Issues with Lights

[Bustex]

Has anyone else had problems with the interior roof lights failing due to bad connections, we have had four already replaced with another six that have failed since?

[Diesel chaser]

Our RW had major halogen replacement issuses due to being in the dealers show room with all the lights on for demo. after they were replaced no more issues.

[atom ant]

What year, Halogen or LED, lights do you have?

What is the failure?

Just curious. We haven't had any issues.

[0nTheRoad]

We have a '13 with halogen lights, no issues with either the lamps or the lens covers. As the halogens burn out we replace then with LED's.

[Bustex]

2014 model year, they are Halogen, it is the connection that is failing due to vibration on road, dealer already replaced four with digital, now we have six more failed and not able to get a response from Redwood !!

[0nTheRoad]

Is the issue one of wiring, defective receptacles or lamps. If you resolve the problems by replacing lamps I would not think it is a Redwood issue. If on the other hand it is something caused by materials or workmanship, well that is a production issue and should be addressed by Redwood or your dealer under warranty.

[Bustex]

Don't understand why you think it is not a Redwood issue, don't you expect the lights to work when you buy a new RV ?

[atom ant]

what is actually failing? Is the connection falling off, breaking, structurally failing?

I'm curious, because this is the first post I have seen with the issue and vibration would seem to impact a lot of other stuff before it go to the lights.

[Bustex]

I do not know exactly what is failing sometimes you can get the light to come on by tapping the glass, I know the dealer asked Redwood to authorize the replacement of all the lights to Digital because they apparently were aware of a quality issue from a certain vendor, that why they switched to digital on new production. Redwood declined to authorize the work.

[0nTheRoad]

I didn't say it wasn't a Redwood issue... I said it was definitely an issue IF the problem is fixtures or wiring

If the problem is the bulbs then I don't see this as a problem that Redwood needs to address. They are light bulbs, halogen light bulbs to boot which have a horrible life expectancy. If they were LED's I might have different expectations.

I would never expect Redwood, or any other RV manufacturer including Newell or Prevost to be responsible for replacing my light bulbs, nor would I expect a home builder to replace the light bulbs in a S&B house.

Is it an inconvenience that so many bulbs have burned out...yes, is it a manufacturing issue...maybe, but you don't know until you check it out. Replace the bulbs, if the problem continues then you know you have a significant issue.

[0nTheRoad]

Bustex,

Sorry I didn't understand the issue, given the new information you provided I agree, there is more to it than just burnt out bulbs. It's unfortunate that Redwood is declining to retrofit, I would try to escalate the issue, call Redwood yourself to discuss the issue with them!!

[Bustex]

Called them left messages with Angie Cox (head of customer service), even sent an email to the President Andy Crite so far no response from anyone

[atom ant]

When you say digital, are they replacing them with LED? That would make for an awful mix in there.

[Bustex]

Sorry yes LED, and yes they are now mixed

[Bustex]

To be fair the LED is OK you really cannot tell the diff, one thing I never thought of is that they did not replace with LED only told me they had, I have never checked to see.

[atom ant]

they kind of set you up by not sending the original equipment.

I had that issue with a cabinet door as well, Redwood only sends the new - not the one you have. Took a bit to get that straightened out with Kevin and ended up just using the hinges off the new door.

[hoosierguy]

Folks......

I am sure that most of you know this, but for those that don't, the halogen lamps (both 20 watts and 10 watts) used in these Redwoods operate at a very high temperature. This to me makes the halogen lamps a poor choice their earthquake environment and result in a short life span. Also, when you are installing a new lamp, you should ensure that you do not touch them directly with your fingers as the oils on your fingers will produce even hotter spots on the lamp. Instead, use a paper towel to hold the lamp while installing. If you do touch the lamp with your fingers, be sure to clean the lamp with alcohol before proceeding.

Also, one of my discoveries is that when the lamp goes out, do not always assume that the problem is the fixture. I often find that even though the lamp filament has burned open, if I give the glass over the fixture a sharp wrap of the back of my hand, or the butt of a screwdriver, the vibration will cause the filaments to shake enough to weld the open ends back together resulting in additional lamp life. In some cases, I have repeated this procedure several times and getting additional weeks of life out of the lamps. I have yet to find an actual fixture problem.

Once the lamps no longer are repairable with the back hand, I have gradually started replacing the halogen lamps with LED's from M4 Products.

Hope this helps.

[rob_fla]

So far (Knock on Wood) we have not had any failures of interior lights in our Redwood, all our interior lights are LEDs.
We had all halogen overhead lights in our last 5th Wheel, we were blowing one or two halogen bulbs a month, so I replaced all 37 halogen bulbs with LEDs, no more problems.
The only light problems we have had with our Redwood is the exterior lights over the doors.
The white and amber bulbs do not last very long, bought a cheap two pack of White LEDs at Wally World (so I could see to take the puppy dog out to pee), to replace the white incandescent bulbs.
They Wally World LEDs work ok, I just do not like the bright white light.
I have ordered Warm White LED replacements for the white bulbs and Amber LED replacements for the Amber bulbs.

[mhs4771]

Not only the heat of the halogens, but they are a major current draw on the batteries. One of the first things we did was change out all of them for LEDs.

[rob_fla]

Originally Posted by mhs4771

Not only the heat of the halogens, but they are a major current draw on the batteries. One of the first things we did was change out all of them for LEDs.

I agree, the Halogens get very hot and make more heat for the A/C to deal with in the hot summer time.

I could tell a immediate difference in the frequency the power converter cooling fan cycled after changing to the LEDs.

Since we do not boondock, battery life was not a big factor for us.