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Overhead Flourescent lights - '04 Inspire

Yahoo Message Number: 65498
I've seen messages about finding replacements lights, but am not doing the search properly. So, where do we find new fixtures? I can't find anything on the lamps or in my manuals about them or what brand they are. Need to replace two of them. Have tried new bulbs and it didn't help.

Thanks in advance,

Carol

'04 Inspire 51062 (I think.)

Re: Overhead Flourescent lights - '04 Inspire

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 65504
Have you actually taken the lights out of the ceiling. I had one light not working, tried bulbs I new worked with no luck. I took the light down and it had never been wired in to the coach wires. The wires were there and just needed hooking up. I do have one more light that does not work. If I can't find an exact replacement I will take the light out of the toilet room, put in the living room and replacce the single light in the toilet room.

Re: Overhead Flourescent lights - '04 Inspire

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 65505
Carol:

Feel free to contact me via my personal email kvn.wt.7629@... and I may be able to locate some replacement ceiling lights for you.

Kevin Waite

Re: Overhead Flourescent lights - '04 Inspire

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 65527
I had a number of lights out due to failed ballast assembly. These can be purchased online for about $30 and if you are handy (mechanically) they are not difficult to replace. FL light fixtures to replace entire unit run in the $60 to $80 range and higher depending on make and model so replacement of ballast is by far the least expensive way to go. Remove the light and find the name of the mfg. company and model number ? contact a good RV parts location and price replacement ballast.
Or try Johnson RV in Spokane, WA ? they helped me and were very price competitive. (509) 534-3713.

Best of luck to you.
M. Peterson

03 Allure #30916

Re: Overhead Flourescent lights - '04 Inspire

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 65529
Looked up my invoice - mine were a Thin-Lite Model 746 which used a 1B-716 ballast. Check yours to confirm it is the same model before ordering the ballast as different models use different ballast assembly. If you call Johnson have them send you a new RV parts & accessories catalog along with your order - they provide the catalog free and it has many items listed that you will find on your coach.

Good Luck

M. Peterson

03 Allure #30916

Re: Overhead Flourescent lights - '04 Inspire

Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 65532
As a final note - remember that using a fluorescent light fixture with one bulb burned out will damage your ballast assembly - so it is best to check your lighting fixtures often and if you see bulbs that are turning black at the end of the bulb - it is close to needing replacment. Keep a couple of spare bulbs on hand if you have space to store them.

M. Peterson

03 Allure #30916

Re: fluorescent ballast

Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 65537
With regard to your statement below. I had one tube of the small (2 tube) fluorescent fixture in the galley above the sink go bad and replacing it with a new bulb (identical bulb ID) didn't work. Swapping bulb positions didn't work - same side bad so I figured it was ballast but assumed there would be one for each side although it's just a small fixture. I haven't disassembled it to see if there are two ballasts or maybe just a bad contact on one side. We rarely use it and the one functioning side provides plenty of illumination for that spot. It might not hurt to point out these small fluorescents are standard bulbs available in places like Lowes and that they don't come in 120 VAC and 12 VDC variants. The ballast converts the 12 VDC to whatever AC variant the bulbs in the fixture require.

Jim Monnahan '02 Intrigue, #11410.

Re: fluorescent ballast

Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 65541
Jim

I replaced the bulbs with LED strips that I got in Quartzite. Works great, good light and less current draw. Will certainly last longer.

Dan 2006 Allure 31348

Re: Overhead Flourescent lights - '04 Inspire

Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 65543
Mine are Thin-Lite Model 746NS (i.e., "no switch") and use the same ballast. If you have multiple fixtures on a single switch you may want to use the model with the switch to allow individual fixtures to be switched off.
I believe others on this forum have reported that Thin-Lite will repair fixtures if you take the time to send them back.
--

Tom Harsch 2002 Allure #30791
Pahrump, NV

Re: Overhead Flourescent lights - '04 Inspire

Reply #9 –
Yahoo Message Number: 65556
Hello Carol

The 04 Inspire overhead light assemblies can be purchased at www.parkinacc.com the p/n is 17918386, I bought 2 this past year and they were $ 55.13 each, Talk to Yogi, very helpful Phone # 574 264-7574

Good luck

Jerry

2004 Inspire 51012

message dated 11/15/2010 2:55:44 P.M. US Mountain Standard Time, tcharsch@... writes:

Re: fluorescent ballast

Reply #10 –
Yahoo Message Number: 65559
Jim, That is very useful info regarding that these little flourescent bulbs do not come in 12 or 120 and are available at Lowes and Home Depot kind of places. I will bet they have better quality and less expensive than Camping World and RV places charge. I had no idea. Indeed, I am looking at one right now and it says simply F8T5CW and there is no voltage specified.
Incidentally, dual bulb Thinlites have only a single ballast. However, take the cover off, since you may have a wire loose to one of the sockets.

Rich 2002 Magna

Re: Overhead Flourescent lights - '04 Inspire

Reply #11 –
Yahoo Message Number: 65560
You can contact Thinlite directly. They are in Camarillo, CA. They will install a new ballast for $29.95 including return shipping. They also will give you a number of a place that will send you a ballast for somewhat less than they can, I think around $20. You may have a bit of wiring to do in that case.

Rich 2002 Magna

Re: Overhead Flourescent lights - '04 Inspire

Reply #12 –
Yahoo Message Number: 65562

Hi Carol,

I sent my lights into Thin-Lite even though they were not made by Thin-Lite and they fixed them and guaranteed them and sent them back to me. Their address is 530 Constitution Ave, Camarillo, CA 93012.
The phone is 805-987-5021. You need to call them to see how to pay them.

