L.E.D Replacement light bulbs

[wickedstang03]

Can anyone point me to the correct bulbs for the interior of my camper and if they are the same as the porch lights? Please include the bulb #... thanks in advance... I want to reduce thebload on the batteries when dry camping... and is their really a big difference?

Forgot to mention its a 2000 prowler by Fleetwood 19n

[4x4van]

Sorry, double post.

[4x4van]

Yes, those color charts are all over the internet, and while they vary a bit, all of them agree that the higher the number, the "cooler" the light. In layman's terms, "cool" is towards the blue spectrum, warm is towards the yellow spectrum. Since high noon daylight is 5000-5500K and is claimed to be the "whitest" possible light, I would consider that the middle, neither warm nor cool. Many color charts agree, and put daylight (5000K-5500K) in a "nuetral" category, with higher numbers (6000K and up) being cool and lower numbers (below 4000K) being warm. That being the case, 4100K is certainly not "cool" by those charts. In fact, a "cool white flourescent" is actually the "name" of the bulb, not the color, and I suspect that it was called "cool" because of the fact that it was "cooler" than incandescents, which were the only widely available light alternative at the time. I stand by my easy to understand "real world" descriptions regarding color temps: warm is yellow, cool is blue, pure/daylight is neither yellow nor blue (and consequently neither warm nor cool), but rather in the middle.

I have purchased numerous LEDs for my RV as well as for my garage/workshop. 4500K does not look blue in the real world, and even 5500K is just barely on the cusp of blue. Of course if you put it next to 3000K, even 4000K looks blue in comparison. But put that same 4000K next to 5000K-5500K (the whitest white there is) and it looks yellow. If you look at the pics of my RV (in the thread I linked), I think you will agree that my lighting, while not yellow, is certainly not "blue" either. Yet the strips under the cabinets were listed (by the seller) as 6000K and the LEDs in the ceiling fixtures were actually listed as 6000K-6500K! I believe that the actual color of mine are likely closer to 5000K (strips) to 5500K (ceiling), not the 6000K-6500K that the seller claimed.

My 2 points were these:

Point 1. Try a few of different colors and types; simply going by the seller's description or listed K specs is not a guarantee of color. Even the Kelvin temps given by sellers can and do vary from each other and may not be accurate. One seller's "cool" may in fact look pure white, while another's will be nearly purple. "Warm" can be anything from yellow to pure white. As another example, I have a roll (strip) purchased for my garage workbench that the seller called "pure white" but is clearly cool. It looks purple; probably at least 6500K or higher. Another roll (from a different seller) labeled the same "pure white" has no blue tint at all, and is probably about 5000K (that's the one I ended up using).

And Point 2.: Cheap LEDs from Amazon or eBay allow you to accomplish point 1 without overspending.

[travelnutz]

4x4van,

Glad you are happy with your LED lights.

However!

Don't want to burst your bubble but you might want to google and learn: 4100K cool white

Hundreds of charts on the web alone giving light color as expressed in K (Kelvin scale light temparture)

Cool white is 4100K not 5500K. 5500K has a slight bluish white cast and 6500K is quite bluish light. Direct effective sunlight in the Earth's atmosphere is about 5780K and above the Earth's atmosphere is about 5900K.

Look it up and learn!
4100K is the light tubular flourescent bulbs T-12, T-8, and T-5 for instance give for general commercial office and work place lighting.

Color corrected lighting/coatings are used for indoors lighting where glare and eye straining light is not desirable for longer time periods of esposure when relaxing etc. 4100K is used for work/commercial lighting where relaxing is not desirable or wanted.

2700K has a yellowish-orange cast light and generally used for bedrooms and living rooms etc creating a warm pleasant light atmosphere. 3000K has less of an orange cast and closer to white with a slight tinge of a yellow cast and preferred for rooms/areas where reading and relaxing are done but still white enough for easy reading without causing excessive eye strain or headaches. 4100K is too stark of a white for a relaxing area and why it's used in offices and work areas. 5000K - 5500K is close to daylight bright white light as in being outdoors in direct sunlight and why it's labled "Daylight". Over 5000K lighting causes unprotected naked eye strain and squinting in most humans and why many do or must wear light dimming/filtering protection such as "sunglasses" and is the very reason sunglasses were even invented/developed.

[4x4van]

Many swear by the warm white; I (and DW) dislike the dingy yellow color, especially in an older RV; makes everthing look older and dirty. 4500-5500K is a very bright, pure white, which is what worked best for us throughout the RV. "Cool" white is typically over 5500K, and has a blue tint (the higher the number, the bluer it looks). I replaced every single bulb in my RV (more than 25) for less than $130, most from Amazon, some from eBay. Super happy with the color, light output, and (lack of) current draw. No failures in more than 18 months, using both onboard batteries, generator, or hookups. I will never go back to incandescent, and I will never pay inflated prices from an RV place. $8-$20 for a single LED replacement? No way; no reason.

