Touch Lights

[John Dorrer]

Curious whether Oliver still installs those finike touch lights in the 2023 or soon 2024. We have two that have failed in our 2022 E-2. Oliver sent one under warranty, but it is still in the box. I heard they might go to something like the bathroom with a switch, but haven't seen or heard anything. Several have replaced with a similar light that also has a blue night light.

 

[rich.dev]

Yup still have them on my 2023, and also have one that failed and replaced by Oliver! 

[Fritz]

I’ve replaced two, and then had to replace one of the replacements.  Failure seems to begin with flickering or dimming. 

[Dave and Kimberly]

  I've replaced two of them (supplied under warrantee from Oliver) and have a 3rd one now flickering on it's final days.   I don't want to replace them with simply more of the same.   They seem like a good idea that just didn't pan out.   In addition... mine seem a little bit more "yellow" than the other ceiling lights (maybe a 3000k vs 4000k?).

   I'd like to find a better quality replacement and then change them all out.

   

[AlbertNTerri]

Here, Here! 

We've replaced one of them once and another one twice, all under warranty. Love the concept, a great idea when they work. First one failed in about 3 months after picking up the trailer. They need to find another light to use, probably just go to one with a switch.

albert

[Jason Foster]

Has anybody taken one apart to see how they work?

[topgun2]

10 hours ago, Jason Foster said:

Has anybody taken one apart to see how they work?

Yes - there was a post here on the Forum that showed the inner workings of those things.

Good luck in finding it.

Bill

[rich.dev]

2 hours ago, topgun2 said:

Yes - there was a post here on the Forum that showed the inner workings of those things.

 

Maybe this one?

 

[Dave and Kimberly]

Here is are some I'm considering for our replacement.  I have had one of the touch lights go our almost every trip. (Ok...just three times)  I've never really liked that the OEM touch lights seem a bit more yellow than the other Oliver lights.   These are 4000K (instead of about 3200K) and think the mechanism might not be so inclined to fail as the tiny OEM spring-contacts.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B093G9KFFB/ref=sspa_dk_detail_0?pd_rd_i=B06ZZDM19W&pd_rd_w=2zJDd&content-id=amzn1.sym.0d1092dc-81bb-493f-8769-d5c802257e94&pf_rd_p=0d1092dc-81bb-493f-8769-d5c802257e94&pf_rd_r=AA9JC71TZA2WYECYSY4Y&pd_rd_wg=nbZUW&pd_rd_r=b8cd43aa-08e1-4b47-a826-58d019991397&s=automotive&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9kZXRhaWwy&th=1

[SeaDawg]

That's a nice looking light, @Dave and Kimberly. 

After 15 years, I have one dead puck light (chrome) in the bath, and replacement is tough to find, and about $50. 

Maybe I could swap out the light over the stove, and in the closet and pantry, with these, and reuse my original switched fixtures. Hmmm.

[John Dorrer]

I have maintenance scheduled at the Mothership for late February

 There are a number of owners that have replaced their failed touch lights with something similar that also has a blue night light. I going to buy a 4-pack and have Oliver replace the 2 bad ones. No negative reports on these.

 

By the way I asked about having the new lights (2024 Oliver's) with toggle switch installed, but the lights are larger, requiring moving them slightly and doing some fiberglass repairs. Bummer. 

 

[Jason Foster]

7 hours ago, rich.dev said:

Maybe this one?

 

As simple as that is, I wonder what the failure can be.  

 

[Patriot]

13 hours ago, Jason Foster said:

As simple as that is, I wonder what the failure can be.  

 

My SWAG is where they are cheaply manufactured🇨🇳. Its a consumption item just not meant to last. 

[Jason Foster]

10 hours ago, Patriot said:

My SWAG is where they are cheaply manufactured🇨🇳. Its a consumption item just not meant to last. 

So bought and installed with cost in mind instead of longevity and quality?

[Patriot]

15 minutes ago, Jason Foster said:

So bought and installed with cost in mind instead of longevity and quality?

Great question. I am sure Oliver is working on a solution for a higher quality replacement light. 

[SeaDawg]

Truth is, most of these lights are manufactured offshore.

12v surprisingly is not a huge market.

It's a dance, on which we work.

If it's identified "marine", it has passed coast guard testing, and 4 to 12 times the price. 

Rv =2 x price. Marine, exponential. 

 

 

[Jason Foster]

4 hours ago, SeaDawg said:

Truth is, most of these lights are manufactured offshore.

12v surprisingly is not a huge market.

It's a dance, on which we work.

If it's identified "marine", it has passed coast guard testing, and 4 to 12 times the price. 

Rv =2 x price. Marine, exponential. 

 

 

I'm sure they figure those who have the money to boat, can and will pay the premium.  And some of us catch the bug and spend a lot of money on RVs.  Obviously, I wouldn't be here if I didn't get tired of wasting money on the substandard garbage the RV industry is pumping out.  To be clear, some of the new stuff coming out is great but I'm a fan of not reinventing the wheel.  I love 12 volt.  So simple and reliable.

