Ned Swift Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 Hello Mrs Ned would like an outside light to be fitted just below our wind out awning so she can see where the step is at night time. Thing is, I am a bit scared at drilling a hole in her (the motorhome) and wondered what options there may be? Trying to find some 12v to tie into could be tricky too.....there is a drinks cabinet with the TV booster possibly to tap into? All help gratefully received.. Unenlightened Ned :-S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BGD Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 Dunno if this is any use......? One option might be to use a battery operated LED light. The new ones nowadays seem to give off a very good amount of light, and the batteries seem to last absolutely ages. There are several types that simply stick onto a flat surface with self-adhesive backing, and seem waterproof too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 Hi Ned Its not difficult to do anything like this - my huband was having kittens when I fitted a bike rack but I checked/measured several times before I made any holes! I also made sure I didn't hit anything I shouldn't! I did the same when I fitted a Status 530 (pole through the roof) aerial ... I chose to do it whilst he was at work as I didn't want him to have a heart attach when I got the 30mm hole saw out! I did it very slowly and found a cable running just below where I was cutting, which I was able to re-route to the side out of harms way. If you have a purely surface mounted light you can secure it just with a good sealant, Sikaflex do a range so you should be able to find one which is suitable for your particular application, then the only hold you'll need to drill is for the 12v cable. If, however, you go for a light that is embedded into the body work you'll need to cut this out carefully - put lots of masking tape on and mark on that where the light will go, then carefully drill through the tape at small intervals around the end of the shape you need to remove. The masking tape will prevent you from marking the van sides if you slip and it also helps to prevent the drill bit from slipping in the first place. Once you have gone round the 'shape' you can carefully use a hacksaw blade (with tape round one end to protect your hands) to join the holes up - I find it is easier to break the end off the blade and insert this into the holes othrewise the 'bobble' that keeps the blade in the hacksaw gets in the way). For both options, you will then need to connect it up to the 12v system (routing the cable as appropriate) and fit a switch, ideally with an internal 'indicator light' so you can see when its on when inside the van so you don't forget to turn it off. If you don't feel at all confident in doing any of this though, then play safe and either find a light that doesn't need hard wiring (as Bruce has suggested) or get someone to do it for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ned Swift Posted January 4, 2009 Author Share Posted January 4, 2009 Thanks Mel and Bruce for ideas so far, I think I might have a go at a small surface mounted one as it will be shallower than the awning and not require any cutting, just a hole to drill through. Question though - what's it like drilling through the van wall? Is is very strong? DrillsharpeningNed :-S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 What van have you got Ned? When I did my aerial and bike rack fitting is was to a Rapido with GRP walls/roof. The walls were quite thick but the roof GRP was thin but immediately below it was a thick plywood board which gave the roof its strength. If your van is aluminium then your biggest 'fear' will be that you inadvertently push it in whilst working on it and cause a dent/ripple, so make sure you have a way to prevent you doing this - dropping an old duvet down the side to lean on if needs be is one way to cushion it and don't for example rest your ladder against the bodywork! You need to have a good variable speed drill, ideally a nice new and sharp drill bit and plenty of time so you don't rush. When drilling take it steady, let the drill bit do the work, don't push too hard and be careful when it has started to go in as this is when it can suddenly go through - you don't want to drill right through your van's wall! If you are a bit unsure, try doing a practice run on a piece of aluminium/GRP (it's cheap enough) - this will give you a feel of how it 'gives'. When you fit the light itself, make sure the surface is really clean, dependig on what your van is others will be able advise on the best way to remove all grime/grease etc so that the sealant affixes well both to the rear of the light and the side of the van. Before you do this final sealing, though, make sure the light works!!! Once it's stuck it can be an absolute sod to remove as I found out when replacing opaque roof lights with clear ones ... it took me ages to get the old sealant off the roof!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 Ned: CAK Tanks (www.caktanks.com) offer a number of waterproof 'awning light' fittings including some that arch over the entrance-door and others that use LEDs. Fitting a surface-mounted light should be simple enough, though (whatever your motorhome's bodywork-skin is made of) you'll need to be very careful not to drill fixing-screw holes oversize. The aluminium skin on some motorhomes is almost paper-thin, making it hard to get a screw to grip, while screw-fixing into thin GRP skin may be even trickier. All fixing screws should be stainless steel. When drilling the hole for the light's power-supply cable, there's the small possibility of hitting electrical wiring running within the bodywork's insulation. I tend not to use power tools in such instances, preferring to hand drill a hole that penetrates just the outer skin, then poking a piece of stiff wire or a thin screwdriver through the interior insulation to check there's nothing in the way. There's also the possibility of hitting a screw or (even worse) a substantial metal structural fixing, but there's not a great deal you can do to guard against that happening. Personally, I'd shy away from 'gluing' a light on to the motorhome's bodywork unless the design of the light demanded this or I felt that attachment via screws would be chancy. It is important that any holes drilled in the bodywork for fixing screws (and for the power-supply cable) are comprehensively sealed to prevent water ingress. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
