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Topic: LEDs (Read 1044 times) previous topic - next topic

LEDs

I want to begin a gradual replacement program for our interior lights. I've read the threads regarding the different approaches. I'm looking for a plug and play solution. Anyone happen to have a vendor recommendation and part number for the puck lights (just bulb for now); the bedroom lights (replaces 2 contact 1076). Thanks.
jor


93 225
95 300
97 270
99 320

Re: LEDs

Reply #1 –
FOT parts has the LED units for the Puck lights, I purchased about 20+ for my 01 and are bright and nice, down side is they are about $16.00 each with the discount, I am sure they are cheaper somewhere, but these work great, no guessing.

Re: LEDs

Reply #2 –
Dave,
  Did you have to remove the reflector, make any modifications?
jor
93 225
95 300
97 270
99 320

Re: LEDs

Reply #3 –
Yes I did remove the reflector, I am sure there are many ways of doing this simple job, everyone seems to have a neat method once they get into it.

Re: LEDs

Reply #4 –
I was looking at some puck lite leds the other day on the web and I cannot find it now (thought I had put it in Favourite places) but---. I just changed the switch for them in the bedroom to a dimmer (I did it a while ago for living area) as I have found the regular 10 watt lights really are too bright at night as we use them while watching tv, so can be real dim (like me) and the bedroom 8 on this dimmer use only 1/3rd amps when in the low position, so kinda do something for helping the battery life. I can still change to led's if and when they become more reasonable. I am working on the vanity lights right now and have made a lamp cover to replace the 4 bulbs each side to a 18" led tube the same as I have used in the ceiling fixtures.I remove the whole fixture and mount the tubes end holders on cabinet then slide this frame over them. It is just a test one to see what and if it will fit and looks good so far. While in Mexico I will get some matching material to cabinets and make 4 of them, and replace ones on now. I meant to add that what you see of the tube when this is installed is just the part with the led's showing, not the whole thing. It looks ok and even the DW thinks so!!!
Coachless, now use aircraft. 2003 Ford Travelair TC280 class C. Super shape. Just for 1 yr .
1994 Ford E350 ClassC,total renovation inside and out. Now sold.
2000 U295  36' Cummins 350 c/w Banks Stinger, Resonator upgrade,Solar, LED lites.Residential fridge with slide out pantry. Build 5674. Sold
ex 92 GV 022C ored Cummins. Sold
ex 95 GV240 cat 3116. Sold
2017 Mini cooper s & 2016 land Rover LR2 HSE  LUX.
jhaygarth@aol.com    SKP #130098
treat everyone as you would like to be.

Re: LEDs

Reply #5 –
Howdy Jor,
I, too, am slowly replacing/upgrading my interior lights to LEDs.  I replaced the 27 puck lights in our coach with the following:
http://www.prudentrver.com/ledlamps.html#G4-2N
I didn't remove the reflectors, although I did need to replace two of the fixtures, due to poor lamp connections.  The fixtures are available from FOT.

Some good reference matierial: http://www.rvledbulbs.com/v/vspfiles/assets/images/datasheets/understanding%20lighting%20colors%20and%20light%20output.pdf
http://www.rvledbulbs.com/v/vspfiles/assets/images/datasheets/performancechart12vincandescentbulbs.pdf

I also replaced some of the other lights with products from these websites:
RVLEDBulbs.com - RV LED Bulbs, RV LED Lights and Light Accessories
welcome to jclampstand.com!
http://tweetys.com/rv-lighting.aspx

Using the product data sheets, I have calculated, that I have reduced the current draw from 57 amps to 10.7.  That's assuming all lights were actually on, which would be very unlikely.

Good Luck, Dave Abel




 
Dave and Nancy Abel
'00 U320 36' WTFE  Build #5669
'10 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon
Livingston, TX  SKP's Fulltiming

Re: LEDs

Reply #6 –
I bought the FOT LED (about $18 each) lights to replace our puck lights.  I thought it would be a simple replacement of the bulb... wrong.  The LED array does not fit in the light fixture we have unless the reflector is removed.  Easy job....no.  The reflector is metal and thick.  The best way to remove it, at least for me, was recommended by Barry.... push a small screw driver into the slot (see below) next to the reflector and pry outward.  With patience, the reflector will pop out. 

Once the reflector has been removed there is nothing to hold the base in the fixture.  I used a wire tie to secure the base to the fixture (see below).  Once this was done, it was easy to insert the LED array.  However, be careful, the prongs are not very strong! 

The good news is that the LED array is very bright... at least as bright as the original bulbs.  The color is a bit whiter, but only slightly so.  Six bulbs draw about 0.5 amps. 
The selected media item is not currently available.
George Hatfield

  Never ever use World Line Motors of Nacogdoches for service!

Re: LEDs

Reply #7 –
George, I like your idea of ty-raps to secure the assy in place.
Many thanks for the idea.
Dave M

Re: LEDs

Reply #8 –
Quote from: George Hatfield –
The LED array does not fit in the light fixture we have unless the reflector is removed.  Easy job....no.  The reflector is metal and thick. 

George,

I think that issue only affects 2003's, too.  We have the same issue, and it's in part why we haven't put LED pucks in our ceiling lights, just in our under-cabinet and closet ones.  I believe the reason the reflector is heavy and metal is because it's a big heatsink, too, for the heat thrown off by the halogen bulbs.  Steve is planning to look for a different base fixture for our ceiling lights, partly because of the heatsink and mostly so the puck will be centered in the lens (we engineers are ana..... umm... particular about little things like that  ;) )

Michelle
Learn every day, but especially from the experiences of others. It's cheaper!  - John C. Bogle

2000 U320 36' non-slide / WildEBeest Rescue
2003 U320

Re: LEDs

Reply #9 –
We have a 1972 Carver 25-foot Santa Cruz sports fishing boat that we bought cheap as a project. It was the last model to have a fiberglass hull but a teak-and-mahogany cabin and trim so it's more of a throwback to the old days but without some of the headaches of a wooden hull. I appreciate a wood hull but mostly when it's owned by someone else.

At any rate the 1972 wiring was pretty nasty. I could turn one cabin light on and it would work; but if I turned another cabin light on both of them would go off. Running lights didn't work at all, So I spent some time replacing all the lights with LEDs without actually replacing the wiring. That was going to be my next project.

The result was amazing. LEDs use so little current that I could turn every single light on that boat on and every one of them was a bright as could be. I never measured it but my thinking was that all of the lights together didn't have quite the current draw as one of the old interior lights.

I replaced all the trailer lights with LEDs too. And I plan to replace every light on our U225 with LEDs. I wish we'd had these when we were cruising on a sailboat because they make even flourescent lights look like power hogs; and no interference with ham radio either.

Thanks for posting these.

Craig
1993 U225 36' Unihome GV with PACBRAKE exhaust retarder, Banks Stinger and Solar Panels.
Toad: 1999 Jeep Wrangler 2-door soft-top.

"No one has ever had to evacuate a city because the solar panels broke."