 

[Mike and Carol]

14 hours ago, Jason Foster said:

So bought and installed with cost in mind instead of longevity and quality?

I don’t think it’s in Oliver’s mindset to cut costs by using inferior components.  These obviously didn’t work out.  I think they should stay with the original lights, 8 years and ours have never failed.  Mike

[John E Davies]

On 11/21/2023 at 3:04 PM, Jason Foster said:

As simple as that is, I wonder what the failure can be.  

These are bottom tier cheap products. I doubt that they were ever intended to go in an RV where airborne dirt particles and condensation are major factors. This is a fail on Oliver’s part, unintentional though it may be. Does anybody actually get 20,000 hours of use out of their home LED light bulbs??? These life ratings are pure scam. The LED element itself may in theory last forever, but the board it is attached to can last just a few hours.

RVs need marine grade (co$tly) components.

John Davies

Spokane WA

[SeaDawg]

Considering that they're changing lights, I guess they've figured it out.

In my experience,  they've never "cheaped out. "

Somtimes,,things don't live up to specs/expectations  .

 

[ScubaRx]

The main reason Oliver started using the "touch" lights in the first place is because prospective buyers kept asking for them.

On our previous Oliver, 2008 Hull #026, each light was outfitted with a little rocker switch. We enjoyed being able to control each light individually. Also, the original lights used a 12 volt Halogen T3 Lamp with a G4 Bi-Pin Base rated at 10 watts. These bulbs drew about 0.8 amp each and put out a good amount of heat. Most of us early adopters quickly swapped the bulbs out with LED's drawing about 0.1 amp each. LED's were just coming into wide spread usage in mid to late 2008 and they were still reasonably expensive. I remember ordering enough bulbs to replace all the inside and outside lights and it costing over $120.

During our 2013 build, I was somewhat dismayed when I found out they intended to connect several lights together on a single switch. I convinced them to wire a switch placed right beside each of our lights. I love the lights in our current Oliver. There was a time around 2015 when Oliver got a bad batch of those lights and they started burning out quickly. Oliver came to the rescue with a bag of lights for each owner that said any of their lights had gone bad. Our trailer has now been on the road for 10 years and I've only ever had one to fail.

I like the idea of them going back to lights with integral switches.

[Ronbrink]

Personally, I find the touch lights very easy to use and efficient. Granted, I’ve had issue with three of them, two under cabinet and one ceiling center, but with each a simple adjustment of the spring (under cover) remedied the problem whether flickering or not coming On. And, they’re fun! When showing the Oliver to prospective buyers, they are always ‘amazed’ when I touch the lights with the back of hand, and they’re faces light up, as well! 

[SeaDawg]

@ScubaRx, replacing my halogens with  leds was much less. 

They're still working. 

Cost isn't the only factor. It's workmanship. 

That's an unknown,  til crap happens, and I'm sad for the folks who got a bad batch. 

The new,,individually switched lights, will be much more expensive,  imo, but better lights. 

[Ronbrink]

On 11/24/2023 at 7:19 AM, Ronbrink said:

Personally, I find the touch lights very easy to use and efficient. Granted, I’ve had issue with three of them, two under cabinet and one ceiling center, but with each a simple adjustment of the spring (under cover) remedied the problem whether flickering or not coming On. And, they’re fun! When showing the Oliver to prospective buyers, they are always ‘amazed’ when I touch the lights with the back of hand, and they’re faces light up, as well! 

We left Palmetto SP yesterday afternoon to have a late lunch in San Antonio, and upon return a few hours later the touch light above the sink was fading in and out. Strange, because no lights were left On. This is one of the lights previously mentioned with a prior problem, but this was a first for this anomaly. When I touched the light it went full bright, but would not turn Off! Sadly, I had to find a way to block the light since I’m a light sleeper, no pun intended! Enter a dinette seat back cushion; to no surprise, another reason for my wife to call me a ‘nut’. So to bed I went, bedcovers over my head, but awakened around 2am with a thought; the Master Light switch. In careful execution and much anxiety, flip Off, light Off; now what? So, with much curiosity, flip On, light still Off, yahoo! As not to push my luck, I returned to bed with a sense of accomplishment and drifted off to sleep once again. However upon awakening, more anxiety and curiosity; will the light come On when touched and operate normally?

A resounding YES! 

[srthomsen]

On 11/24/2023 at 7:19 AM, Ronbrink said:

Personally, I find the touch lights very easy to use and efficient. Granted, I’ve had issue with three of them, two under cabinet and one ceiling center, but with each a simple adjustment of the spring (under cover) remedied the problem whether flickering or not coming On. And, they’re fun! When showing the Oliver to prospective buyers, they are always ‘amazed’ when I touch the lights with the back of hand, and they’re faces light up, as well! 

Stretch the spring or?