Ilene 2004 Inspire 51071


From: "ramjetcal@..." To: Country-Coach-Owners@yahoogroups.com Sent: Mon, November 15, 2010 7:10:47 PM Subject: Re: [Country-Coach-Owners] Re: Overhead Flourescent lights - '04 Inspire

Hello Carol

The 04 Inspire overhead light assemblies can be purchased at www.parkinacc.com the p/n is 17918386, I bought 2 this past year and they were $ 55.13 each, Talk to Yogi, very helpful Phone # 574 264-7574

Good luck

Jerry

2004 Inspire 51012

message dated 11/15/2010 2:55:44 P.M. US Mountain Standard Time, tcharsch@... writes:

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Re: Overhead Flourescent lights - '04 Inspire

Reply #13 –
Yahoo Message Number: 65565
Thanks so much to everyone who replied. The coach is currently stored for the winter a few miles away, but I'll be going to check on it next week. I haven't taken down the offending lights yet, but will attempt to do it myself when I go there. The two lights that don't work right now did work until recently, so it appears the wiring is properly connected. I do have spare bulbs.
Thanks again for all of the suggestions, phone numbers and addresses. I'll be using that advice to get the lights back to working order.

Carol

Re: Overhead Flourescent lights - '04 Inspire

Reply #14 –
Yahoo Message Number: 72781
Saw your post and wondered how did you get them down. I have an 05 inspire with a bad light and I took out the 6 screws but it still won't come down?

Re: Overhead Flourescent lights - '04 Inspire

Reply #15 –
Yahoo Message Number: 72782
Greetings,

The overhead light is p/n 17918265,mfg Optronics can be obtained from Parkin Accessories ,(574)264-7574,or website is www.parkin-acc.com, contact name is Yogi, great people to do biz with, good luck and regards

Jerry

2004 Inspire 51012

Re: Overhead Flourescent lights - '04 Inspire

Reply #16 –
Yahoo Message Number: 72783
Oops

The p/n for the overhead light should have read 17918386,when you get into the Parkin website navigate your way through 'lighting',and more lighting, very interesting website .

Jerry

2004 Inspire 51012

Re: Overhead Flourescent lights - '04 Inspire (free ballast )

Reply #17 –
Yahoo Message Number: 72801
Carol, I took off the 6 screws and just pryed the sides and corners a little to get the fixture to drop. I used a drill and drill bit the size of the inner part of the 4 or so rivets and that removed the ballast. I had two bad ones but then I decided to just gut all of the fixtures and I put LED light stirps in each one. So much better lighting and at 1/10th of the amp draw.
The down side is that it cost about $350 to do all the fixtures in my motor.
I have about 6 good ballast that I have in storage if anyone wants them. I am not going back to use them now that I have LED lighting. So much better especially the soft white LED's. The Natrual daylight LED strips are very white and my wife did not like them as well as the soft white LED Stips. (free plus postage), they will ship in those USPS boxes for $10.

Dallas 04 intrigue 11688

Re: Overhead Flourescent lights - '04 Inspire (free ballast )

Reply #18 –
Yahoo Message Number: 72803
Can you share with us the information on the LEDs that you used?

Thanks,
Bob Barnett
'98 Magna #5489

Re: Overhead Flourescent lights - '04 Inspire (free ballast )

Reply #19 –
Yahoo Message Number: 72814
I purchased from this internet site
http://www.prudentrver.com/ledfleds.html
'fLED6: a 5.75" x 6" panel providing 240 lumens from two SLM12 LightStrips of HyBright.4 LED. Use 1 panel for 240 lumens of natural white background lighting, 2 panels for 480 lumens for 12" fixtures to replace two F8T5 tubes, or 3 panels for 720 lumens for 18" fixtures to replace two F15T8 tubes.'
The site is a bit confusing to order from but I ended up ordering the fLRD6 with 400 lumens 2 ZLS lightsticks. You have to first click on the ADD TO THE CART, then use the sub menu to select which light sticks you want on the kit.
I ordered 2 for these light panels for each flourescent fixture I was replacing. They run $33 each or $66 per fixture.
After removing the 6 screws and dropping the fixture I drilled out all the rivets and removed the Ballast and light sockets. Basically the entire guts of the fixture except for the light switch. It is much easier to remove the fixture down from the ceiling to do all of this. Make sure you get the continuity correct on the LED Lightsticks. The LED lightsticks come mounted on a flexible aluminum sheet which bends into place in the fixture. NO need to attach the LED lightsticks to the fixture since they hold in themselves.
SO basically if you don't mind spending the money on converting the existing fixtures, the difference is you end up with less than 1 amp of draw with 6 of these fixture on at one time.
One last thing, the guy that runs this company is I think a husband/wife shop operating out of their home or garage. It took about a month to fulfill my order and when I called after a few weeks I talked to the wife who transferred me out to the husband that told me he was waiting to get more supplies in and would have my order done in a couple days. I think he had misplaced my order but I will give him the benefit of the doubt. He had the Lightsticks in the mail two days later as promised. He puts the kits together himself. You can also order the kits and put them together yourself. It just requires soldering and taping the LED strips to the aluminum sheets. I ordered the predone kits above. I had no problem workign with them and they are very responsive by phone.

Dallas 2004 intrigue 11688

Re: Overhead Flourescent lights - '04 Inspire (free ballast )

Reply #21 –
Yahoo Message Number: 72831
Thanks. I really appreciate your detailed response. I plan to tackle this project later this year.

Best regards,
Bob

Re: Overhead Flourescent lights - '04 Inspire

Reply #22 –
Yahoo Message Number: 72859
Correction on Overhead light p/n, should have read 17918386,when you go to Parkin website navigate your way through lighting.oops my bad

Jerry

2004 Inspire 51012