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Topic: Replacing Porch Light (Read 1256 times) previous topic - next topic

Replacing Porch Light

We have a new porch light fixture and are trying to replace the old one on our 1993 U225 Unihome.  We have removed the old fixture (read a post that spoke to gobs of adhesive and caulk) and have exposed the small hole that lets the wiring come through from the body of the coach.  Problem.  There was just a very short length of black wire attached to the black wire on the old light.  White wire from the light fixture was not hooked to anything at all, just kind of stuck in the hole.  IS there supposed to be a white wire coming out of the body of the coach?  I would certainly think so, but I am not much of an electric genius.  Is there a photo album or a "how-to" that I can access to help finish this job?  I am thinking it SHOULD be a simple repair.  Am I going to have to try fishing for a white wire that perhaps goes to the door handle?  Help appreciated.
Carol & Jeff Savournin
Usta have a '93 U225 36', Usta have a '95 U320 40', Usta have a '02 U320 40'
Usta have a 2006 Born Free, Usta have a 2011 Phoenix Cruiser
Usta have a 2012 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited 4dr
"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life."  Steve Jobs

Re: Replacing Porch Light

Reply #1 –
Quote
IS there supposed to be a white wire coming out of the body of the coach?
Your new light should have 2 wires on it.
Your light takes 12vdc.
So there has to be 2 wires coming from the coach connected to the light fixture giving the light 12volts.
If both wires were there, it would be an easy fix.
Black to black wire & White to white.
The selected media item is not currently available.Barry BEAM #16014
2003 U320 40' AGDS
Beamalarm, Foretravel technical help and specifications
"Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve"

Re: Replacing Porch Light

Reply #2 –
Yup.  That's pretty much what we thought.  The job promised to be pretty simple.  But the white wire from the coach was not attached to the light.  Common sense tells me that that is the reason it stopped working.  We have looked around as best we can, the access hole being pretty small, and have fished around with a crochet hook, but can find nothing!  Where the heck would that wire have slipped to?  There is not even a remnant of something broken.  Is it attached to the door handle?  Any advantage in taking that off to help "fish" for the white?  We did check the BeamAlarm archives for something that would help educate us. 
Carol & Jeff Savournin
Usta have a '93 U225 36', Usta have a '95 U320 40', Usta have a '02 U320 40'
Usta have a 2006 Born Free, Usta have a 2011 Phoenix Cruiser
Usta have a 2012 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited 4dr
"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life."  Steve Jobs

Re: Replacing Porch Light

Reply #3 –
Quote
We have looked around as best we can, the access hole being pretty small, and have fished around with a crochet hook, but can find nothing!  Where the heck would that wire have slipped to?

was the light working at any time?
It is hard to believe that it would break in the wall.
If it was installed right , there should not have been a splice in the wire in the wall.
Could it have slipped back in the hole when you were removing the fixture?
On the white wire of the fixture, is the end of it bare like it was connected to another wire or is it insulated all the way to the end?
Can you enlarge the hole a little to give you a little more room to fish for the wire. it can be sealed later.
I would think it is hanging inside and could be close to the top.
How much black wire was there coming from the hole?
If it was very little you wont have much of a chance getting the white one fished out.
The selected media item is not currently available.Barry BEAM #16014
2003 U320 40' AGDS
Beamalarm, Foretravel technical help and specifications
"Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve"

Re: Replacing Porch Light

Reply #4 –
FT usually silicones the wires on the top of the hole so they will not fall in. It is a pain as they are really stuck. Look up top and see if you can feel it with your finger.
2025 Wanderbox Outpost 32 on F600 Expedition Motorhome
2015 Born Free Royal Splendor on Ford 550 nonslide version  for sale
Former Coaches  covering. 360,000 miles
1999 34 U270
2000 36 U320
2001 42' double slide U320
2018 Jeep Rubicon

Re: Replacing Porch Light

Reply #5 –
We are going to enlarge the access hole, as it will be well covered by the light fixture when we are done.  It is very difficult to see where the conduit that fed either (both?) wire comes from ... up, down or sideways.  Worst case, we just slap the old one back on after covering up the hole and securing the remains of black wire and head to Texas.  Your answers have just reinforced our feeling that the absence of white wire was not good news.  the white end on the back of the old fixture almost appeared to be cut very close to the end of the insulation.  There is no evidence of white wire in the shrink connector that had black wire attached to the fixture, and there is precious little black wire coming from the body of the coach.  You'd think there would have been a bit left to play with, as I feel that this is the original porch light from 1993.  Thanks for the input.  Please chime in if anything more occurs to you!
Carol & Jeff Savournin
Usta have a '93 U225 36', Usta have a '95 U320 40', Usta have a '02 U320 40'
Usta have a 2006 Born Free, Usta have a 2011 Phoenix Cruiser
Usta have a 2012 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited 4dr
"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life."  Steve Jobs

Re: Replacing Porch Light

Reply #6 –
I was going to suggest that you enlarge the hole, but figured that would be shot down right away.  I don't see that you have any other options.  I take it there is no access from inside the coach.
George Stoltz.  Retired from full-time living in a great Foretravel and now are back to living in a traditional sticks and bricks in Florida.

Re: Replacing Porch Light

Reply #7 –
Quote from: George Stoltz –
I take it there is no access from inside the coach.

That might be an interesting thing to look into.  Now, I'm not the "disassembler" of our coach when things need to be fixed, but I do know that (at least on our '03) you can remove the panels lining the compartments and there are wires running behind them.  Usually they're for interior items, but perhaps the porch light wiring is accessible the same way, especially if there's an interior cabinet that backs up to the porch light.

If the technique was consistent, you'll need a square drive bit and there will be a lot of screws to remove.  And in some cases, you'll need to remove adjacent panels to get the primary one out.  But it might be worth it.

