Lighted outside entry handle

hamguy · 02-20-2008, 06:44 AM

I have a clear lucite rod handle on the left side of the entry door. I have heard that some are lighted. I would like to light mine with a "Blue" LED or perhaps a brite white led.. Has anyone gotten insights to something like this?

hamguy · 02-20-2008, 06:44 AM

I have a clear lucite rod handle on the left side of the entry door. I have heard that some are lighted. I would like to light mine with a "Blue" LED or perhaps a brite white led.. Has anyone gotten insights to something like this?

Richard 34A · 02-20-2008, 09:19 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by hamguy:
I have a clear lucite rod handle on the left side of the entry door. I have heard that some are lighted. I would like to light mine with a "Blue" LED or perhaps a brite white led.. Has anyone gotten insights to something like this? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Maybe something like this handle would work for you...

http://www.rvupgradestore.com/index....ROD&ProdID=827

hamguy · 02-20-2008, 10:02 AM

Hi Richard and thanks for the reply.

I am more interested in knowing if there is pre-existing wireing behind the handle or how the ones that are lighted, are done.

Moder2 · 02-20-2008, 10:20 AM

Just had a friends apart last weekend... His door bell stuck...

This one just had a 194 bulb in the top housing. Not sure if you have wiring in the wall, my guess would be not. Either way, your porch light switch should be fairly close to the entry door, might not be too hard to fish a wire over from there. Mine is on the same switch as the porch light.

John

SCVJeff · 02-20-2008, 01:06 PM

This one is on my list as well. Since I have 2 other projects behind that panel, I'll report back if you don't beat me to it.

Easyrider · 02-20-2008, 04:26 PM

We have talked about having a lighted handle also. Last fall we were at the Winnebago factory and I asked the person who worked the surplus store about it and he said he thought the wiring is already there and that you just need to add a 12 volt light that will fit into the end chrome part of your current handle to light it up. He said that by having the light shine onto the end of the plastic part of the handle that the handle would glow from the light shining through it. I haven't had the chance to take our handle apart to see if this is true but it sounds like it should work if the wiring is actually there to hook up to.

Gary CA · 02-20-2008, 06:35 PM

Lighted handle project: DONE

Lichtsinn Motors, 800-343-6255, Part No. 132442-07-01A HANDLE, price $46.75, freight $8.56, total $55.31.

For SCVJeff and myself the wiring was easy, just pulled a positive wire from the porch light switch (and a negative), drilled a hole in the coach to the wiring in the ITASCA engraved handle.

This handle fits the same bolt pattern and is an exact replacement.

A tip, when mounting the handle you can use the gasket provided, but leave a slight drain hole at the bottom incase water were to get in someday. I had moisture in my original handle at the bottom and pitting had started in the metal.

If you try to light your existing lucite handle good luck. You can't pull apart the lucite from the chrome. I tried to fish an LED light down near the lucite but the light did not show very well. The new lighted handle works well and uses the same bulb assembly as the Monaco.

SCVJeff · 02-20-2008, 08:33 PM

As long as it doesn't say Monaco on it..

hamguy · 02-21-2008, 01:29 PM

"This one is on my list as well. Since I have 2 other projects behind that panel, I'll report back if you don't beat me to it."
Hi Jeff,

The lucite would act as a 'light pipe' and if I can get 12V to it, I want to drill and put a 'vivid blue' LED into the pipe. Gotta believe it would show up at night, HIHI.

From the specs, a 330 ohm resistor in series with the 12V source will give proper operating parameters.

As soon as I kick this cold/flu I will give it a try since it appears from other posts that the wires are nearby.

Dean

Gary CA · 02-22-2008, 08:26 AM

Dean: With the bar I ordered from Lichstinn you can remove the top mounting piece and install your blue light on top of the lucite. The white light provided is mounted in a reflector which directs the light down the tube. This lucite tube is solid and glows almost blue anyway.

On some other coaches this lucite tube is drilled out vertically in a few areas and the light penetrates the tube and is bright. This handle is not what I consider bright, but a glow.

luckymick · 02-23-2008, 03:19 PM

Thanks GaryCA for the wriring write up!
My Meridian ('07) actually has the handle with the neon filaments in it! I asked the dealer to hook it up so it would lite... they said it couldn't be done. Socialized with some of my friends and they thought along the lines of what you did: hook the leads up to the +/- terminals on the porch light.

I'm gonna bring her home next weekend and try it! Worst case, I spend $55 and purchase the handle you purchased to make it work!

To use the existing handle is there anything more than wiring I would need to be concerned about? (e.g.: resistors or other?)

Thanks - Mike

Gary CA · 02-23-2008, 07:31 PM

Mike:
You should be set with a +/- wire to porch switch.

I did not use any resistors. With my original handle I took a round rasp file on a drill motor and drilled out as much metal in the head to get me close to the lucite. I took apart a LED motorcycle side light and cut the circuit excess off and tried to get it close to the lucite.

The new handle has a single reflector and small pencil eraser size blub that sits on the lucite. No resistor, I don't think it generates that much heat. I think if you were to use a bigger more powerful bulb a resistor may be needed. I don't think it is possible to get a bigger bulb in the head of the handle.

Good luck, post your success with the OEM handle.