tpcm5000
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Yellowstone 1966
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Post by tpcm5000 on Nov 30, 2020 10:53:46 GMT -8
Hi All, I am looking to either upgrade my ceiling light or replace altogether (this is the light before demolition of the roof).  D2984E93-710D-4F30-BAFF-2C77B4CB0626 by Tom Myers, on Flickr I have the roof off so I can start with a new box and fasten to one of the rafters (here is the old light box, pretty rough so will replace).  ltbox by Tom Myers, on Flickr Not sure how much of the new ceiling I will need to cut-away to connect the fixture to the new box, but hoping a 1/2" whole for the AC/DC wires and two 1/2" wholes for mounting screws is all that is needed (that is I wont need to expose the entire box to the fixture which would be a 3"x3" whole in my new ceiling)? So back to the fixture, I am not finding any ceiling lights out there on VTS, but do you think I might find a suitable replacement out there, maybe on an RV site? Quick search on etrailer did not pull up much. The fixture shell is in good shape. The cover is a lost cause. The sockets and wiring actually look pretty good.  lt1 by Tom Myers, on Flickr  lt2 by Tom Myers, on Flickr So any advice welcome on: - Worth trying to rebuild this fixture, I take it most of the electrical parts are universal?
- Should I replace the sockets while I can or wire them back up and test them out (smoke test)? They did work before and look pretty clean.
- I am a fan of polycarbonate and think I could replace the lid without too much trouble, guessing I won't find a lid out there like the old one?
- Any advice on doing as little cutting to my new ceiling as possible?
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Post by wisconsinjoe on Dec 3, 2020 19:02:16 GMT -8
Do you intend to power the light with a 12 volt battery or with 120 volt shore power? If the latter, you'll need some kind of box, maybe a "pancake" style box. If it's 12 volt, you can just send wires to the fixture through the roof. Also, if 12 volt, you might want to look at the boating industry. They have many flat or chrome-framed classic looking fixtures with LED lights that use only about 3 watts. You might also consider using a dimmer switch to send power to it.
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chriss
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Post by chriss on Dec 6, 2020 8:12:04 GMT -8
I'm all for preserving the original fixtures, or substituting another that is period correct. I've found that most 120v lights in trailers were nothing more than off the shelf residential lighting of the time, so you might get lucky and find a shade at the ReStore or similar place, or have one made out of polycarbonate as you said. If you run the fixture off 12v, you won't need a box cut into the ceiling. If the sockets are good, source some 12v led bulbs. That's the route I would go.
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Post by wisconsinjoe on Dec 6, 2020 10:27:25 GMT -8
You can find nice 12 volt "corn cob" style bulbs that fit into regular fixture sockets. I think the size is officially called E-26. I've used SuperbriteLEDs on the web. I like how they list light color and lumens for each bulb. I found a 3 watt LED is almost too bright. For some bulbs you can use a 12 volt dimmer if you have a place to wire in a switch.
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gary350
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We should have gone camping today it is going to snow 6" tonight.
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1964 FAN
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Post by gary350 on Dec 8, 2020 8:18:04 GMT -8
Very few campers have ceiling lights, they are always on the walls. No one uses 12 volts anymore LED lights have been invented they last a whole year on 2 AA batteries.
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John Palmer
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Hi, From a vintage trailer guy located in Santa Ana, CA. It's good to see lots of activity here.
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Post by John Palmer on Dec 8, 2020 9:03:23 GMT -8
Very few campers have ceiling lights, they are always on the walls. No one uses 12 volts anymore LED lights have been invented they last a whole year on 2 AA batteries. First, everyone should rebuild their trailer anyway they see fit. Basically, it's your trailer, do it your way. Here's something to consider. It's lots easier to do any wiring inside the walls and ceiling during the rebuild at the point that you still have the skins off. Because we rebuild these trailers "much better" than they were originally built, they could easily last another 70 to 90 years. Basically, they are going to outlive us. We will someday be called "the PO" (previous owner). IMO, all of our rebuilt trailers will be used by someone else someday. We have no idea how they will want to camp. Camping in a five star RV resort with shore power and utility full hook up's, is very different than dry camping in the desert on solar power. I believe, every rebuilt trailer should have at least a 110v AC circuit breaker electrical system with plugs and lights hard wired. Likewise, it makes sense to also add a basic fuse protected 12v DC system with a storage battery and a small converter to keep it properly charged. With the basic 12v DC system, it would allow the new owners to easily upgrade to a solar system without tearing apart the entire interior. The costs to add these systems will be paid back many times over in increased value when it comes time to pass the trailer on to a new owner. John |
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tpcm5000
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Yellowstone 1966
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Post by tpcm5000 on Jan 4, 2021 12:58:06 GMT -8
As a follow up, thought I would post a couple pics of my refurbished ceiling light... as we all love before and after photos! :-) But also wanted to mention the approach I took for the lid in case it would be helpful to others. The old translucent yellow lid was destroyed so I purchased a small sheet of polycarbonate, gather it is also referred to as lexan, cut with a jig saw, rounded on a grinding wheel, and then painted with tint spray paint. The tint spray paint nicely hides the bulbs/sockets but lets light through (I understand a popular use is for jazzing up your car's head/tail lights). Application of the paint took a try or two on some practice pieces, it wants to run so a few misty coats were needed. The black is different, but seems to fit the modern look of the fixture.  overhead-light-refurb2 by Tom Myers, on Flickr  overhead-light-refurb by Tom Myers, on Flickr |
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nccamper
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1962 Forester- 1956 Shasta
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Post by nccamper on Jan 4, 2021 17:08:51 GMT -8
Nice job.
A light brought back from the dead.
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