Adding a Ceiling Light to the Escape 19

[RickM]

As I said in my writeup, it was an easy job once I got over the fear of cutting the ceiling vinyl material. The template was very helpful for locating the light and, more importantly, served as a cutting guide.

Rick

[float5]

rainbowheartda, we have a double LED on the wall over the mirror. When we open the cabinet above the stove, the LEDs light up the inside of it. They also light up the clothes closet and the refrigerator.

[rainbowheartdaddy]

that sounds good too, but we like to have more lights above the table so we can see food (or books) better
cheers,

[float5]

There are three lights around the table so no lighting problem there at all that we have had. Never use them all.

Our LEDs are mostly too bright to leave on and we mainly use them to light up those areas I mentioned as those are the places with little light.

Some people have installed hard-wired lights inside of cabinets. We have some battery-operated ones also.

[Jim Bennett]

We only have the two lights at the dinette, one under each upper cabinet, and like the idea of adding another over the dinette. Right now that is where I am sitting, and my head shadows the keyboard from one light, and the screen from the other. An overhead light would be a nice touch. With the lights I added inside all the cabinets (which I highly recommend), the rest of the trailer is lit up fine for us.

[float5]

I guess the older models only have two lights. We have a third in the middle over the table near the front window. I was struck immediately by how bright all of the lights were. Ours are not LED except for the double one but it is even brighter probably because it is big. When we switch to the small LEDs in place of our present lights, maybe we will think we need more light also even with three around the table.

[rainbowheartdaddy]

Hi all, finally got a chance to work on the lights, following Rick's procedure, I put in two lights one on each side of the fan. The original plan was to add a light directly on top of the dinette. I tried to insert the stiff wire before I cut the hole to see how far I could go with the wires. I found that I could not go very far, the wire will buckle and it is difficult to control the direction. So I settled to the distance I think is ok. The results: supervisor is happy, happy wife, happy life!

[Ron in BC]

Thanks to Rick and Jim for blazing the way for retro-fitting lights.

I got a start on that job today. It took a while before I was satisfied that I had a centerline that was equidistant from the cabinets. I always notice when things are crooked so I didn't want to be relaxing in the dinette and notice the light was crooked

If I was a scotch drinker I'd have definetly taken a drink or two before cutting into the vinyl

The backing block fits but it's freezing cold today so I'll warm things up and glue it in tomorrow.

So far, so good.

Ron

[Brian B-P]

I did essentially what Ron just showed, although in a different brand of trailer. I was mounting a fluorescent light fixture. I used PL 700 adhesive because it is specifically suited to bonding wood (my backing block) to plastic (the fiberglass resin). It stayed there for a few years, then fell off over the winter; the adhesive all stayed on the wood, cleanly parting from the fiberglass shell. Maybe I needed to roughen the fiberglass surface?

[RickM]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

I did essentially what Ron just showed, although in a different brand of trailer. I was mounting a fluorescent light fixture. I used PL 700 adhesive because it is specifically suited to bonding wood (my backing block) to plastic (the fiberglass resin). It stayed there for a few years, then fell off over the winter; the adhesive all stayed on the wood, cleanly parting from the fiberglass shell. Maybe I needed to roughen the fiberglass surface?

.
Besides roughening the surface, the fiberglass needs to be "cleaned" with alcohol or acetone to remove resin remains.

[jamie beers]

I appreciate everyone's workmanship and ingenuity. Not being so possessed myself, I added a double LED light in the ceiling over the front dinette of my 19' during the build. Really, really like it.

[ While I'm at it about added lights that I really, really like: I also added a second single LED light over the kitchen sink area (love it), and, like many others, added a captain's light in each corner of the trailer.]

[Ron in BC]

Yes, I usually wipe with acetone but I usually abrade the surface also. The usual problem with poor bonds is that if waxed resin is used, to prevent the surface from staying sticky, the wax comes to the surface and makes future bonding more difficult.

Must remember to run the wires before I glue in the block

Ron

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by RickM

Besides roughening the surface, the fiberglass needs to be "cleaned" with alcohol or acetone to remove resin remains.

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

Yes, I usually wipe with acetone but I usually abrade the surface also. The usual problem with poor bonds is that if waxed resin is used, to prevent the surface from staying sticky, the wax comes to the surface and makes future bonding more difficult.

That's probably it - thanks!

[Ron in BC]

Today it was run wires, glue in backing block and hook up the light. Almost, the only negative was that it was below freezing and there was ice on the roof. I didn't think heating from the inside would warm up the fiberglass enough for the epoxy. So I put a heating pad under the trailer cover and warmed it from the exterior also.

Wow, what a difference compared to the side lights.

Once you done this job once I think it's a pretty quick job to do. Maybe at the meet Jim and I could put out a sign. "Dinette lights installed, while you wait. We work for fresh brewed coffee in the morning or cold brews in the afternoon."

Ron

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

Once you done this job once I think it's a pretty quick job to do. Maybe at the meet Jim and I could put out a sign. "Dinette lights installed, while you wait. We work for fresh brewed coffee in the morning or cold brews in the afternoon."

Methinks we would get very little business in the afternoon time slots.

[amirie]

hmmmm me thinks I have to think about that!!!
Our coffee is a melita--good enough?? LOL and cold brews--well that can somehow be arranged!