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Old 03-31-2017, 12:50 PM   #1
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Advice? Lighting/counter extensions/hooks for a 19

Hi all - final build needed in 2 weeks and we have three questions hoping other 19 owners can help with:
1) we were not able to see how bright the standard lighting is over the dinette and bed. There are three standard lights over each area - one in middle and one on P/S and D/S. How do you find these lights for reading? Is there any advantage to having captains lights in addition?
2) where did you add additional counter extensions and for what reason?
3) any difficulty finding the studs in the walls? I'm thinking of hooks and/or small hanging shelf for the phone/glasses etc.

Thanks for your thoughts/ideas on these - any photos you can share would also be great!
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Old 03-31-2017, 12:54 PM   #2
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Originally Posted by Bbawt View Post
Hi all - final build needed in 2 weeks and we have three questions hoping other 19 owners can help with:
1) we were not able to see how bright the standard lighting is over the dinette and bed. There are three standard lights over each area - one in middle and one on P/S and D/S. How do you find these lights for reading? Is there any advantage to having captains lights in addition?
2) where did you add additional counter extensions and for what reason?
3) any difficulty finding the studs in the walls? I'm thinking of hooks and/or small hanging shelf for the phone/glasses etc.

Thanks for your thoughts/ideas on these - any photos you can share would also be great!
1) The lighting is adequate. Only if you needed task lighting would you need to add anything. Not tough to do later too.
2) We never had additional counter extensions, nor would we have wanted them. The full sized table was wonderful.
3) No problem at all. I mounted a couple magazine racks either side of the bath and fridge, and a long coat hook rack in front of the bath.
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Old 03-31-2017, 01:17 PM   #3
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lights

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Originally Posted by Bbawt View Post
Hi all - final build needed in 2 weeks and we have three questions hoping other 19 owners can help with:
1) we were not able to see how bright the standard lighting is over the dinette and bed. There are three standard lights over each area - one in middle and one on P/S and D/S. How do you find these lights for reading? Is there any advantage to having captains lights in addition?
2) where did you add additional counter extensions and for what reason?
3) any difficulty finding the studs in the walls? I'm thinking of hooks and/or small hanging shelf for the phone/glasses etc.

Thanks for your thoughts/ideas on these - any photos you can share would also be great!
The standard lighting gives lots of lighting for reading, but I find the captains lights great if one person wants to read while the other goes to sleep.
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Old 03-31-2017, 01:19 PM   #4
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The lighting is adequate. Only if you needed task lighting would you need to add anything. Not tough to do later too.
I agree...the lighting is more than adequate for most purposes unless one is tying flies or hand sewing. In fact, I dimmed down the lights over my table as I found them too harsh. The captain's lights over the bed are nice if only one person is reading and a more focused light that the captain's light provides is preferred.

Edited: Aargh...Hugh beat me to it.
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Old 03-31-2017, 01:41 PM   #5
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Love the captains lights and use them a ton. One at each corner of front dinette, and one in each corner of the passenger side of the bed. We've found that you can rotate them and bounce the light off the liner which gives a very nice lighting for the trailer and not use the harsher overheads.
Added a small extension table on the refrigerator wall of the bed under the tv and charging plug. Love it. Great for glasses, phones charging, remote, etc and doesn't interfere with sleeping.
So far, use the 3M command hooks so haven't needed to find studs.
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Old 03-31-2017, 02:12 PM   #6
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Love the captains lights and use them a ton. One at each corner of front dinette, and one in each corner of the passenger side of the bed. We've found that you can rotate them and bounce the light off the liner which gives a very nice lighting for the trailer and not use the harsher overheads.
Added a small extension table on the refrigerator wall of the bed under the tv and charging plug. Love it. Great for glasses, phones charging, remote, etc and doesn't interfere with sleeping.
So far, use the 3M command hooks so haven't needed to find studs.
Everything Greg has said ,bought Escape's shelf on both bed walls . The end that has the tv made a longer shelf . Very useful , remote , radio , clock , books, glasses . You won't have any bedside table like at home so the shelfs are the next best thing . Does not interfere at all with bed area . Necessary in our opinion. Pat
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Old 03-31-2017, 02:37 PM   #7
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3) any difficulty finding the studs in the walls? I'm thinking of hooks and/or small hanging shelf for the phone/glasses etc.

Thanks for your thoughts/ideas on these - any photos you can share would also be great!
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Old 04-02-2017, 12:42 PM   #8
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Thanks!

Great info - thanks. We may be the only ones on here where our build sheet keeps getting smaller!
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Old 04-02-2017, 01:09 PM   #9
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We never used the Captain's Lights in our 19 because they were too bright and didn't have a focused spot light and illuminated a pretty large area. We took them off our list for the much anticipated 5.0 we're picking up later this month. We added counter extensions in the kitchen (not standard on the 5.0 like in the 19) and on both bulkheads in the dining area. We don't use the table except for a platform for the extra bed which we use to lounge on and read. Those pop-up tables will be used to hold our drink-of-the-day and associated snacks. As you can tell, we are very much into roughing it when in our Escape. (We forego the little paper umbrellas in our drinks when we go back to nature. )
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Old 04-02-2017, 01:21 PM   #10
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The average 65 year old adult needs twice as much light as the average 30 year old to see clearly . Plus senior citizens are much more sensitive to glare. When we first built our cabin , we thought it was too bright but now that we are in our late 60's we wish we had more light . It is a lot simpler & cheaper to dim or turn lights off if you find them too bright then add lighting at a later date.