Here's the best argument I can make for purchasing cheap LEDs online: There are a million different LED replacements out there; different bases (T10, BA9, BA15, Wedge, Festoon...), different layouts (flat panel, COB, cylindrical...), different LEDs (1210, 3528, 5050, 5630...), different color temps (anything from 2700K to 6500K and above; warm, pure, daylight, cool, bright...), different lumen outputs... At $8-20 each, you better know exactly what YOU want and what YOU like. Do you? I certainly didn't, and that was even after doing a ton of online reseach. With cheap LEDs, you can purchase 1-2 of each of several different types and try them out. If you don't like them, you haven't lost much (or they can often be used in a different location/appliction). If you do like them, then order more.

Here's my conversion details, with lots of in-depth info. Although it's now a year and a half old, it has alot of info that is quite useful to anyone who is just starting down the LED road. You will learn alot about the different types, temps, bases, sizes, layout, etc., in order to make the decisions that YOU will be happy with. No longer is a light bulb a light bulb; there are numerous variations, and no one else can make those descisions for you, because no one else knows exactly what you like.
Good luck:D

[travelnutz]

westend,

Totally wrong! My toes weren't stepped on nor would I even care if they were. Re-read your posted words and it should be self-answered. NOBODY in a logical business or selling items repeatedly will give you something for much less than they pay for the item. They wouldn't be selling long whem only to subsidizing you!

I also am not a novice with LED's or their use, function, lumen output, color (kelvin temps), cost to manufacture, markups, incandescents, or CFL's or tube flourescents. Owned and ran a quite well known engineering business doing "design/engineering/protyping/testing and certification" for nearly 40 years before selling and finally retiring. I very clearly understand the process and proceedures associated!

I do try to post with simple to understand plain language/words so most readers can easily understand and grasp the subject discussed. My goal is to help and inform the forum readers etc, not muddy the waters or pollute with snake oil or enter into a derogatory war of words. Fact are facts! LED's are NOT remotely new to the electriomics or lighting world/industries. If that is beneath what you'd expected, so be it.

"If it sounds too cheap or far fetched to be real, it usually tells a learned person something very important" All they have to do is use that gray thing inside their head!

Hint: An entry level RV is very different in price, quality, structure, insulation, attributes, materials used, and expected usable life plus so much more than about any mid or upper level RV. Doesn't that tell you something of "you get what you pay for"

Nuff said! The readers can judge for themselves...

[westend]

travelnutz wrote:
westend,

Go buy some of them and you'll know why! Maybe better that you buy some from both the cheap online dudes and some from the suggested and proven excellent light quality sources and I simply can't wait to here your report. You get what you pay for and get the best price by shopping smartly from an up to date product source.

Well, I knew before I asked the question that someone would feel that their toes were being stepped on......I was just curious why some would buy the more expensive solution.

Reading between the lines, it seems like TNutz believes that he is buying a more modern solution and that he is getting value by paying a bit more. I don't have any problem with that.

FWIW, before I bought a single LED I did some research on this Forum and at other places. I'm not a novice with LED's or electronics but wanted to see what others were using and the results they got. At that time folks were either buying inexpensive non-regulated LED assemblies from Asian vendors or regulated assemblies from mostly US online vendors at 4-5 times the price. Since I didn't want any on-board regulators to interfere with radio or TV reception, my choice was easy, I bought the Asian LED's. I built all of my light fixtures so didn't have any issues with adaptors or lens/reflection configurations. After two years, all of the installed LED's are operating 100%.

[samhain7]

I bought these....over a year, no problem and glad I bought them at that price...

Click here

[travelnutz]

westend,

Go buy some of them and you'll know why! Maybe better that you buy some from both the cheap online dudes and some from the suggested and proven excellent light quality sources and I simply can't wait to here your report. You get what you pay for and get the best price by shopping smartly from an up to date product source.

[westend]

I'm curious about folk's shopping habits, that's all, not trying to pick a fight.

Why do folks pay $8-$14 a bulb for LED replacement bulbs when there are others available for $2 from online merchants?

[RamblinManGA]

Hi from AZ. . . I too used M4LED for my light replacements. No problems, no failures, no hassles. Very knowledgeable folks. I have some daylight, some warm, worked for us Regards, Craig

[travelnutz]

Living areas inside all 3000K. One 5000K in kitchen dual bulb fixture, all others 3000K. Wife wanted one 5000K in the dual bulb ceiling fixture above the fridge door but now thinks it's too bright so I'll be ordering some more 3000K's soon.

Outside there's one of each in the patio light dual bulb fixture and I left the incandescents of the other 3 sides of the Carriage 5th wheel and on the Lance TC as they are very seldom turned on. Also left all the storage compartment lights with having the incandescents because they are only on when they are opened so not cost or watt saving effective nor cost effective. Besides, I need someplace to use up all the 1156 bulbs I've replaced!

