New lights & Vents

[Herritt]

These old lights fixture consume alot of juice when you are boom docking it. I had to look for some more efficent. Well this is what I came up with. First the old light fixture had 6 bulbs at 1.3 amps each bulb. Do the math. Also the old lens were very yellowed making for very poor light.

I remove the old fixtures and install new light fixtures just forward of the vents. The new fixture have the option of turning on one or two of the bulbs. Now the real challenge was to finish the vent trim, for when the light fixture was removed is was unfinished around the vent. Priced the vent trim and screen at inlandrv. Each trim was $100.00 each. I have three vents to do.

I made made my own trim out of aluminum . What do you think of the finish product?

[bkahler]

I like the look. Our Excella has the powered vents inside the vent openings. Not sure how good that would like with your configuration. I do like the lights however.

[Happycampers]

Hello.. B.C. from Ontario.. think you did a great job.. and saved yourself some money.. Annie

[Chuck]

Looks good. any more detail on how you made the trim? what about screens? and those light fixtures....where'd you get them? they throw enough light?

I got replacement plastic covers, like in your first pic, only brand new from inland. they were only like 15 bucks or something. made a big difference, but I was thinking of (someday) replacing the forward vent w/ a fantastic fan, which will leave me -1 light fixture...wondering what to replace it with.

[silver suz]

Ohh.. it's so nice to look at everyone's pictures, and see a mostly finished trailer! We still see the ground and now the sky thru the hole cut out for a new fantastic fan. Does anyone know if those fan vents open up manually??? Just to have an open vent? The trailer has been aluminum and ribs for so long i'm forgetting what the insides looked like. silver suz

[Herritt]

Chuck, I first started with a peice of alumimun 14" X14" X 1/16', drew out my opening and used a metal punch and punched out the opening in 1" circles around my markings for the opening. I then used a bench grinder to smooth the inside opening. I used a metal brake to put 5/8 chanfer bend around the edges. Two reasons for this edge. First it gives it a better finish look. Second, I put a screen on the upper side used a 1 inch weather stripping foam tape to hold the screen in place. Then when pressed against the ceilling it would compress making a seal, plus the chanfer edge would coved any seam from the thickness from the tape. Of course I painted with a recational white paint.

With all that I am a aircraft tech. So I have access to all these tools.

The light fixture were bought at a local rv dealer. They too had some special consideration. First I wanted the option of turning on one or both lights and they could not be plain white. White would had stood out to much so I got them in almond colour.

The vent over the table, I did not put the light next to it because I felt it was to high for good lighting over the table. So this one I positioned under the head liner as you can seen in the pic. I have a fwd dinnette as you can also see. I'm 100% happy with the results.

[Chuck]

looks nice! love that dinette. that's another fantasy of mine, to replace my gaucho w/ a dinette... someday.. how long are those dinette seats, anyway? probably can't make one that large, as my trailer is a couple of feet shorter.

suz: yes, the vents crank open manually. if you look in the first pic, you can see the crank haning down from the vent. the fantastic fans open manually, or electronically (automaticly with rain sensor), depending on what model you bought.

[silver suz]

Thanks, Good Guy, I finally got out for a few minutes to look in the trailer, and Sur' nuf', with a small stool I was able to reach up, read the instructions and crank it open!!!! Yea!!!! Herrit that is really nice work- I have a 31' and I don't think there would be enough room for couches and dinette because of the door location. For a double or queen bed?? Can't go outside today to look -i've already suffered the repercussions of going out for a few minutes and I prefer breathing, thank you. This means I design mostly in my head or on paper- dangerous. I keep asking for measurements in feet, and I keep getting PRO-E designs in metrics!!! I am of the last century, I think only in inches or feet. .could have had the whole thing designed if I had the foot measurements. Oh of course there is no KEY on the metric so I am still up a creek, for the kind of detail I need. Humphf. Silver suz

[Herritt]

Sue, thanks. The dinnette is original. The seats are 54 inch therefore it makes a double bed. The PO modified the table for I have no fwd couch. The table was cut smaller so you could sit without crawing into the table seats. Its works great for I mostly freewheel, camp alone. I do have the other half of the table to make the double bed when I have guess. But its a problem when there is more than two of dinner inside. I have been looking at hardware where I could just slid in the other half of the table like a leaf extention. I also did all the drapes and uphostery myself. Soon I will be doing the whole floor.

I do love the floor plan of my unit. With the fwd dinnette. The centre gaucho which makes a single or double bed. The folding door make it a perfect bedroom, with rear bath. As I said the travel alone so it makes a super combination for me.