Bathroom light fixture replacement

[Scott]

The vent/fan/light assembly in my bathroom was woeful. The fan had no blades left, the screen was gross, the vent cover was slightly cracked, and the whole thing was hideously yellowed after 20+ years. Plus I didn’t like the light switch location or the way the bulb assembly blocked so much of the vent opening.

Anyway, I bought a standard Heng’s vent/fan assembly and installed it (quite a decent unit for $30, BTW). The garnish that came with it was bright white, so I sprayed it off-white to match the shower’s hue.

I put together a couple LED strips and attached them to the garnish with latex caulk. Then removed the obsolete CO detector (just to the left of the bathroom door), installed a residential light switch in its place, and wired it to the LEDs.

The switch is easy to find in the dark and it’s close to the rear entry door, so it also works well as an entry light since my bathroom door has been removed. Incidentally, not having a bathroom door allows a lot of natural light in the back of the coach (which I love), even more now that the stock incandescent fixture is no longer blocking sunlight through the vent.

I forgot to take a picture of the original assembly before removing the garnish and bulb cover, but you get the idea. Before-and-after pics aren’t quite fair because one was taken in the evening and one was taken midday, but the difference is pretty dramatic, especially for the low cost and effort.

[SMan]

Very nice upgrade Scott.

[Blue~Go]

Sweet!

I really like the idea of the LED's mounted to the garnish. Never thought of that. My stock vent isn't quite as bad as yours was (and a year or so ago I replaced the yellowed light cover part), but I've still been thinking of replacing it with a vent that does not have built in lights. So of course I was noodling over what to do for lighting. For lack of a better idea, I was thinking of one or two round LED fixtures on the "ceiling" over the sink area (fishing wires from the vent opening), but was a bit stymied on how to get wire to a switch. Even though I've also removed the door*, I was thinking it "should" be on the forward side. The fiberglass shower molding is so close to the wallboard there that it was looking pretty tough. But yeah, on the rear wall board, there is some access. I'm glad you gave me that idea! I may use that even if I put in some other type of light fixture.

BTW, not sure if you used "waterproof" LED strips (or if it will even matter), but just for the sake of information, there are waterproof versions of them (a friend ordered them by mistake once). They look just the same but the front of the strip is coated with a continuous hump of something resembling toughened clear jello. Doesn't seem to effect the light output. It smelled weird for awhile but then dissipated.

BG

*I'd have to agree - for me removing the bathroom door was 100% positive. I did it as soon as I got to where I could store it off the rig. Great light in the hallway now (from the skylight in the bathroom), plus ventilation (from the vent) and the oh-so-hard-to-come-by elbow room in the hallway. Ahhhh. Plus it's a place to set things down (groceries) vs. the "hallway hurdles" to get over them otherwise. Conveniently, since the opening faces the hallway one doesn't have to stare into an open bathroom all day long. I'm often solo, so from that angle no door is necessary; but when I do have someone along I can run a curtain across the hallway (thus dividing off a bathroom/hall combo "room" vs. just a tiny bathroom box). And plus there is the shower curtain. Living on boats one gets used to the "suggestion" of privacy (doors are often curtains or even if wood, are louvered for ventilation). And, like on a boat, if someone REALLY wants a moment to themselves, the other is requested to either turn up the music or step outside for a moment. True privacy. Anyway, given the ease of removing/replacing the door (a few screws), I'd recommend anyone who is open to the idea to give it a try.

[Blue~Go]

Just looking around the shower area in my rig and thinking about how nice a light switch would be. I happen to have a Chinook three-switch panel in the hallway that "backs up to" the tire locker (my removed CO detector was over the closet). Not that I couldn't put in a new switch, but, that three-switch panel has one light I never use. (One is for the back door lights; one is for the light under the awning, and one is for lights that light up the dump valve area.) I never use the dump valve lights. Reasons being that either I dump during daylight, or, if it's dark out, there are plenty of other things I need to see around the dump station, so I'd just wear a headlamp and that would obviously also illuminate the dump valves.

(The challenge with putting a switch anywhere near the bathroom is that there is precious little space "between" the walls and plus there is an set of in-turned fiberglass lips where the top and bottom halves of the shower stall are bonded together.)

Anyway, just curious how you ran the wire to your new switch. Given that the shower/hall-wall space above the lip looks tight (switch panel is below the lip), did you go over the outside ceiling and then down and into the tire locker and then over to the switch area? Or?

I did snake a phone wire into the bathroom skylight area from the kitchen/sink wire chase, and that's easy, but there aren't that many good places to put a bathroom light switch on that side due to the tight clearances of the shower wall.