Bought 18 LED's so far and could use another about 20 or more. Sure glad we pared down to 2 RV's now from the 4 we had a couple years ago. How many RV's does a retired oid fart couple need at the same time anyway? One won't do everything for us and two comes so much closer. Yes, we do RV a lot and have for 51 years now and not a thought of cutting down! Also down to only one nice large perfect for retirement home now too, finally. It's h-e-l-l to be old, in years only, pampered duffers but somehow, we'll manage!!!

[2012Coleman]

Travelnutz - did you use all warm white lights? I was thinking the bright ones would be good for the bathroom, porch light and kitchen area while the warm would be good over the bed and seating areas.

Great info on this thread - thanks for sharing

[camsa5]

I just replaced all 29 bulbs in my trailer (including porch light) with these:

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/301372539313?_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT#ht_5901wt_1284

What a difference in light output! Not to mention the power saving.

Old bulbs were rated at 18W, 1.4A and 160 lumens.
New LED panels are 3.5W, 0.12A and 280 lumens.

Best upgrade I've made so far on my trailer.

[travelnutz]

Here's the LED post from a before in the TT section:

All the rest of the info is in it.

First week of March I ordered ten LED 10-30V 530 lumen warm white 3000K bulbs and two LED 10-30V 530 lumen bright white 5000K bulbs from: LEDLight.com $7.91 each as the price break is at 10 bulbs and goes from $8.79 each to the $7.91 each price. 5 days UPS from Phoenix, AZ to West Michigan and shipping is free on all orders over $50. The warm whites are simply superb, very bright clean well diffused light, indistinguishable from the 1156 incandescent bulbs that they replaced other than being slightly brighter (more light which makes colors brighter and truer). No single eye squinting bright spot with the LED's like with the incandescents when the lense cover was back on both sides.

Our 5th wheel ceiling 12V lights are all 2 bulb fixtures and at first I only changed one side to LED so I could compare the light and color at night when it's dark. We are so pleased that we ordered another 6 and they came to just over $50 so the shipping was also free and they're here too. One of the two bright white LED's are for one side of the fixture over the kitchen sink/range area with the warm white LED on the other side of the double bulb fixture. Switch turns on the warm white LED at first notch an both LED's on the second notch. Outstanding light combination! Best of both worlds for cooking and food preparation etc. The other bright white LED is for the double bulb patio light. Same combo arrangement of LED's there too.

S25 27 SMD 5730 10-30V AC-DC Product Code: 25454 Have to select color wanted and base type. So happy we're going to order 14 more of the same LED's from them for our Lance TC now.

We used the standard 1141/1156 base as it's a direct replacement. Simply switch out the bulbs and you're done!

[travelnutz]

Before you buy any LED replacements etc, you ned to learn or know the important real details, very easy to quick learn, of bulb and actual light output, not rocket science, such as:

Light temperature, meaning the color as seen by the human eye. The measurement is expressed in kelvin or K. 2700K-3000K is warm white or soft white which is more desireable for living rooms/bedrooms/bathrooms/etc where bright stark white light like office "cool white" 4100K flourescent bulb lighting generally used wouldn't be very pleasant. 2700K has more of a yellowish/orangeish light look than 3000K and appears slightly brighter. Which K level is up to the person's wants or desire. K level is K level regardless of 12V DC or 110 AC bulb used.

Next step in going brighter white than 4100K is approx 5000K and is generally espressed as "daylight" or "bright white" light. Too shrill for livingrooms or bedrooms for sure but some like one or two of these type in the kitchen where food is prepared as colors appear much truer. Either the 2700L, 3000K, or 5000K will work for the patio. Your choice! We use one 3000K and one 5000K as we have 2 fixtures, each having their own switches. Give us the best of both bulb attributes as and when wanted. Actually have the same mixture in the kitchen sink/range area also in the dual bulb fixture and it's gives awesome lighting.

Next is the "lumens" of actual light the bulb puts out. 200 lumens vs 400 lumens vs 500 lumens etc for the 12V bulb. Think of it as the difference between what you see when using a 40W vs a 60W vs a 75W 110 AC bulb in the same fixture.

More lumens output means more watts or amps consumed but don't be misled as LED bulbs use only 1/6 to 1/10 of the actual watts or amps that the same light output incandescent bulbs do and they last 15 to 25 times as long before failure. Also do not lower in lumen output or color with aging during use like CFL flourescent (curlyque) bulbs do and some incandescents.

Personally, didn't like the light output from the flat board type LED replacements as the light given was not spread evenly like the incandescent bulb they replace. Therefore went to ALL round cylinder type and they are fabulous with very well dispersed light in all directions.

Best I've found by far and most price effective are from LEDLight.com on the Internet. I'll look up the link and post it and the actual page with the product no. and cost breakdowns per quanity in the next post in a couple minutes as it's all on one of my other puters here at home. I'd posted the info in another thread on this forum about a week ago with lots of details given.