Michelle
Learn every day, but especially from the experiences of others. It's cheaper!  - John C. Bogle

2000 U320 36' non-slide / WildEBeest Rescue
2003 U320

Re: Replacing Porch Light

Reply #8 –
Quote
It is very difficult to see where the conduit that fed either (both?) wire comes from ... up, down or sideways.

I am going to say the likelihood is the wire goes down to the on/off switch and 12vdc.
I don't know if they put the wires in "loom" like they do under the coach for protection.
If so, the wire should be near the hole.
Quote
there is precious little black wire coming from the body of the coach.
I did not know about them using silicone to secure the wire to the top.
That could be good news.
You may be able to pull on it and loosen the silicone & release a loop of wire.

Quote
There is no evidence of white wire in the shrink connector that had black wire attached to the fixture,
There shouldn't be. That should only be connected to the black wire.
My guess is the white wire in the wall will have the shrink connector if it is not on the fixture.
Might make it easier to grab.




The selected media item is not currently available.Barry BEAM #16014
2003 U320 40' AGDS
Beamalarm, Foretravel technical help and specifications
"Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve"

Re: Replacing Porch Light

Reply #9 –
The white wire is the ground.  So if one of the fixture mounting screws goes into the steel frame than you can get your ground connection there.  While it's better to have the white wire to attach to this is better than having to try to run another wire or drill bigger holes in the fiberglass trying to find it.  I would guess the fixture frame (aluminum) is already connected to this white wire. So you might try just connecting the black wires and screwing the fixture in and see if it works.

It's quite possible your coach does not have this white wire for what ever reason - especially if the fixture can get the ground from the mounting screw going into the wall frame.
John Fitzgerald
1991 U300 (SAI) Side Aisle Island Bed 40'
Detroit 6V92 with Allison Retarder
Meridian (Boise), Idaho

Re: Replacing Porch Light

Reply #10 –
Foretravel sure does it right...wires are in a conduit so cannot be enlarged.  Will try one more time to fish out the white wire, then see if grounding wire to conduit works...If that fails we head to Texas (from PA.) or just buy another coach...
We are only strangers until we meet; however, some of us are stranger than others

Re: Replacing Porch Light

Reply #11 –
Jeff,
 
Without a doubt you should trade in that '93.  I have it on good authority that it is impossible to repair that porch light.  Texas Revised Statute 2004 reads: "Any and all homes and/or Recreational Vehicles used on Texas highways, farm road and lanes and in all such  abodes used for housing more than one person shall have sufficient lighting over the front steps
 
So there you have it.  Trade in that baby and let MOT or FOT deal with the problem..
George Stoltz.  Retired from full-time living in a great Foretravel and now are back to living in a traditional sticks and bricks in Florida.

Re: Replacing Porch Light

Reply #12 –
What with all of the cheap prices I am seeing in the marketplace on used Foretravels, purchasing a later model seems a very prudent course of action. You can't buy a fancy car for those kind of prices.

Regards,
JON TWORK KB8RSA
JON TWORK KB8RSA
Full Time RVer (10+ Years) & Dedicated Boondocker
Retired, Unemployed, Homeless Transients
1996 Foretravel U270-36 w/24' Timberwolf Trailer
I firmly believe that tomorrow holds the possibility for new technologies, astounding discoveries, and a reprieve from my remaining obligations.
Welcome to WeRV2 (Under Construction)
Find Jon: Via Satellite Tracker Datastorm Users
The Second Amendment is in place in case they ignore the others.

Re: Replacing Porch Light

Reply #13 –
Thanks Jon and George...will make sure DW reads your posts....I always carry the title so looks like a trip to Texas.....

Jeff
We are only strangers until we meet; however, some of us are stranger than others

Re: Replacing Porch Light

Reply #14 –
Hey. Isn't the ground wire attached to a mounting screw on the handle? It is logical that after removing the fixture the ground wire would be "hanging loose". It has been a long time since I had mine off but isn't this the way the "touch on" handle works?
No RV! Have hung up the keys.
In the past: 2016 Winnebago Era, 1994 Foretravel U240, 1995 Foretravel U240 (wide body), 1999 Foretravel 320, 36 Foot, 2003 Foretravel U320 38 foot,

Re: Replacing Porch Light

Reply #15 –
Ok, gave up trying to fix porch lite. Have a plane ticket to Houston for Tuesday and hopefully by Thursday we will have a new coach..I will stop by FOT and MOT on Wednesday and see who is around...

Hear FOT is really backed up (happens this time of year) both for remodeling and service...

First thing I will check on new coach is if the porch lite works...this turned out to be one hell of an expensive light fixture..
We are only strangers until we meet; however, some of us are stranger than others

Re: Replacing Porch Light

Reply #16 –
Jeff,

If the light just won't work , IMHO, plus as George pointed out the Law is the law, I believe you have run out of options and a new coach is in the cards!!!

BTW, just think with a new coach you should have additional storage allowing you to hold on to those must have treasures you found while preparing to turn over your sticks house to the new owner!

You realize you definitely came to the right place for support on fixing your coach's porch light.... ;) ;D

Good Luck Tuesday and good searching on your Trip to Nac!

Tony

Tony Pasquale
SOLD....
'99 U295 36'
WTFE, 04/99, #5572
Toad: 2020 Equinox
 

Re: Replacing Porch Light

Reply #17 –
If inspection, etc. goes well I will be buying James Stalling's coach...Going to take a while to get used to 200 sq feet from our 4,000 sq ft home....Huge amount of help from others full timing..Wouldn't be doing this without them and the guidance we receive from this forum...Be good to see you again, my friend...
We are only strangers until we meet; however, some of us are stranger than others