now. Am i understanding correctly that the 35 watt ballast is no longer an option with any of the kits and that you will ship out 45 watt AMP ballasts in place of the previously available 35 watt default ballasts??

If so are the bulbs now also rated at 45 watts versus 35 watts?

I ask because your site still lists everything as 35 watt by default with no 45 watt ballasts or bulbs to be found as an option anyplace.

Are the Morimoto 35 watt ballasts and bulbs still available then or no?

By the way, what is the average life span of the bulbs at 35 watts and also at 45 watts?

Would you recommend the 45 watt AMP ballasts over the Morimoto 35 watt counterparts?

Again i apologize, that really kinda throws a wrench in the spokes as far as making a decision.

[REDOVAL]

Originally Posted by Chinook

I apologize for dragging this on... Im confused now. Am i understanding correctly that the 35 watt ballast is no longer an option with any of the kits and that you will ship out 45 watt AMP ballasts in place of the previously available 35 watt default ballasts??

If so are the bulbs now also rated at 45 watts versus 35 watts?

I ask because your site still lists everything as 35 watt by default with no 45 watt ballasts or bulbs to be found as an option anyplace.

Are the Morimoto 35 watt ballasts and bulbs still available then or no?

By the way, what is the average life span of the bulbs at 35 watts and also at 45 watts?

We made a running swap to the components to align with availability and sustainability. The defaults are currently 45w with Morimoto 35w and 50w (XB55) versions available. The bulbs work perfectly fine for all the wattages, but most need to be replaced at the 2 year mark as they do wear out (the xenon gas is consumed and no longer provides the same output). Most of the components do carry a 2 year limited warranty in any case.

Scott Thompson
Vantage Optics
vantageoptics.com
Vantageoptics@gmail.com

[Chinook]

Would you still recommend or prefer the 45 watt AMP ballasts over the Morimoto 35 watt counterparts?

In terms of failure rate, reliability, lifespan, as well as effective light output?

Forget bang for the buck