Yahoo Message Number: 88671 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/88671)
Has anyone had any experience replacing the mood rope lights around the windows. They appear to be 5/16" OD with bulbs 3" OC., they are all connected in parallel to a pair of wires. Since many of the bulbs are out I am considering a change to LED.
Any thoughts by others would be appreciated.
Terry Ray
08 Affinity 6837
Yahoo Message Number: 88687 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/88687)
I have done this on a couple of coaches. A couple things to consider. The LEDs tend to be brighter so most of the time a dimmer needs to be installed. It takes an LED dimmer, a regular one will not work. LEDs cannot be dimmed by reducing voltage, they must use an interrupter dimmer meaning on-off-on the brightness is controlled by the time of on. At real low light levels some can see the pulsing or timing of the dimmer.
Mikee
Yahoo Message Number: 88690 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/88690)
I can't find an LED replacement strip that that matches the 3" OC spacing, they all seem to be 1" OC. Color temperature will be a factor as the factory strips are very warm, most LEDs are 3000 or higher.
The original lights look like they may have been custom built. Since they are incandescent bulbs I fear that they will be short lived.
Terry Ray
08 Affinity 6837
Yahoo Message Number: 88707 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/88707)
Terry,
I hunted for days on my computer and could not find rope lights to match mine. One day I was in the main electrical bay and saw a fuse labeled "Vista Lights". Vista Manufacturing was a Vendor for Country Coach in the days my coach was built at least. http://www.vistamfg.com/index (http://www.vistamfg.com/index) is there website. I called them and believe I talked to Christy or Christi and gave her the lengths I needed and I replaced them all about three years ago and they are all still working. You can switch to Led's but I stayed with the incandesents. The Lights they sent me had a very small ridge on the outside diameter but is not very visible. They were a little larger in diameter than the originals but I just heated them up to about 175 deg. in the oven till they were pliable and then inserted them in the 3/8" groove for them.
Kevin Burns
2000 Affinity #5865
Yahoo Message Number: 88710 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/88710)
Kevin,
Thanks for the tip, I'll report on my further discoveries!
Terry Ray
08 Affinity 6837