MisterMcD
Mississippi
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Joined: 01/25/2009
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Hey all,
I had a question that I searched the forums for and could not find an answer. Do any of you know about the ropelighting that is commonly found in motorhomes?
On a Newmar Mountain Aire that I am looking at there are several strands of this lighting. I didn't even notice them but my wife said that there were some on the stairs that weren't working except for the first light. She saw the same thing in the cabinets.
Is there any explanation for this? Is it difficult to replace if the strands are burnt out?
Thanks for any help you can provide.
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sowego
northwest panhandle of Nebraska
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Joined: 03/14/2006
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Many manufacturers used rope type lighting in many places in coaches. The bulbs can be replaced in some. Some are like typical holiday lights inside plastic tubing with bulbs that can be replaced. You'll have to inspect your particular tube light to see if your's have replacable bulbs. You have to split the casing and change the bulb. You may be able to glue the slit closed again to prevent water and dirt from getting into the tube. If a whole section burns out due to faulty wiring the whole piece may have to be replaced, something someone with electrical knowledge may be able to do but if someone does not feel confident to do so...might require a professional to wire in a new section. These days rope lights can come with LED bulbs, much cooler burning and more energy efficient. Home improvement and hardware stores carry the parts you'll need to complete repairs.
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gbrinck
Florida
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Joined: 11/16/2009
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As sowego says, there are many styles of these lights and some are simply replaced while others can be repaired. They come if different diameters, some as narrow as 1/4", and different bulb spacing, light intensity, etc. I'm not familiar with what wa used in an 02 Mountainaire, so can't help you there, but a call to Newmar might get you a source for parts.
Don't be surprised if it is quite expensive, though. The slim tube rope lights in my 04 American Tradition are about $3/foot and you have to buy the stuff in large bulk coils. Big RV dealers like Lazydays usually have a coil and sell it by the foot, but lighting distributors usually only sell 100 ft coils.
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BRAVE
Maine
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Look for 12-volt LED rope lighting on the Internet. Lots of places sell it. Comes in plenty of nice colors too.
Jack
Jack and Julee Meltzer
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RayChez
Barstow, Ca. USA
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Joined: 09/13/2003
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I had that type of lights replaced on the entrance steps. I believe I had for sections about 36" long replaced. I ordered mine through the manufacturer, but they refered me to the vendor. I believe I paid around one hundred bucks for them, but I couldn't fix it myself, so I took it to Findley RV in Las Vegas being that I was there and I believe they charged me like sixty bucks to install them. But they done a great job. The lights have to be twelve volt and the stuff they sell at Home Depot is not the same. The lights that I got were in a solid clear tube, but it was not flexable. It come in sections of around six foot long and the electrician had to cut it and silicone the ends of the tube to prevent water from getting in and shorting them out.
The lights on mine are 5/16" SKL Amber square Krystal lights.
You might want to look them up on Goggle. The manufacture is Vista manufacturing.
* This post was
edited 11/18/09 11:51am by RayChez *
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cire
Roamin da USA
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One type of rope light that several RVs' use is made by "Vista". It's a flexible hollow rope with two coated wires inside that have small lights soldered every 2" or so. The individual lights can be changed but it is a pain in the neck and requires some level of skill to work with the tiny lights soldered inside a stiff hollow tube. At the end of the day it's easier to just buy a new string of lights when too many bulbs have failed. (In my opinion.) When you buy a string of lights the supplier typically supplies two insulated wires at one or both ends of the rope lights. The other end is simply cut and the last 1/2" is filled with clear silicone.
Eric Perplies
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1996 Bluebird Wanderlodge, 42'
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RayChez
Barstow, Ca. USA
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cire wrote:One type of rope light that several RVs' use is made by "Vista". It's a flexible hollow rope with two coated wires inside that have small lights soldered every 2" or so. The individual lights can be changed but it is a pain in the neck and requires some level of skill to work with the tiny lights soldered inside a stiff hollow tube. At the end of the day it's easier to just buy a new string of lights when too many bulbs have failed. (In my opinion.) When you buy a string of lights the supplier typically supplies two insulated wires at one or both ends of the rope lights. The other end is simply cut and the last 1/2" is filled with clear silicone.
I think that is what I posted?????
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sp8gold
Colorado Springs, CO
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Joined: 08/27/2004
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We had Newmar repair ours while at the factory when we had a Mountain Aire.
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MisterMcD
Mississippi
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Joined: 01/25/2009
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RayChez wrote:I had that type of lights replaced on the entrance steps. I believe I had for sections about 36" long replaced. I ordered mine through the manufacturer, but they refered me to the vendor. I believe I paid around one hundred bucks for them, but I couldn't fix it myself, so I took it to Findley RV in Las Vegas being that I was there and I believe they charged me like sixty bucks to install them. But they done a great job. The lights have to be twelve volt and the stuff they sell at Home Depot is not the same. The lights that I got were in a solid clear tube, but it was not flexable. It come in sections of around six foot long and the electrician had to cut it and silicone the ends of the tube to prevent water from getting in and shorting them out.
The lights on mine are 5/16" SKL Amber square Krystal lights.
You might want to look them up on Goggle. The manufacture is Vista manufacturing.
This is some great info. Thank you for the feedback.
I will be checking into it this weekend. (God willing)
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