Thanks for writing this up,
BG

[Scott]

I happen to have a Chinook three-switch panel in the hallway that "backs up to" the tire locker (my removed CO detector was over the closet).

That's where my CO detector was. Just to the left of the head door, above the shower stall seam.

Not that I couldn't put in a new switch, but, that three-switch panel has one light I never use. (One is for the back door lights; one is for the light under the awning, and one is for lights that light up the dump valve area.)

I don't have any of those. The back door light is a standard light fixture that you reach up to switch (not ideal). I don't have an awning (or lights!), and, wait, lighted dump valves? Holy cow!

(The challenge with putting a switch anywhere near the bathroom is that there is precious little space "between" the walls and plus there is an set of in-turned fiberglass lips where the top and bottom halves of the shower stall are bonded together.)

Anyway, just curious how you ran the wire to your new switch. Given that the shower/hall-wall space above the lip looks tight (switch panel is below the lip), did you go over the outside ceiling and then down and into the tire locker and then over to the switch area? Or?

Well I guess I lucked out with the CO cutout being just barely above the shower seam. Wire routing wasn’t too bad; I accessed most of the work through the tire locker. Fishing the wires from the vent cutout between the shower shell and the ceiling (which has the particularly snag-prone hull liner) was the only notable challenge.

[Blue~Go]

I happen to have a Chinook three-switch panel in the hallway that "backs up to" the tire locker (my removed CO detector was over the closet).

That's where my CO detector was. Just to the left of the head door, above the shower stall seam.

Ah, I see. My CO detector was across the hall, above the closet (where the generator switch also was). Not really a great location for the CO detector, detector-wise (a bit too high and far from the sleeping space). My bank O' switches is just below "the seam" but around where yours is. I think based on what you are saying (and what I remember from having the tire locker back out - which I replaced with insulation board), I should be able to get it (but yeah, carpet snags; isn't everyone's ceiling above their shower stall always carpeted? )

I don't have an awning (or lights!), and, wait, lighted dump valves? Holy cow!

Ha ha, but there's more! My Concourse came with electric dump valves. And the switches were in the shore cord locker right next to where you drag the cord in and out. What could possibly go wrong? Plus, what about all the other 90% of the job of dumping that wasn't automated? Luckily I found that the electric part was just powered "arms" that were clamped onto normal dump valve handles. All I had to do was remove those (a few easy fasteners) and get two T-handles for the ends of the stalks, which were already there. Whew.

I'm gonna noodle for a bit, but I think I very well may re-purpose that one switch for the bathroom light. Not that reaching up is SO bad, but since there is a switch there I never use.... And plus, like you say, it will be handy when coming in at night. Although I have nice, bright LED hallway light, it too has a switch you have to reach up for (but hmm, now that you have me thinking, the wire for that light is exposed right now....) Better add to the project list. Bad influence!

[kdarling]

As the saying goes, Blue, if you want to find the easiest way to do something, hire a lazy man. That's me

If my previously posted bathroom motion detector switch solution doesn't fit the bill because of your doorless situation, then how about a wireless switch?

eBay has tons of dirt cheap 12v remote switches from China for use in cars and vans. Yes, the transmitter buttons are in a keyfob case, but you can either screw that to the wall or wire it to a standard switch. That was my original plan before the detector.

Or if you want something more wall ready (and much more costly), there's this batteryless wireless switch with an available 12v receiver:

http://www.prestostore.com/cgi-bin/pro1 ... 055&rdf=ov

[Blue~Go]

I did think about your switch solution, which was very clever! (I don't exactly think of you as lazy, given all the cool stuff you've done to your Chinook.) I think I'll be able to get a wire over though. We'll see. Funny thing is, I've been reaching up to turn on lights for years on boats, but suddenly a wall switch seems like an attainable luxury and I must have it!

[kdarling]

Ah, I understand.

In the meantime, I finally found a supplier for this remote 12v switch plus LED dimmer that you can wall mount:

http://www.technorv.com/Wireless_Dimmer ... s-01dc.htm

$30 plus shipping. Ordered one to check it out. Would be handy for your situation, or to be able to control a main overhead light while sitting. Wish someone would make a three-way version.

wireless led dimmer switch

image.jpeg (11.66 KiB) Viewed 2470 times

[kdarling]

Scott,

So you replaced the entire assembly, right?

Any difficulty removing the original one? (e.g. when I replaced the stock crank antenna with a stationary new one, it was basically a lot of scraping off old waterproofing).

Do you just use butyl tape to waterproof it?

Did it come with a garnish ring?

thanks!