Replacing a light fixture

[georgetown50]

I need to replace the light fixture in the living room. It's one of the three running down the middle of the living room. It's not identical to the one I'm replacing so the holes don't line up. I'm somewhat reluctant to drill another hole up in the ceiling for fear I'll drill into an electrical wire or damage something I'm not supposed to be drilling. Has anyone done this before? Should I go ahead and drill?

[cfsoistman]

As long as you are putting the new fixture at the same location you shoud be fine, just take your time. Use the screws that FR originally used so there's less chances of touching anything that may be in the ceiling. I would hope when they built the coach that they kept wiring and cables away from the area where the lighting wires and fixtures would be mounted.

[Chuck692020]

As far as changing the factory light in the center of the roof the 12 volt wire you are hooking it to is going to be the only wire in that area 90% of the wires we run in the roof run along the outside radius metal ( the curved area that run the length of the rig on both sides) from there the wires will run either in a cabinet or wall except for your AC 110 runs straight to the AC at a 90 degree angle from the sidewall . Hope this helps put you at ease about installing after market lights and anything else you may plan to do to your roof!?

[jsutherl]

For me this was one of those "grit your teeth and do it moments" I did the same things. New holes for new light fixtures. I just used screws that where no longer than the originals and just did it.

The old holes where hidden by the new fixture.

Besides if you where to put a screw into a wire and make a short the fuse or breaker should pop right away. I've done that with 110v wire in a house, put a saw blade right through a wire. A pop, a few sparks and a black mark was all that I got out of it other than a blown breaker.

I don't really know of any alternative than to just do it. You could shut down all power in the coach and then do the work. Then watch really carefully when you turn the power back on.