Florescent 12V Lights

[Bob & Carol Howald`]

>Ralph, You are so right. Low voltage will do them in. I do as we
used to do on the F-27 a/c years ago, I turn all the lights etc off
before I start the coach, after start everything can come back on
line. I never had a problem with burnt out or blackened bulbs. Don't
know if that help's or not but I do know you can really lower the
voltage if the start and house batteries are connected. We had a
single switch on the F-27 that turned the entire cabin electrical bus
off for start, too bad they don't have that on the motorhome.
Hope all is well with you and your's...Bob 93pt40--Illinois

>
> While on the subject of ballasts/inverters and lighting, let's
visit the
> problem of what the largest cause of failure is. And that is low
voltage to
> begin with. If this is not looked into, the lights will light and
bulbs
> will still blacken on the ends way too early and the
ballast/inverter will
> fail again.
>
> In the wire runs behind the covers at the back of the overhead
> compartments, front and rear, the wire (large yellow 12 ga?) runs
from the
> circuit breaker to a plastic cannon plug. From there to the switch
and thus
> the lighting. I have found that the plastic cannon plug to be the
problem,
> so much so that the insulation around the wire becomes charred.
These wires
> carry alot of amperage and amperage equates to heat. As the pins in
the
> plug heat up the plastic of the holes in the plug expand, then
contracts as
> it cools. After a few years the pins the wires are attached to fail
to make
> a good contact and a low voltage problem then exists going to the
lights. I
> have by passed many of these plastic plugs by cutting the wire,
adding a
> length of wire and connect the main feed back to the lights. I have
had to
> cut back as much as 2 to 3 inches of wire to get back to good un
tinned wire.
>
> These plugs are on both sides and in the rear as well and another
that
> services the bath light fixtures. It is highly recommended that all
of
> these main power feed wires be checked, if for nothing else but
safety reasons.
>
>
>
> Safe travels,
>
> Ralph and Charolette Fullenwider
> 84FC35
> Ralph's RV Solutions, Duncan, Oklahoma
>