Bathroom light

[IBcarguy]

Just bought a new TT last week found that the 12v light in the ceiling of the bathroom doesn't have a on-off switch in the wall and my wife and grandkids can't reach the light in the ceiling to turn it on. I know there are a lot of battery operated lights I could mount on the wall or under the medicine cabinet but I'd really rather have a switch for the one in the ceiling. I'm afraid if I try to remove trim work and wall panels to run wires and a switch, I'd end up damaging the trim. All the interior trim is cheap and would be ruined by prying this stuff apart. Any ideas?

[IBcarguy]

Thanks for the input. I think the battery operated LED with motion sensor activation is the best and easiest solution. They make one that only works in the dark. I didn't like the idea of opening up the ceiling or wall panels to rewire the light.I also have to figure out a way to turn on a cabin light in the dark when you step into the trailer. The switch is in the main electrical control panel located under the TV which is a about 3 feet from the door. Again...stupid design. My old trailer had a switch on the wall just inside the door which made it easy to find and switch on. The designer of this rig obviously never owned a TT before.

[NanciL]

I have a light over our bed that is the same. It has a built in switch, but is impossible to reach with out getting up from the bed.
I did a little rework and added a pull chain to the existing fixture.

If you are handy, you could do the same

My wife just reminded me. I did the same, (added a pull chain) to our bath room fan because she couldn't reach the push button on it.

jack L

[Bumpyroad]

copying somebody here I bought a battery operated LED light strip that has a remote control and mounted it at an angle over the medicine cabinet. about $17 at walmart IIRC. uf somebody wanted to they could probably rewire it for 12 volt if available nearby.
bumpy

[wanderingbob]

Battery operated LED was the simple solution for my vertically challenged wife . Just glue it on the wall !

[MNGeeks61]

downtheroad wrote:
Our previous trailer had the same "dumb" bathroom light without a wall switch that my wife couldn't reach.

I installed an LED motion activated light (battery operated). When ever we walked into the bathroom at night it would automatically come on.
Batts seemed to last forever, it de-activated itself during the day when it was light. No wiring required.

^ This is your solution 🙂

We went a bit further on one of our old RV's, we used command strips to attach to the wall (yes, they even hold pretty well in below zero temps) and then hung the motion sensor on it. The one thing we needed to do is make sure it stayed on for an extended period of time (like 3 minutes) so when using the toilet it didn't go off and leave us in the dark.

Only negative - have to replace batteries.

[westend]

A 12V remote control switch may be easier to install. There are probably surface mount wireless switches that accomplish this. The switching relay could be located in the ceiling.

[Oasisbob]

The hoops we jump through to do what the factory did not. Amazes me. Wow!

[downtheroad]

Our previous trailer had the same "dumb" bathroom light without a wall switch that my wife couldn't reach.

I installed an LED motion activated light (battery operated). When ever we walked into the bathroom at night it would automatically come on.
Batts seemed to last forever, it de-activated itself during the day when it was light. No wiring required.

[SoundGuy]

Mfan wrote:
Get a taller wife?

Perfect! :W

When I moved the furnace thermostat in our trailer laterally so I could see / reach it with the slide in the travel position I too had the choice of opening the wall or simply running the wires along the outside surface and masking them with some sort of dressing. I chose the latter when I discovered that inside the wall there was also a metal stud I'd have to drill through in order to run the wires where they needed to go. I chose to channel out a piece of hardwood for the purpose ...



... mostly because I only needed a few inches, otherwise I'd have instead used a piece of plastic wiremold. The OP could do the same, running the wires from the light fixture across the ceiling and down the wall to a switch located in a surface mount box, thereby completely avoiding having to open the wall or ceiling at all, not unlike how I ran a cable for the A/C I installed in our popup.

[azrving]

Thy are terrible when trying to do something like that. It may be easier to put in thin wire and channel as Horn said. Some places you can remove a fan vent or ac vent and sneak stuff through but??????

[gaymeadowsman]

It seems all of the wall trim in our new trailer is attached with 1/4 inch wire brads. Every time we pull it somewhere a piece of trim has come loose. I replace them with 3/4 paneling nails. Two pieces of my paneling were only attached with the seam tape in one joint. It maybe easier than you think to open up the wall.

[Hornnumb2]

You could use some plastic wiring channel to run up the wall and to the light to add a switch. You can get it at homedepot or lowes.

[Mfan]

Get a taller wife?