Ceiling lights covers replacement question

[VeggieBullet]

Can someone help me identify a part?
We are going to replace the "Ceiling Light Lens" our 72.
We have found the replacement covers but we can't find a part We also need.
The light assembly comes with a crank and a light knob, all of which I have.
But the plastic lens should be held up (according to the manual) by what appears to be a circular plastic clip (for lack of a better term) which fits up into the small openings where the knob and fan crank attach.
This small plastic clip helps to hold the ceiling lens in place, otherwise the lens slides up and down as the fan crank is turned.
Does anyone know what this small part is called? If so, where might I order them? Any " DIY fab" Has anyone else had this small problem before?
Thanks to anyone who can hep

[Aage]

Would you please put up a picture or two of the lens? I want to be sure I know which one you are referring to.

Thanks!

[VeggieBullet]

Hi Aage,
Trying to find the pics....I'm working on it

[VeggieBullet]

Here are some pics...any help will be great.

[BradB]

My lenses look the same. From what I can tell there isn't anything on the crank side to hold it up apart from the crank itself which is attached with a screw. The switch has a nut that threads onto it to hold up the cover on that side. I checked my 1976 service manual and it doesn't even show the nut so I'm not sure what it is exactly called. I'm missing one too though so this is timely!

Brad

[Aage]

I have those exact same lenses and have replaced all four. None of them had any clip to hold the lens up. The light switch end has a knurled nut that holds that end up, so you must mean the crank end. On ours, the crank does that job.

You may have noticed that the spacing of the two drilled round holes to the edge of the area in which they sit is slightly different. The crank sits in the hole with more space to the edge, otherwise it won't turn properly.

Since the cover in the sleeping area has no vent (rear bath model), it has a special nut over the hole where the crank is on the other vents. The nut (post, really) can be forced out of the old lens and just sit on top of the new one, screwing up against it to snug it in place. I suppose that if you heated the new lens with boiling water you could force it in, but I didn't feel the need to go that far.

[Aage]

ps: while you are replacing the vents, check that the gasket surrounding the vents is in good shape. I can tell you that if it is the original one, it ain't.

I found a ½" thick X 1" wide foam with a peel and stick back that worked fine. Scrape off what's left of the old gasket (wear goggles) clean it as best you can, and apply the new gasket. I had to notch out to get around the corners, which made it a bit slow to do, but I felt it was a job worth doing.

We had visited the trailer after a light snow two years ago, and found a small snowdrift on the kitchen counter.

In your case, it would keep typhoon-type rain out.

[VeggieBullet]

Well this is the one that we have in the bedroom and don't see a place to secure the "nut"..well that's another challenge...

[VeggieBullet]

Well I got few washers and used them with the light switch and the nut that it comes with.
That side is holding fine but the side with the crank not at all...We also can't find anything on the service manual, no nuts/washers/rings....

[VeggieBullet]

It will be nice if the crank hold its side like in the pic #1 but it doesn't so not sure what to do now...
In the net pic is the fix that the PO found.....
Don't really want to go that way..

[Aage]

Originally Posted by VeggieBullet

Well this is the one that we have in the bedroom and don't see a place to secure the "nut"..well that's another challenge...

In pic #2 I can see the hole for the threaded screw that mine has, onto which the "stud" fastens, thus holding its end of the lens up.

But what in heck was there before!? You took down the old lens, correct?

Anyway, for the bedroom one with no hardware on one end, I would be tempted to thread a bit of fine silver-coloured wire through the two holes in the metal frame which is on the ceiling (one large one small) to wrap together on the other side of the lens. Fine wire will be hard to see, it shouldn't look too bad.

[Aage]

Originally Posted by VeggieBullet

It will be nice if the crank hold its side like in the pic #1 but it doesn't so not sure what to do now...
In the net pic is the fix that the PO found.....
Don't really want to go that way..

You can buy those cranks in a variety of styles at most RV stores. Get a shorter one with a straight 90 degree angle, and it should hold closer to the lens. Or just stick some washers on the crank arm you have. Take your existing crank to the store with you to be sure you get what you want.

Those lenses are still available from most Airstream dealers, and are only about $15 a piece. New ones are white. Aren't yours a cigarette smoke caramel now? I see that one has a piece broken, too...

ps: your camera has a 'macro' button on it (they almost all do). It's a button or selection in a menu that has a little flower as its symbol. Use it for closeups like the blurry some-or-other in pic#2 in this post. I couldn't tell you if it was a rock or a slice of bread from your photo.

[VeggieBullet]

Originally Posted by Aage

But what in heck was there before!? You took down the old lens, correct?

The PO had the covers held with screws on each side!! that is the pic #2 where you can see the whole were the screw went to the ceiling...

Also like the idea of the fine wire...how about fishing wire...

[Aage]

Originally Posted by VeggieBullet

The PO had the covers held with screws on each side!! that is the pic #2 where you can see the whole were the screw went to the ceiling...

Also like the idea of the fine wire...how about fishing wire...

Yikes! I thought I had a loony PO, but screws up there? Could easily puncture the roof!

As for fishing wire, I'll go for it if you take a minute and find your camera's 'macro' button...