libby Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 A simple answer to the problem of seeing the step is to use a torch, marvelous things. Tesco sell a very powerful LED one. Drilling holes .......... as an engineer I would never drill my bodywork skin and always find a way around it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RogerGW Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 Why not use a rechargeable lamp, something like this -- http://www.pvrdirect.co.uk/productinfo.aspx?catref=LED24 ? It's plenty bright enough for your purpose and needs no drilling. Also, you can charge and/or run it off 12v and 230v. Roger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 libby - 2009-01-05 6:57 PM ...I would never drill my bodywork skin... Me neither. All that pain and blood - it would be crazy to want to do that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
handyman Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 libby - 2009-01-05 6:57 PM Drilling holes .......... as an engineer I would never drill my bodywork skin and always find a way around it. How do you get a bike rack or awning onto a motorhome without drilling a hole?? And how does being an engineer make you not want to drill a hole?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BGD Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 handyman - 2009-01-06 8:36 AM libby - 2009-01-05 6:57 PM Drilling holes .......... as an engineer I would never drill my bodywork skin and always find a way around it. How do you get a bike rack or awning onto a motorhome without drilling a hole?? And how does being an engineer make you not want to drill a hole?? He said was that HE wouldn't drill any holes. Easy solution: get someone else to drill them! :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MelvynT Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 The world's full of ideas like get someone else to do it, usually means someone else gets the blame. Is it possible to fix a bracket to the awning casing, use a rechargable light, or an LED battery one, and fix it in/to the bracket when on site? :-S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
libby Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 My not drilling holes only related to the light. Many people have no knowledge how to use a drill and I would hate to suggest that drilling holes was straight forward. As an example yesterday (I believe), on the Longleat animal programme the presenter was drilling holes in a tree trunk, she was totaly out of control holding the drill, if it had locked she might have broken her wrist. Its the sort of situation where people can be thrown off of a ladder or steps when drilling panels high up and the drill locks up. No, no you say? Ok but I would not advise otherwise. PS to Derek, yes I have drilled my skin or rather finger nails, (when you've blackened the nail) this takes two people usually, one to hold the finger still on the pillar drill base and one to guide the drill, when blodd spurts out..........relief.......... Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
handyman Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 people should learn how to use a drill..........if you break your wrist, then you'll have learned something, and hopefully not break it again next time (lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
handyman Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 libby - 2009-01-06 6:08 PM the presenter was drilling holes in a tree trunk, she was totaly out of control holding the drill, if it had locked she might have broken her wrist. This is what happens when you give woman the vote *-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 Er ... excuse me handyman!!!!! I am quite adept at using my tools thank you, much better than some so called 'professionals'. There are a lot of blokes out there who don't know how to use a screwdriver properly without the risk of sticking in through their finger/wrist! Like men, there are some 'inexperienced' women out there when it comes to using tools but its nothing to do with the vote, in fact women got the vote because you blokes couldn't run the country on your own so had to give us the vote so we could 'tell' you what to do!!!! :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 What a strange motorhome forum this is - men and their tools, women and the vote, to euro or not. Think I'll transfer my allegiance to MHF as it's always sweetness and light on their forums and everybody stays strictly on topic. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ned Swift Posted January 7, 2009 Author Share Posted January 7, 2009 Talking of "Topics" ----- what a chocolate bar that is! Hazlenuts yumm Satisfied Ned :D :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 Derek Uzzell - 2009-01-07 7:54 AM What a strange motorhome forum this is - men and their tools, women and the vote, to euro or not. Think I'll transfer my allegiance to MHF as it's always sweetness and light on their forums and everybody stays strictly on topic. ;-) I see what you mean Derek, this forum does attract an awful lot of wasted pixels. But the threads can always be dragged back to topic by anyone who can add anything relevant. ;-) ( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
handyman Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 why should a thread keep to the topic? After a questions been answered, surely can go off topic.........whats the problem with this?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 handyman - 2009-01-07 11:04 AM why should a thread keep to the topic? After a questions been answered, surely can go off topic.........whats the problem with this?? I agree - as long as they don't go off topic before the questions are answered, I don't see a problem. ( It can be a bit irritating when you ask a question, and people talk about something else). :-| Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 Yeah, sometimes it can turn into a real Marathon, everyone talks about everything but the Topic, its the Ripple effect, its enough to send you into the next Galaxy, or make you Flake out on the sofa! :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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