Excella Fluorescent Light Mystery

[jjfitzy]

I have a 1973 31' Excella 500. There are fluorescent lights in the troughs above the curtain tracks in the front lounge. I can't find ANY mention of them in either the owners manual or the service manual.

Now for the question.... Does anybody know where the switch is to turn them on!!!! :-) I have looked and looked and can't for the life of me figure out where it is.

[overlander63]

They are an addition from a PO. We have the same (120 volt) fluorescents in the same spots. The switches may be on the ends of the fixtures.

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by jjfitzy

I have a 1973 31' Excella 500. There are fluorescent lights in the troughs above the curtain tracks in the front lounge. I can't find ANY mention of them in either the owners manual or the service manual.

Now for the question.... Does anybody know where the switch is to turn them on!!!! :-) I have looked and looked and can't for the life of me figure out where it is.

That was standard for your Excella.

I will not be back in my office until 6-22, and I will search for the info for you. I have that info in one of my books.

Andy

[jjfitzy]

Hmmmmm, they really do look like they are factory installed... The 1975 owner's manual lists the fluorescent bulbs in the buld replacement section, but the 75 service manual doesn't show ANY 120V light fixtures either. ( I'm using both the 73 and 75 manuals, since the 73 manual doesn't even show a floorplan matching my Excella! ) The end caps of the troughs look original and have no switches.

I'm chasing some other wiring problems at the moment, so I have the center roof section removed. Maybe I'll take one of the curtain trays off and see if I can trace the wiring.

Thanks for your help.

[GStephens]

Look behind the front curtain next to the street side couch arm. There should be both an electrical outlet there and the switch for the florescent light fixtures over the windows.
GStephens

[vswingfield]

Originally Posted by GStephens

Look behind the front curtain next to the street side couch arm. There should be both an electrical outlet there and the switch for the florescent light fixtures over the windows.
GStephens

That's where the switch in my 1983 Excella is. There is another electrical outlet, but no switch, on the curb side.

Oh, just because you have them and a switch doesen't necessarily mean that they are working. Mine didn't. I have Cold Cathode Fluorescents (CCFL) over the street side, but don't like the color of light. I plan to get three matching fluorescents that I can fit with warm white tubes.

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by jjfitzy

Hmmmmm, they really do look like they are factory installed... The 1975 owner's manual lists the fluorescent bulbs in the buld replacement section, but the 75 service manual doesn't show ANY 120V light fixtures either. ( I'm using both the 73 and 75 manuals, since the 73 manual doesn't even show a floorplan matching my Excella! ) The end caps of the troughs look original and have no switches.

I'm chasing some other wiring problems at the moment, so I have the center roof section removed. Maybe I'll take one of the curtain trays off and see if I can trace the wiring.

Thanks for your help.

By the way, those flourescent light fixtures are 12 volts DC.

Andy

[Silverhobby]

Aren't the light fixtures 120 volt bulbs, with a step down transformer? That is how my thin lites operate.

[overlander63]

Originally Posted by Silverhobby

Aren't the light fixtures 120 volt bulbs, with a step down transformer? That is how my thin lites operate.

I forget the voltage fluorescent tubes operate at, but it is significantly more than 120 volts. The high voltage excites the gas in the tube, causing it to glow.

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by Silverhobby

Aren't the light fixtures 120 volt bulbs, with a step down transformer? That is how my thin lites operate.

The 12 volts DC, is electronically "chopped" to create AC, then the transformer "steps up" the voltage to a higher AC voltage so that the bulbs will work.

Transformers don't work on DC.

Usually, the electronic circuit board goes bad. Years ago replacement boards were available, but I think they are gone.

The easiest fix, is to replace the entire fixture.

You may have to be a little creative to make them fit within the drape valance.

Andy

[vswingfield]

Andy is right. Replacement is the way to go!

They are very strange fixtures. Same for those around the ceiling vents. Odd tube size that is difficult to find and only seem to exist in cool white, even searching online. Interestingly enough, I found remnants of Thin Lite labels on some of them.

