Nothing beats road trips when you’re on an RV. The RV is one of the most popular modes of travel for adventure seekers and sightseers. When it comes to using RVs, road safety is one of the most important paramount that has to be addressed. You have to do a lot of night traveling on an RV, and not all roads are lit equally. Driving a vehicle of this size means there’s little time to react if anything comes up, and having adequate exterior lights also helps deter any unwanted accidents. Knowing how to remove RV exterior light covers is important to really make use of safe driving for RVs.
How to Remove RV Light Covers
Depending on the model of the RV, the process of removing the exterior light covers could differ. Some exterior light covers are quite tightly fixed, while some can latch off with minimal effort. The RV light covers are found on lighting fixtures found on exterior lights. The lights are attached with some fastening mechanism or are placed with clippings or screws.
Tools You’ll Need
This is the list of possible tools you’ll need to replace your exterior light covers.
- Grooving tool
- Latches
- Pries
- Small Knife
Safety Precautions
Before doing anything with the exterior light covers, you’ll have to cut off the power source of the RV. Having the power disconnected is essential if you want to have a safe experience. Letting the light cool off is important so that you won’t be bothered by any kind of inconvenience.
Using proper climbable platforms is highly advised. Your exterior lights won’t essentially be in arm’s reach rather they can be placed quite high. Getting a step ladder, or any kind of platform that you can use is advised. Carefully have a balanced platform that you can use to get your exterior light covers removed easily!
If it’s Fastened with Screws
If the exterior lights have any type of screw outlets, then you’d need the corresponding tools to pry it open. Most of the RV exterior light covers are covered with plastic tab covers. First of all opening, the main plastic tabs are the first order of business. The main plastic tabs can be removed with screwdrivers or anything thin and sharp, such as a knife or pliers. Once the plastic tabs are off, you can easily remove the exterior lights with the screws.
Get your desired replacement light and fix it within the placeholder. If you want to replace your old or less inferior exterior light covers, now’s the perfect time as any. Replace what you want to, fix the exterior lights, and pop the plastic tabs back where they belong. Now you have new and better lights attached to your RV!
If There is No Screws Insight
If the exterior lights don’t have any kind of screws in sight, that means you have your work cut out for you. You just have to get something sharp, and thin to help you pry open the lens free. You’ll have to be quite careful using these tools, as excessive force will not only damage your exterior light covers but could damage the light bulb inside as well. You can use a knife, or a small screwdriver to gently pry open the lens free.
The tabs of the exterior lights are found both on, the top, and bottom of the lens. To avoid any damage, gently start prying on all sides of the lens, till the tabs are visible. Once you can see the tabs, try to avoid the lens touching the tab to be safe from any damage (Burd, n.d). You can attach the lens back into its place quite easily. Put the lens in its place, line the tabs up, and push it in until you hear that clicking noise. Congratulations, you just successfully replaced your exterior lights like a professional!
Additional Tips for Removing Exterior Light Covers
If you still feel unsure about how well you can remove exterior light covers, then do not fret. There are a few tips, and tricks that will help you get a better feel of removing your exterior light covers. These tips will help you avoid any minor inconveniences, and have you complete your task in no time flat.
Instruction Manual
All parts of RVs come with instruction manuals. Even your stock lights have instruction manuals that you can use to remove them. Naturally, if you’re removing your exterior lights, then that means you bought a new one. New lights come with instruction manuals on how to easily replace your older exterior lights. Just follow the instruction manual to the letter, and you’ll have your exterior lights come off in no time.
The instruction manual also comes with compatibility lists that showcase which exterior light covers go with which kind of RV. As RVs aren’t that common, it’s not that hard to find compatible ones for your touring home. The instruction manual will save you the hassle of going around changing your incompatible lights, hence it’s always a good idea to check beforehand.
Get a Professional’s Help
Before setting off on your adventure, it’s always a good idea to get your RV checked by a professional for technical faults. If you aren’t confident in your practical ability, then leave it to someone who’s been doing this for years. You can just point them towards a professional who’ll gladly replace your RV’s exterior light with professional finesse.
The help from the professional is a little pricey, but you’ll have your RV fitted up to how you want it in no time.
Conclusion
With the facilities that RV’s presents to its owners, it’s imperative to equally take care of the RV. The amount of comfort that this one specific mode of transportation brings is unparalleled. Removing, and replacing any faulty parts, or segments that aren’t up to the task is the best course of action to take with RVs. Hence knowing how to remove RV exterior light covers is paramount for easy, and safe driving. Everything you needed to know about changing RV exterior lights is here, and after this guide, you’ll be changing exterior lights like a pro!
