Newmar Halogen Ceiling Lights

[Doc Mark]

Is anyone else as frustrated at these bloody awful fixtures & bulbs as I am?

Let me explain:

1. The bulbs are NOT designed for use in a vibration-prone environment. Therefore after a rough ride there are always 5 or 6 bulbs that need replacing.
2. They cost $5.00 a bulb
3. The glass cover is a pain to remove as it must be pushed up and unscrewed simultaneously. The fixture is set flush with the ceiling covering so it doesn't want to yield easily.
4. As they are halogen bulbs, you must wear gloves so as not to put oils from your hand on the bulbs, shortening already lousy bulb life even more.
5. Trying to put the new bulb in is a nightmare as the pins don't want to engage the tiny nearly inaccessible holes in the fixture.

Newmar, I love your coaches, but this is a horrible design and miserable engineering choice.

Owners, any suggestions on how to insert the bulb so that it engages the pins? I am at my wits end.

Oh, and did I mention that there are 46 of those bleeping lights?

Mark

[Renden]

Would these be the same model in the 2006 Dutch Star - Have not had to replace any yet - bought it in June 2010 with 16,000 miles on it and drove 2,500 miles this Summer in Maine, New Brunswick and Prin Edward Island as well as in Quebec.

[Shaun and Amy]

Yeah, I've had halogen ceiling lights in two different Newmars over the course of 10 years and only replaced two bulbs. Of course with that said, I'm going to go out and stock up on them. )

[Lug_Nut]

Mark, You are lucky, I have 52 of them. I bought 100 bulbs on the web for about $0.93 each plus shipping. There are quite a few suppliers to pick from. To remove the stubborn glass lenses, use water pump pliers with a rag to pad the glass. It sounds weird, but it works very easy.

There is an option, go LED

Advantages:

*These never burn out
*They use 1/3 of the power

Disadvantages:

*Expensive, about $14.95 each
*Only one brightness, will not work with 12/6 volt dimming

Well, that's all I got.

Peter

[Renden]

Lug_Nut,

Could you give me some Web sites where I could buy a case (just in case !!)

["007"]

Mark have only lost 2 in seven years do you have a picture of your fixture.
Maybe different than ours mine have a white ring with lens. Same bulb though.
I use a tissue to hold bulb line up pins in holes at a angle lift and insert bulb pins in holes.

[Batman_777]

Amazon.com Are these the bulbs? I purchased a pack... Work great!!

5-Pack, 10 Watt Bi-Pin Halogen Light Bulb, 12 Volt, G4 Base, 10 Watt JC Type Bulb, 5XG4-12V-10W

List Price:$11.00Price:$5.50 Sale:$3.50 You Save:$7.50 (68%)

[sjcaldal11]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doc Mark Is anyone else as frustrated at these bloody awful fixtures & bulbs as I am? Let me explain: The bulbs are NOT designed for use in a vibration-prone environment. Therefore after a rough ride there are always 5 or 6 bulbs that need replacing. They cost $5.00 a bulb The glass cover is a pain to remove as it must be pushed up and unscrewed simultaneously. The fixture is set flush with the ceiling covering so it doesn't want to yield easily. As they are halogen bulbs, you must wear gloves so as not to put oils from your hand on the bulbs, shortening already lousy bulb life even more. Trying to put the new bulb in is a nightmare as the pins don't want to engage the tiny nearly inaccessible holes in the fixture. Newmar, I love your coaches, but this is a horrible design and miserable engineering choice. Owners, any suggestions on how to insert the bulb so that it engages the pins? I am at my wits end. Oh, and did I mention that there are 46 of those bleeping lights? Mark

I have 3 years and 27000 miles and I've replaces two or three and I'm in the New Jersey, New York area with terrible roads. Not sure what could be causing your problem though. Sorry.
Daryl

[JVR]

I bought a couple form a local RV Dealer at about $15ea and took them to WalMart and Lowes but don't remember where I bought a card with 5 or 6 for a couple of bucks ea, I'll see if I still have the package.
I've only replaced 3 at the most 2006 Essex 35K

[cwg]

When I first started out with a new coach and halogen lights, I started replacing them also...then I found out from the forum that many times (not all of the time) that merely rapping on the glass fixture with a knuckle will make them burn again. I think the bulbs loosen from vibration and don't make sufficient contact.

Since I learned that trick, I have only replaced a couple of them. Try it and I'll bet many will relight! Don't break the glass cover, but a sharp wrap will do wonders, sometimes using other than one's hand.

[Ken Gluckman]

Go to eBay and do a search on "10w 12v G4 halogen" -- you'll find them priced from 10 cents each on up. I bought some and they lasted as long as the $6 ones I bought at Camping World.

And I share your dislike of these -- mine also frequently burn out. I don't know why some people get longer life, but I sure don't.

As for removing the glass lens, I was told by a tech to run a credit card around the glass between the glass and the ceiling to free up the lens. It seems that it gets stuck to the vinyl ceiling material. Doing this, I have never had a hard time removing the lens with just my bare hands.

Ken

["007"]

Never did pull lamp fixture down out of ceiling, wonder how the wiring is connected on wire runs between fixtures.
Wouldn't think they would be wire clip-ons must be wire nuts or crimp type connectors.

[RVDude]

Quote:

Originally Posted by "007" Never did pull lamp fixture down out of ceiling, wonder how the wiring is connected on wire runs between fixtures. Wouldn't think they would be wire clip-ons must be wire nuts or crimp type connectors.

Mine are crimped between fixtures with something like a negative 1 inch of slack wire - what were they thinking?????? You just can't mess with the fixtures they are strung so tight.....

I've replaced 2 bulbs in 3 years. Sometimes that glass is a royal PITA - use one of those rubbery jar opener pads and palm it on the fixture glass, say a dozen curse words, and try to twist yank them off while pushing up on the pad against the glass. Sometimes they screw right off and sometimes, well, this is a family forum....

Buy the bulbs in bulk as suggested. Also note that the fine print on the base of the Halogen bulbs that Newmar installs (installed?) says 10V 12W (yes I got that right). Certainly, this might lead to the frequency of burning them out. I replace them as they burn with bare bones standard 12V 10W halogens, you really can not tell any difference and will probably last a lot longer due to the higher voltage.

[JVR]

Check out this supplier, I've used them for other items but they list the 10W halogen.

10 Watt - G4 Base - 12 Volt - Halogen Light Bulb - Topstar