I am assuming that you plan on getting old and living a long life , if not then never mind.
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Old 04-02-2017, 01:36 PM   #11
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Hi: Zardoz... Paper umbrella's bring a little exotic nature to your drinks anywhere... but then so does two olives on a toothpick. Keep the Gin in the freezer for a Sahara Dry Martini. Now I gotta go!!!
...the captains lights in the loft are just right IMHO. Alf
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Old 04-02-2017, 05:54 PM   #12
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The average 65 year old adult needs twice as much light as the average 30 year old to see clearly . Plus senior citizens are much more sensitive to glare. When we first built our cabin , we thought it was too bright but now that we are in our late 60's we wish we had more light . It is a lot simpler & cheaper to dim or turn lights off if you find them too bright then add lighting at a later date.

I am assuming that you plan on getting old and living a long life , if not then never mind.
I'll second this. When I hit my 70's, I switched a couple of the 17B LED lights for dual fixtures. I do appreciate the increased output.
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Old 04-02-2017, 07:51 PM   #13
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I'm a reader. Old fashioned print books. Not books on technology. I have the two captains lights in the dinette. Plus two in the loft of Ten Forward. I read "paper" a LOT. I'm glad I have the captains lights in both places. I can twist the head where I need the light to read. Works for ME
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Old 04-02-2017, 08:22 PM   #14
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I'm a reader. Old fashioned print books. Not books on technology. I have the two captains lights in the dinette. Plus two in the loft of Ten Forward. I read "paper" a LOT. I'm glad I have the captains lights in both places. I can twist the head where I need the light to read. Works for ME
Print books for me too only . Linda does both print and Kindle . Have the captain lights in bed area . Pat
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Old 04-02-2017, 10:51 PM   #15
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Having owned our 19 for just over a week now here's my take on things.

We didn't add any extra flip up tables and I haven't found a reason for any. Again it's only been a week but I don't see it happening.

We're using Command Hooks to try things out before adding anything permanent. Although it's quite possible the Command Hooks may be permanent.

We really like the captains lights over the bed. We put 1 on each side at the head of the bed. It's nice to be able to have directional light or bounce it off the walls for indirect light. I already wish we had put 2 at the dinette, but we didn't. We have 12v wiring in that area so I'm sure I can add them. Coulda, woulda, shoulda...

Btw, I know you didn't ask but I'm glad we put the head of our bed (captain lights) on the drivers side. The lights on the fridge are surprisingly bright and would drive me crazy at night if I were facing them.
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Old 04-02-2017, 11:48 PM   #16
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While I don't have the 19' trailer, I'd suggest you get as much light as possible. Like someone else said, you can always turn them off if they're not needed.

When I'm reading in bed or on the dinette (yep, gotta be "real" books!), I turn on the captain's lights. I use both over the bed as I like LOTS of lighting when reading or doing most tasks. We're not an "add it on later" sort of owner, so we had them do it for us. Worth the money, we feel.

I use the flip-up counter a lot, which is at the end of the kitchen counter. It's very handy to put stuff on while fixing a meal. It's different in your trailer, but if you're trying to decide to get one or not and all that.
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Old 04-03-2017, 05:47 AM   #17
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I recall having 6 captain lights in my 21 and 5 additional 12v outlets plus 2 12v runs. Far better to have and not use vs need and not have. Other than a/c everything was 12v or propane. Three pop up or stooge tables and would leave the dining table in the tug.

I think reading a physical book vs on line is a generational item. Those who grew up with books (remember The Hardy Boys for the boys and Nancy Drew for the the girls) still prefer them whereas the newer generation (who can not tell time without their iPhones) prefer to look down and read their screens.
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Old 04-03-2017, 06:21 AM   #18
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I use the flip-up counter a lot, which is at the end of the kitchen counter. It's very handy to put stuff on while fixing a meal. It's different in your trailer, but if you're trying to decide to get one or not and all that.
Agreed, the flip up table by the sink is very handy. It is standard on the 19.
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Old 04-03-2017, 07:07 AM   #19
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I added a flip up table in the bed area. We set our TV on it along with alarm clock, glasses, and a few other things. We don't watch much TV so did not want it it mounted on a arm that is bolted to the wall.

Added a captain light in the bedroom area and one in the dinning area.
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Old 04-03-2017, 07:19 AM   #20
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We never used the Captain's Lights in our 19 because they were too bright and didn't have a focused spot light and illuminated a pretty large area. We took them off our list for the much anticipated 5.0 we're picking up later this month. )

Just FYI Rich.

We were the same way in our old 19' but the new ones seem to have different bulbs and be more usable. We had the luxury of knowing where we used them before so only added 2 this time. I have some warm white bulbs I bought for the old ones but dont think I will use them in the new one.
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