By Gail Marsh
It began as a single blink. I thought perhaps my eyes were playing tricks on me. Soon, the blinking of the light increased. I wondered if a wire connection had come loose, but we’d been stationary for weeks. Finally, the blinking increased in frequency to the point that it could no longer be ignored—or tolerated. It was time to DIY our RV’s overhead lighting.
Puck lights
Our 2019 Vilano fifth wheel features ceiling puck lights in the main living area. These round, recessed lights fit fairly flush with the ceiling and provide great LED lighting inside our rig.
Lots of lights
In addition to the puck lights in our living area, we have identical recessed lights under some kitchen cabinets, over the island, and also in the ceilings of our bathroom and bedroom. That’s a lot of lights! If one light was going out, it made sense that other lights might burn out eventually, as well. It also made sense to figure out how to fix the RV ceiling lights myself, rather than pay a technician to do it, potentially over and over again.
A little history
In 2012, Airstream began using LEDs for overhead lights in its RVs. Since that time, most other manufacturers have followed suit. LEDs are great for RVs because they only require 4 watts of power. In addition to optimizing battery life, LEDs also outlast incandescent bulbs.
Easy fix
Note: While every RV is different, many manufacturers use similar puck lights. If in doubt about removing and replacing your RV puck lights, ask your local dealer or technician about your lights or refer to your owner’s manual.
Our RV required a 4.5-inch lens with a 3.25-inch ceiling opening. I ordered these lights on Amazon. Here’s how the new light fixture looked when I removed it from the packaging.
I was surprised and happy to discover how easy it was to fix the RV ceiling light. Here’s the step-by-step process I used.
1) Turn off the power.
2) Unscrew the light lens and set it aside. (Be careful. Our lens was made of glass, not plastic.)
3) Remove any screws (if present) that hold the fixture base to the ceiling.
4) Pull downward to remove the light fixture base from the ceiling. The light may have two spring clamps holding it in place. The springs in our light fixture were very strong. I had to pry the light’s electrical base away from the ceiling. When I could see the springs, I compressed them to free the fixture base.
5) Cut the white wire on the old fixture.
6) Use a small wire nut or crimp connector to fasten the new fixture’s white wire to the RV’s white wire. (The picture shows a blue crimp connector. I used it to join the two white wires.)
7) Cut the black wire on the old fixture.
8) Use a wire nut or crimp connector to fasten the new fixture’s black wire to the RV’s black wire. (I preferred the gray wire nut over the crimp connector. The photo shows the wire nut connecting the two black wires.)
9) Push the new light fixture base back into the ceiling and secure it in place with either the screws or the springs or both.
10) Screw the light lens onto the new fixture.
11) Restore power. You should have light!
It felt so good to DIY that RV ceiling light! Do you fix any RV problems yourself? Tell me about it (or them) in the comments below.
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##RVT1202
We found many of ours were just too bright for their location. Replaced many of ours with dimmable lights the same size. They remember the brightness setting even when power is shut off and turned back on. Do a search before replacing yours with the same cheap factory light. Throw one you removed in the back of a storage compartment so you have a spare you can use to quickly replace one on the road if needed.
I did the same thing!!
Our cats and dogs think these motion detectors are games for their enjoyment.
The interesting thing I have found out about LED lights is they were supposed to save the earth, yet I think I have replaced more of them than standard lights around the house (only one so far in my 3-year-old RV). The LEDs last forever, but the electronics driving them are pure junk, and unfortunately, are a replace and throwaway thing.
They might save a little electricity, but they cost much more and are filling up the landfills! I wonder what toxins are in them????
Thank you for the encouraging and educational story, Gail! Yes, we, which usually is really DW whose Dad was a machinist and trained her well, do fix a few things in the RV. We are not always successful, but it does get attempted. Have a great day and safe travels!