Outside/Porch light

[sciteach111]

Sorry if this has been answered before but I searched and could not find it.
On my 2021 17B my inside lights must be turned on in order for the outside porch light to be turned on.

Is this normal?

If it is normal I would like to rewire to make them independent.
How do I gain access to the back of the door jam switches to troubleshoot?
I popped off the decorative cover but the screws on the switch plate just turn and turn they do not loosen. Am I missing something obvious?

Thanks in advance
Sciteach

 

[cpaharley2008]

Brian,
please provide me with a contact number so I can reach you.

 

[sciteach111]

Not sure how to do a PM
I tried but it looks like I'm not allowed.

 

[Carmel Clown]

Sorry if this has been answered before but I searched and could not find it.
On my 2021 17B my inside lights must be turned on in order for the outside porch light to be turned on.

Is this normal?

If it is normal I would like to rewire to make them independent.
How do I gain access to the back of the door jam switches to troubleshoot?
I popped off the decorative cover but the screws on the switch plate just turn and turn they do not loosen. Am I missing something obvious?

Thanks in advance
Sciteach

Should be 2 black switches just inside the door - mine is on the end of the kitchen counter. One turns on power to all the inside lights and one turns on the outside light. Once you turn on the power to all the inside lights, turn them off and on at the light. The inside power button to all the lights, can be left on as long as you are using the trailer and turned off when you leave.

 

[Eggscape]

Be extremely careful when removing the switches as the lugs on the rear can easily break off. Don’t try to straighten them or they will also break off.

 

[Calicia]

This does not sound normal. On my 2018 17b the two light switches at the entrance operate separately. I can turn on the outside light without turning on the inside light switch next to it

 

[sciteach111]

Thanks Calicia and Eggscape


I did not seem normal to me either. Anybody else?

Next problem is to remove the switches and troubleshoot.

Should the 4 screws just spin out or do they have some sort of nut or retainer on the back side?
When I tried to screw them out they just spun in place and did not loosen. Threads stripped out in the wood maybe?

 

[brroberts]

Most likely stripped out in the paneling. Try to get some outward pressure with a small screwdriver under the switch lip as you loosen the screws. Maybe pliers to carefully gently tug on the switch while removing the screws.

 

[vermilye]

Unless Escape (or a previous owner) has changed the wiring, the outside & inside switch are in series, ie both must be on for the light to shine. You can turn it off at either location, but if you want to turn it back on you must use the same switch that you used to turn it off, ie the other switch must be on.

Some owners have modified their wiring and replaced both switches with double pole switches and wired them the same way a household 3 way switch works. I did this with my 17B, but haven't bothered on my 21. I rarely use the outside light.

 

[John in Santa Cruz]

huh, on my older (2014) 21, the two switches are right in the door frame, top one just turns on/off the outside porch light, bottom one just turns on/off the center ceiling dome light. the two switches are quite independent. Both light fixtures have their own switches which also have to be 'on' for the door switch to work.

 

[Ian and Sue]

Unless Escape (or a previous owner) has changed the wiring, the outside & inside switch are in series, ie both must be on for the light to shine. You can turn it off at either location, but if you want to turn it back on you must use the same switch that you used to turn it off, ie the other switch must be on.

Some owners have modified their wiring and replaced both switches with double pole switches and wired them the same way a household 3 way switch works. I did this with my 17B, but haven't bothered on my 21. I rarely use the outside light.

The switches you say are in series....you mean the switch by the door and the switch on the fixture...no? Not that the switches by the door are in series...correct?

 

[brroberts]

Series. Interesting. My Sept ‘21 E19 is definitely not in series.

 

[cpaharley2008]

In my 2022 Escape, the 2 switches near the door control the outside and inside lights and are accessible while outside before entering. You can turn on/off each interior and or exterior light as you wish, but the switches by the door are the master switches.

 

[vermilye]

The switches you say are in series....you mean the switch by the door and the switch on the fixture...no? Not that the switches by the door are in series...correct?

Right. As John said, one of the two switches by the door is for the ceiling light & the other is for the outside light. One of the interior switches is in series with the switch built into the outside fixture. If you have the electric awning, there will be a third switch below the upper two. I'm describing a 2017 21C; the 2021 17B may be different.

 

[John in Santa Cruz]

In my 2022 Escape, the 2 switches near the door control the outside and inside lights and are accessible while outside before entering. You can turn on/off each interior and or exterior light as you wish, but the switches by the door are the master switches.

huh. as I've said, mine only control the single porch light (I also have streetside and front outside lights), and the one inside light nearest the door (I also ahve 2 over the kitchenette, 3 around the dinette, plus 4 captains lights in the 4 corners).

I've also noted via fuse tracing that the interior lighting on mine is on a couple different fuses, one for the street side and the maxxfan, and the other for the curb side plus bathroom + kitchen hood fan/light.

 

[vermilye]

huh. as I've said, mine only control the single porch light (I also have streetside and front outside lights), and the one inside light nearest the door (I also ahve 2 over the kitchenette, 3 around the dinette, plus 4 captains lights in the 4 corners).

I've also noted via fuse tracing that the interior lighting on mine is on a couple different fuses, one for the street side and the maxxfan, and the other for the curb side plus bathroom + kitchen hood fan/light.

I believe that Escape offered an option for the switch controlling the inside lights to control all inside lights or the stock installation of one fixture - the central ceiling inside fixture.

 

[sciteach111]

Thanks for all the thoughtful responses, interesting that Escape seems to have wired different models very differently. I have the manual awning maybe that dictates some of the differences.


I know that on my 2021 17B the master switch which controls the inside dome lights must be on in order for me to turn on the outside porch light. Therefore the porch switch has to be in series with the master light switch inside the camper someplace. If there is a jumper between the two switches it would be an easy mod. If not and the hot wire that feeds the porch switch is buried somewhere else in the trailer than who knows it could be a can of worms so to speak.

As Vermilye said I don't use my porch light all that often either and it may not be worth messing with it.

You never know though my OCD may get the better of me. I've dived into to many crazy projects before to rule it out all the way! :-[



Again thanks for the help. Ill let you all know if I start the switch rewire project and what I find.