Born Free Leap'n Lions RV Club Info & Discussion Forum

The light fixture over the sink stopped working. I swapped out each bulb into a working fixture and they both work. Does this indicate the fixture has failed and send it to Thinlite for repair?

Thanks

Kent Smith

Probably

Although you might be able to replace it with a new fixture from Camping World or another source for not much more than the repair cost.

Here is a direct link to one online source of Thin Lite fixtures: http://www.pplmotorhomes.com/parts/fluo ... hin%20Lite

Kent, Just 2 weeks ago I had the same problem. I've not been able to resolve the problem! I'm thinking that a c/b popped or a fuse blew.
I'd appreciate any other info you come up with. We have a 2008 27'RSB.

Don

My neighbor's 2004 26 RSB had the same problem last fall. He called the factory and they had him check the wiring connections on the fixture. It turns out that the connections were just corroded and needed to be cleaned and re-terminated. I thought I had the same problem on my 2004 26RB in the bathroom fixture until I realized there were two switches. (dope slap me)

Kent & Don, have you checked the 12v supply to the fixture.

I had 2 lights fail. I sent them to the factory and they repaired them for half the price that Camping World charges for a new one.
Thin-Lite Co 805-987-5021

Hans Rueckert

*this post edited by bfadmin

A second fixture over the sofa has now failed. We're in Florida and have been running two heaters which cycle on and off constantly. Could the surge in power be problematic with the fixtures?

I'll check wiring today. How could I check if 12v was being supplied without any instruments? Are the bulbs 12v? Getting concerned.

--Kent

Kent,

All fluorescent lamps have to be powered from an AC not DC power source. So, your Thin Lite fixtures have a built in ballast that converts the 12 VDC power it receives from the coach's DC power bus to AC that is then applied to the lamp's terminals to illuminate them.

You would need to drop the fixture down and test across the two incoming power leads with some kind of DC voltmeter to check for the proper 12 VDC power that should be there. Make sure that the connection of these two 12 VDC power leads to their respective terminals in the lamp fixture are good and secure also. If there is no 12 VDC across these two leads then you have a wiring problem some place in your coach.

If you feel that you are not technically inclined enough to do this, then I would recommend to take your coach to an RV repair facility to have them check this problem out.

I assume you are plugged into 120 VAC shore line power and are running your two heaters from two VAC outlets. Running these heaters should have nothing to do with the failure of your two lights.

Two failed fixtures at the same time is quite unlikely. The luminaries usually are lasting forever.

Start from the beginning - check all DC fuses. Pull each one out and observe for broken wire inside. Replace if necessary. Get any 12 VDC probe (Home Depot, ACE Hardware etc) and check for 12 VDC at the fixture.

If all checks are OK then replace the fixture(s).

PS Unorthodox way to check 12 VDC without instruments is to make "light short circuit" for a very short time and observe for sparks (Do not try it at home.

).

Thanks Bill, Oliver and all. The fixture over the sofa was okay after all -- there was a loose bulb from all the swapping. I swapped the fixture from forward ceiling to over the sink and it works okay. So assume the original over the sink fixture has indeed failed. Will decide to purchase new or have it repaired. Again thanks all for you helpful responses.

--Kent

We've been traveling and I'm a little late for this discussion.

In our last RV and in our BF we've had numerous "failures" from loose connections inside the fluorescent fixtures. Often, a rap on the fixture will cause it to reconnect or flash intermittently. This is an easy instant diagnostic.
But in any case its a good idea (with power off) to take it apart and redo all the wirenut connections. Pull the wirenuts off, twist the wires tight with plyers and replace the wirenuts. You can do them all at once or one-at-a-time as they fail. In 20 years, I've never had to replace a fixture, bulbs or parts in a RV fluorescent.

Regarding surges: Since these units are on the 12VDC system they are pretty well isolated from surges on the 120vac lines. Your may see them dim when a heater comes on but a slight drop in 12vdc voltage is not as damaging as spikes on 120vac lines.

Mike

Thanks Mike, I keep that in mind next time. It's already on the way back to Thin-Lite Corp -- still under warrenty.

--Kent and Abby