LED interior lighting for older TC

[jefe_4x4]

I searched here and searched other forums and found some conflicting info on incandescent 1141 to GRV Ba15s LED direct bulb replacement lighting. Most of the info is years old, with few recent posts. With a 10-pack of GRV Ba15s only $37US, I ordered a pack. At that price, what have I got to lose? They came within 24 hours (free shipping on Amazon) and installed them today. They were easy to install and installed 9 of them on the interior fixtures of our Lance. I thought the range hood light was the same, but Noh, it's a bayonet push on type. I turned them all on and it was plenty of light at about 1/8th the current draw of the original incandescents. A major drawback seems to be the narrow range of voltage at which they will work successfully. Nothing over 13 volts. At battery only voltage, I could feel no heat coming from the warm white GRV's. I plan to only use these while the truck is stopped, so I'm depending on the camper's electronic control center (as it was in 1998) to supply only that voltage or below. I should have metered the voltage at the pin before install. Some have experienced short life burn out with higher voltages. But, that was then and this is now. I'll report back on the long term result. One of the 'costs' of having an 18 yr. old relic.
jefe

[jefe_4x4]

What-A-Forum! Do you realize that all the other forums will be searching for LED info, and all the up-to-date and reasoned info is right here in this very thread! All the other searches came up with info that was 2-6 years old and LED's have marched right along in the meantime.
Thanks for all your responses. As we said in the music biz, "What a band!"
A-mazing, indeed.
jefe

[travelnutz]

jefe 4x4,

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.

[dakonthemountai]

trail-explorer wrote:

dakonthemountain wrote:
I've tried a few others and have had mixed success... Went back to ledtrailerlights.com. Just took me a while at almost $15 per bulb!

Dak

The prices have come down since I bought mine.

I just went to their website and they are on sale for $10.95.

Dak

[trail-explorer]

dakonthemountain wrote:
I've tried a few others and have had mixed success... Went back to ledtrailerlights.com. Just took me a while at almost $15 per bulb!

Dak

The prices have come down since I bought mine.

[Geewizard]

Photomike wrote:
I did mine a while ago from these guys http://www.jirahled.com/

Love the power savings and the light, works on voltages from 11.9 to 14 with no problems.

The other day I was at an RV show and saw some new LED fixtures, WOW were they ever bright. Checked into them and they were $84 each, went to a local supplier and found a similar fixture for $24, the only issue is that it is a double and you can only have it on or off both sides not one or both. I replaced the main light in the middle of the camper and is it ever nice, lights up everything. I then moved the old double to above the table that previously had only a single.

I would like to replace the covers as the old ones are a little yellow and I think I may get more light doing that. May try that today as suppose to hit the road tomorrow.

I replaced all my interior lights with LEDs from the same vendor. Very good guy. It made a HUGE difference in battery drain.

[dakonthemountai]

trail-explorer wrote:
I am running LEDs from www.ledtrailerlights.com and have had them going on 6 years now.

I have been happy with them. They have a wide voltage range - 10-30 volts, unlike some of the stuff I have seen on Amazon or Ebay.

Here's the write up I did back in 2009.

My Easy LED Upgrade

The owner of that company is a truck camper owner as well, Arctic Fox 811 I think.

I used the same company for a few years and though expensive, I was very happy with the quality and warm light... I've tried a few others and have had mixed success... Went back to ledtrailerlights.com. Just took me a while at almost $15 per bulb!

Dak

[jimh406]

Thanks for the info on the thread. I especially like that the info that there are more than just 12v LEDs. That's very helpful.

[trail-explorer]

jefe 4x4 wrote:
... My only question is: do the 10-30V LED's produce a varying light output at different voltages?

No, they don't vary in brightness with the voltage. They stay a consistent brightness, at least the ones I have do, which I bought from www.ledtrailerlights.com

[TInmania]

jefe 4x4 wrote:
TinMan,
Is that because the transformer allows too high a voltage to the interior lights when plugged into 110v? If so, maybe a change in the electronic control center, or installing an in-line voltage regulator would be a good thing. Mine is the factory one installed is 1998; a long time ago, electronics-wise.
jefe

I wouldn't say too high a voltage--I would say normal charging voltage (when batteries are needing a charge).

I only use the 12v-30v (or 24v) LEDs and feel better about it. I see no variance in the light output whether on battery or shore power--or when the A/C starts. The ones I like are Gold Star. The voltage description is as follows: "8-30 volts DC including 12v and 24v; the wide-range voltage is designed to withstand RV power fluctuations."

They are a natural light to my eyes. Whiter than the incandescents they replaced, but I always thought they looked too yellow. The color temperature isn't as high as some of the LEDs I have tried, which seem almost bluish (color temperature of 4000-4500K).




Michael

[Reddog1]

I think I still have one of the plates that burned. Maybe I should have said scorched, it did not burst into flames. I will see if I can find it and post a photo. I think bigfootford saw one, and I may have given him one for show and tell.

[AnEv942]

Too color, 'warm white' closer to incandescent in color.

Yes there have been some general improvements in LED tech, but doesn't mean applied across the board. Not all will tolerate the varying voltages (high) seen in campers. As to varying brightness with regulated LEDS, Ive never noted any difference with normal voltage fluctuations, I dont think you would?

Im unsure about a failed LED cause for concern with fire? Similar to a blown fuse, burnt/overdriven emitter ceases to function. Earlier unregulated non-smd bulbs I had tried got pretty hot though nothing near incandescent (till they failed).

[towpro]

Here are the LED's I put in my 5th wheel. I think they have a nice warm color like the incandescent bulbs that were in the camper.

My Wolf Creek came with LED's inside, but they are too bright white.
The Bulbs in the Wolf Creek have bayonet fittings, but also have a screw hole in 1 end. The care cool to the touch when running (with AC plugged in). The bulbs in above link are warmer to the touch, (no where near as hot as an incandescent bulb). I was going to swap some of the ones from the 5er into the truck camper but the heat difference made me stop to think about it.

I want to check the current on both types before making the switch.

[Reddog1]

Four days ago, you were in a t-shirt. Welcome to California. LOL

[jefe_4x4]

We are in the only blizzard in 2 years here on the west slope, Northern Sierra Nevada. 6 inches in 3 hours and no letup in sight. I have sprayed off the HughesNet dish a couple times already and I'm afraid I will lose signal short