Adding more lights to inside of coach

[bill_never_paid]

Sent: 2/26/2008

Just pulled my MH out of storage, back yard, and would really like to put more lights inside the unit. Currently have a small ac/dc over dinet-sm one over kit.counter larger one (12") over sofa in back. have used batt.operated (push dome they are on) ones all over the unit but really want to replace.

Now, oh yes boss i did look under elect search etc, should I take the small unit, above the table-drop it down and replace with an ac/dc bigger light or add a couple along side of it and do you run the wire along under the cabinet?

also want to put a light in back by sofa, larger one, which I will probably pull the long one out and put in a larger one and maybe use that one under the cabinet over the table but I really could use more lights up front by the overhead bead, see pics in pics, as dark there--although there are 2 sm cone type light for the bed area.

Just want to know how you guys run the wiring to put up new fixtures and do you always buy ac/dc ones and from who---ps got lucky worst winter in 10-15yrs with snow etc and guess who forgot to take the damn house batt. out??? charged and works  fine
Bill

[bill_never_paid]

Sent: 2/28/2008

My stomach hurts--from laughing and laughing during my lunch today. Have to set up the "WHY" on this one. Wife home, couple months, as had new knee put in 2 weeks ago--playing babysitter for her- and she told me her girl friend is coming over at 2pm to pick her up and look at another friends home,she is a Realty agent and longtime friend, and the mother died and is putting the home up for sale and my wife wants to get out of the house, other than back and fourth to the therapy thing, so I told her that's great and while she is gone I would run over to Pasco junk yard and look for more lights in the Motor home. Now the fun part "CAN'T YOU PUT IN BIGGER BULBS"?  Ya I'm in trouble!!!!!! Still laughing---she doesn't think I'm funny at allllllllllll
Bill

[JDxeper]

Sent: 2/28/2008

I believe you can add the led 1156 bulbs to reduce current draw and wire into existing circuits.  Only problem, cost of the led 1156.

JD

[ibdilbert01]

Sent: 2/28/2008

There are some exceptions to how some coaches were wired. My Parents had a 77 Mini Honey that had dual voltage lights. Flip the switch one way, it was 12v dc, switch it the other way, and it was 110v ac lighting. The fixtures had two light bulbs inside, one 12volt bulb, one 110v bulb. I have no idea why they designed it that way, seems kinda silly to me.

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Sent: 2/29/2008

Pretty neat, Dilbert!  I thought there might be something weird out there.

Another thing to consider is that you CAN us standard 120 volt lighting...even the pretty lights they sell at Lowes, etc...and use 12 volt bulbs.  They sell 12 volt bulbs at RV dealers that will screw into standard 120 volt sockets.  I think they are for appliances, but they come in different wattages, so they would work.  Not sure about their lifespan though.

Kev

[tommys73winn]

Sent: 4/14/2008

maybe I'm doing it wrong. I didn't rip out paneling and dig trenches.nor did I put in bigger 12v light bulbs I just got a lamp out the house and plugged it in the wall. Also got a light bulb socket with a 5ft cord and hung one in on a hook and the other end i plugged in the wall also. It worked good 4 me. Work smarter not harder is my motto. 

[bill_never_paid]

Sent: 4/14/2008

Well tommy73winn---your solution would work great and it's one I really had not thought much about---I went out and bought more-larger-lights and still not real happy but my next move will be to do something like you did re: house light--have plenty of old/unused ones around to plug in and forget it now just need to find a place/table/counter to put one on but thanks for the thought/idea---a good one for an older message----------Bill

[tommys73winn]

Sent: 4/14/2008

the one i like the best is i got a light socket with a short cord called a pigtail.and ran a short cord across the ceiling one in bed room and one in dinette. I put a small hook in the ceilings about in the middle of each room.with the hooks i can take them down and put them in a drawer when I'm not using them. You can also take a old lamp apart and there is your pigtail. It takes about 5 minutes. Also put in a outside light the same way gives off a lot off light for the outside.

[Oz]

Sent: 4/15/2008

Adding lighting helps but, if you have the dark wood paneling interior of the early-mid 70's, you'll need to add a whole lot of extra lighting to really make a difference.  The basic problem is that the dark wood absorbs the light.  You can have the same amount of light that you first started with and have a much brighter interior, or add just a couple more lights and make it really bright... if you change the dark wood paneling effect.  Search that topic.

~ Phåråoh ~

[bill_never_paid]

Sent: 4/15/2008

Would love to paint the wood, dark to white, like you did but momma want to change the cushions to denim-et curtains-so that may be my project this summer--will probably add a light, another, or 2 here and there this wk--have enough now that I added a couple new ones but your right---still dark---going to wait til' after the NWJ before I get into major projects as want to see---live and in person--what others have done. Redone the finish on the roof--expensive shoot---and did it the right way--per your/and others that were in the message board--like it but may have to rip it out and the roof as ---will wait till have Les and others see it---still don't like the sag situation, although not critical around the Air Conditioner.---It's just fun anyway-that's why I bought the damn thing-----Sir William of Kennewick

[denisondc]

Sent: 4/18/2008

The original wires were run inside the structure of the wall or the ceiling, so any way that you want to run wires to new fixtures is going to be your own scheme. Its not practical to get inside the walls to run new wires.
The original interior lights would have run from 12 volts. If they were the incandescent bulbs such as cars have for turn signals and such, they wouldn't care whether it was d.c.or a.c. - but it would be 12 volts. If you have any of the 12 volt florescent lights, then I think you would have to worry about the polarity of the voltage too.
If you want to run wiring for 110 volt lights, be sure to use good quality wiring, (such as the stuff with Teflon insulation) and 110 volt fixtures. Myself, I would stick with the 12 volt fixtures, just to be able to run then all from the RV's converter or from the coach battery.

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Sent: 4/29/2008

If you want to run new wires in the ceiling, use a Roto-Zip type tool, set to a very shallow depth, to groove the ceiling where you want the wires.  Run your wires, then reface the ceiling.  The new ceiling face will look great, you'll have the lighting you want WHERE you want it, so its a win win situation!

Kev

[denisondc]

Sent: 4/29/2008

If you have to put a groove in the ceiling panel, I would only have the groove running 'beamwise', i.e. directly toward a side wall and always perpendicular to the wall (I think a sailor would call that 'athwart') & as short as possible. The ceiling panel is the bottom element of the roof 'sandwich', and is always in tension, holding the rest of the roof structure up. I think cutting a groove that ran diagonally or front-to-back along the ceiling would allow the roof to sag. With an athwart cut this would not be so likely, but I think would still weaken the roof somewhat. Our Winnies have very little in the way of ceiling joists or rafters.
On one RV I saw wires to extra ceiling lights run along the ceiling under white duct tape. They were 12 volt lights; I wouldn't do that with 115 volts.

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Sent: 5/12/2008

I didn't think about that, Dave!  Cutting a groove in the ceiling might weaken the structure!  Good thing I haven't done that yet...lol!

Patti wants me to put in fancy tin ceilings in Excalibur, so I could run the wires under the tin without cutting into the substructure of the roof.  Great advice, Dave!

Kev

[Oz]

Sent: 5/14/2008

Make the ceiling copper... then you can put lights wherever you want to without just a ground wire   

[ibdilbert01]

Sent: 5/14/2008

In some situations I can see racetrack would work and not look to bad at all. The stuff we use once you peel and stick, its pretty much stuck for good, so you have to be careful when mounting it. Lowes also sells this stuff as well.