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Topic: Door entrance bulb out (Read 1363 times) previous topic - next topic

Door entrance bulb out

Does anyone know how to remove the plastic cover of the entrance light that's above the door on the outside of the coach? I need to replace the bulb.

Re: Door entrance bulb out

Reply #1 –
It helps if you identify the year and model of your coach when asking this kind of question.

From your "name" we might assume a '98 model?

Re: Door entrance bulb out

Reply #2 –
If  the cover is yellow and plastic and kind of rectangular then carefully pry from the bottom with a small screwdriver and its should pop out. It should then snap back in.

Re: Door entrance bulb out

Reply #3 –
It's a 98 U320. Yes it's a yellow plastic cover.

Re: Door entrance bulb out

Reply #4 –
Using both hands squeeze the cover and it should pop out

Re: Door entrance bulb out

Reply #5 –
Or............in one of the black plastic end caps is a phillips screw.  Remove this screw, pop the end cap off and it slides out.

Re: Door entrance bulb out

Reply #6 –
I wonder how brittle those covers become over the last 20 years. It doesn't kill me that the light doesn't work but it sure would if I break it trying to remove it.

Re: Door entrance bulb out

Reply #7 –
Maybe it's the ballast not the bulb?
The whole thing is old so may be better to just replace it with an LED fixture.

Re: Door entrance bulb out

Reply #8 –
Good point. I was going to try bulb first. It worked when I purchased it a year ago.  Is it major to replace it with LED?

Re: Door entrance bulb out

Reply #9 –
We couldn't go without a front light. After replacing the bulb twice over 3 years we decided to switch it to LED. it's brighter and draws much less power.

Re: Door entrance bulb out

Reply #10 –
It is usually just a bad connection. I'm assuming your light is florescent with 2 bulbs. Every one I've fixed have been the prongs the bulbs plug into. I replaced mine with LED/motion detector and glad I did.

Re: Door entrance bulb out

Reply #11 –
Take your time getting the cover off, it will come off.  Pry up from the bottom as I recall.  These fixtures need both tubes to be working for either to work.  We switched ours to a warm white (3000° K) LED strips.  Much easier on your eyes and your neighbors than the daylight or cool white (6000°K) at night.  This is a good place for soldered wire connections to the strips.

Re: Door entrance bulb out

Reply #12 –
on my 95 the light comes on when you grab the handle. It shuts off after 30 seconds. You can also manually turn it on or off.

Re: Door entrance bulb out

Reply #13 –
Yes. Mine came on with the grab handle too and shut off after 30 seconds

Re: Door entrance bulb out

Reply #14 –
If I switch to an LED strip, will I have access to the ballast once the plastic cover is removed to access the bulbs?

Re: Door entrance bulb out

Reply #15 –
Quote from: Roger & Susan in Home2 –
We switched ours to a warm white (3000° K) LED strips.  Much easier on your eyes and your neighbors than the daylight or cool white (6000°K) at night.  This is a good place for soldered wire connections to the strips.

That's good to know, sounds like a fairly easy fix.  I really don't like keeping the light on at night while outside because it is so bright...  almost like a spotlight on our neighbors...  wish the fixture focused the light down rather than lighting up the whole area.

Re: Door entrance bulb out

Reply #16 –
I think I took the fixure off to get rid of all the flourescent bits.  All you need for the LED strip is the + 12v and ground wire.  One strip the about the length of the fixture is probably enough.  Probably not too hard to add a dimmer.  There are internet connected Alexa enabled switch/dimmers that you can control from you phone or by talking to your Echo device.  Pretty neat.

Re: Door entrance bulb out

Reply #17 –
The yellow cover bleaches out and becomes brittle with time.  FT Parts has replacements.

Re: Door entrance bulb out

Reply #18 –
I got tired of replacing my florescent bulbs in my door porch light and found this LED replacement...
                  LED162AP - Thin Lite Inc.
It was an easy one for one replacement.  I've had no problems since (over two years now);  nice and bright.  There also is a white version if you want to replace the engine compartment light.

Re: Door entrance bulb out

Reply #19 –
Wow. That looks just like what's up there now. Thank you all. That may be the way to go.