I will post photos of the one remaining label on my ceiling vent fixtures soon. I am replacing that vent in the bedroom with a FanTastic Vent this weekend. I'll look for the remaining, not functioning, Thin Lite over the windows at the same time. One had been replaced with a fixture from Maple Light that I like a lot. It still works fine, but I can't find anything about it. I would like to have some more, but they are apparently no more.

[jjfitzy]

First off, thanks to everyone for their input, it has been extremely helpful.

But the mystery deepens, these bulbs are F15T8-CW, which I believe are AC lights. At least they are the same as the ones in the mirrir fixture in the bathroom of my house! Still haven't found a switch, yet though. Nothing near the outlet on the street side end of the couch.

There is what looks like a replacement plate on the curbside underneath the AC outlet there, and next to the porch lite switch. I had assumed it was covering where the antenna rotate controls were originaly, but perhaps that is an errroneous assumption. I will drill out the rivets on the plate and see what's behind there tonight. I know it's an afterthought plate, because the rivets are aluminum colored and not white like the rest of the original rivets.

Joe

[airbassador]

Originally Posted by jjfitzy

First off, thanks to everyone for their input, it has been extremely helpful.

But the mystery deepens, these bulbs are F15T8-CW, which I believe are AC lights. At least they are the same as the ones in the mirrir fixture in the bathroom of my house! Still haven't found a switch, yet though. Nothing near the outlet on the street side end of the couch.

Joe

They should be 12v lights, because you want light when you're running on battery, right?

Perhaps the PO put in the wrong bulbs, or the fixture died and they replaced and rewired for AC lights. Regardless, tracking down the weird things in an old airstream is part of the fun.

Just last week I learned I had a laundry hamper hidden behind the toilet.

[richinny]

the bulbs are the same but the ballasts are either 12vDC or 120vAC.

[Mr. Decent]

In the '76 Excella i recently worked on the switch for the fluorescents was in the lower curtain cove corner on the curb side, took me a while to find it, but it is there.

[vswingfield]

Originally Posted by richinny

the bulbs are the same but the ballasts are either 12vDC or 120vAC.

Exactly!

Apparently sources for 12vDC ballasts are few and far between. Any sources anyone has would be greatly appreciated. I have a few that need replaced and Thin Lite is very proud of theirs.

[Aerowood]

Why don't you just convert them to LED strip lights.

[vswingfield]

Originally Posted by Aerowood

Why don't you just convert them to LED strip lights.

I have given it some thought. I have decided that I like the wide 360 degree wash of light that fluorescents have. The indirect light when reflected off the ceiling adds a lot of light, soft light at that. When I have the lights on, most of the time I prefer it bright & cheery unless boondocking.

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by vswingfield

I have given it some thought. I have decided that I like the wide 360 degree wash of light that fluorescents have. The indirect light when reflected off the ceiling adds a lot of light, soft light at that. When I have the lights on, most of the time I prefer it bright & cheery unless boondocking.

If you really want to add to the "wash effect" from the flourescent lights that are hidden in the drape valances, try this.

Wash a small area, about 6" x 6" near the valance especially if it's sticky.

Apply 2 coats of future floor wax to that washed area.

Let it dry for a few minutes, then turn the hidden lights on.

Make sure your wife is there so she can see the effect as you will. The texture of the vinyl-clad will come to life, big time.

Caution: She may say, "lets do the rest of the trailer the same way."

However, if she is negative, you can easily remove the wax, and return to the original effect.

Andy

[vswingfield]

Originally Posted by Inland RV Center, In

If you really want to add to the "wash effect" from the flourescent lights that are hidden in the drape valances, try this.

Wash a small area, about 6" x 6" near the valance especially if it's sticky.

Apply 2 coats of future floor wax to that washed area.

Let it dry for a few minutes, then turn the hidden lights on.

Make sure your wife is there so she can see the effect as you will. The texture of the vinyl-clad will come to life, big time.

Caution: She may say, "lets do the rest of the trailer the same way."

However, if she is negative, you can easily remove the wax, and return to the original effect.

Andy

Fortunately for me, I celebrated 29 years of happy divorced life on June 11th, not that I'm counting.

Ok, even I'll admit that the walls could use the sticky removal and wax.