LED bulbs

Mellow Yellow · 07-31-2012, 05:06 AM

We've followed the thread for LED's as we'd like just a few for dry camping.

What do you seasoned LED installers think of this:

921 LED Bulb, Bright, Warm White, Perfect for RVs 24SMD5050 bulb T15 wedge base | eBay

If you think your source is better, could you please list where and part number? So confusing and too expensive to buy the wrong one ! Thanks !

pwb01 · 07-31-2012, 07:54 PM

Most of my lighting has been replaced with LED's and I really notice the savings on the batteries. I even converted a 120v lamp to 12v with a 12v 25 watt bulb that fits a standard socket and draws only 6 watts. (Amazon)

You can also get yellow or white light, your choice.

What you show is a good price but be careful that they put out enough light. Buy a couple and try them. You can always get more. If they aren't bright enough, put them in the bathroom where you don't need full bright and find another brand.

A company such as Star Lights Inc (most of what I bought) can be contacted with questions and they will recommend bulbs. You can buy them at PPL, Camping World, or Amazon. (google Star Lights Inc to find their website). The first bulbs I bought off the shelf put out very little light and I was disappointed. Then I did some research for adequate replacements. Tell them what you're replacing and if there's a reflector in the fixture. (difference in the configuration of the LED's on the bulb)

They aren't cheap and you won't save any money but they really do save battery which is what I bought them for a little at a time. I almost always dry camp and being careful, 4 batteries last a week with power to spare. Last 4th of July I went 5 nights on 4 batteries and still showed 3 lights on the battery indicator panel.

**JohnB** · 08-04-2012, 09:10 PM

Hi Deb,

We used this flat one

The light only shines down. The one you picked seems to be 360 degrees of shine. For the ceiling fixtures I do not know what shinning up will do. I never tried that in that fixture. I do have a 360 one in a globe fixture by the couch.

I bought ours from here. They are not the cheapest but they do work and plug right in. Someone else on here found the same bulb with a little more light and a little cheaper. I cannot think of their screen name right now. A senior moment...

You ideally need to target for 100 lumens of light or more. 95 is OK but going a lot under 100 is dim.

Here is a link to ours. I see the amount of light has now gone up from when I bought ours. The price is about the same.
WLED-xHP10-DAC Specifications

The LED conversion has for sure made a difference when boondocking on saving the batteries.

Good luck and hope this helps

John

Tod Osier · 08-06-2012, 10:33 AM

Here is the link to the LEDs that I think John is referring to:

Wedge Base

I put the 200 lumen wedge base in our camper and I'm very happy. They are bright and a very warm white (no blue tone and I bet 99% of people would think they were regular incandescent bulbs, not LEDs). Much brighter than the regular incandescent too.

Company has sold, so I can't comment on how the new owners are running things.

T

Mellow Yellow · 08-06-2012, 11:09 AM

I'd like to order a couple, but to be sure is it this one ? W9.RV2N

Our present bulbs are 921.

Deb

Tod Osier · 08-06-2012, 11:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mellow Yellow

I'd like to order a couple, but to be sure is it this one ? W9.RV2N

Our present bulbs are 921.

Deb

Those are the ones I have.

The 921 is a wedge base bulb, there are a number of incandescent bulbs that have a wedge base, but slightly different specs (but the bases are the same), that LED will work with any 12V wedge base as a replacement.

T

Mellow Yellow · 08-06-2012, 11:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tod Osier

Those are the ones I have.

The 921 is a wedge base bulb, there are a number of incandescent bulbs that have a wedge base, but slightly different specs (but the bases are the same), that LED will work with any 12V wedge base as a replacement.

T

Thanks so much !!

Added: I ordered two. Perhaps if I win the lottery or am included in Aunt Nellie's will I'll get a few more !! (Just kidding!!)

**JohnB** · 08-06-2012, 09:01 PM

Tod, YES that is it. Thanks for joining in. Now I better book mark this post before I loose it again....LOL

mainah · 08-07-2012, 07:14 AM

LED's are rated in lumens the higher the number the more the light if they don't state the lumens you may want to look else where there are a lot of cheap LED's out there. The color temperature is rated in degrees K 6500 is bright white (sunlight color temp) kind of blue not often used in houses. The other end is warm white at about 3500 degrees K maybe be nicer in the camper but slightly less light output. LED Lights, Bulbs & Accessories - SUPER BRIGHT LEDS is a good outfit but slightly pricey at least you can see how they are rated with a spec sheet.

Wannabes · 02-08-2013, 11:13 AM

We just received 4 LED bulbs to replace our kitchen/living area bulbs. Using this thread we chose this:

194 LED Bulb - 10 SMD LED Wedge Base | Miniature Wedge Base LEDs | LED Car Bulbs | Super Bright LEDs

When we tried to replace the "old" bulbs the base of the new LEDs did not fit. We tried more than one bulb in more than one fixture. We called the company and spoke with tech service and they recommended using a razor to shave down the plastic base a little. Our question is: Has anyone had to do this to make the base fit and, if so, do you have any advice?

Tod Osier · 02-08-2013, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wannabes

We just received 4 LED bulbs to replace our kitchen/living area bulbs. Using this thread we chose this:

194 LED Bulb - 10 SMD LED Wedge Base | Miniature Wedge Base LEDs | LED Car Bulbs | Super Bright LEDs

When we tried to replace the "old" bulbs the base of the new LEDs did not fit. We tried more than one bulb in more than one fixture. We called the company and spoke with tech service and they recommended using a razor to shave down the plastic base a little. Our question is: Has anyone had to do this to make the base fit and, if so, do you have any advice?

From what I've seen and read, that is a common problem. I didn't need to do anything other than round off the square corners. Just nick the corner of base on each side with a file or sandpaper or knife. Should take about 2 seconds per lamp.

Wannabes · 02-08-2013, 03:20 PM

Thanks, Tod! Used a Dremel to shave the base down and got it to fit. Tested the LEDs and they work - happy with that.

mainah · 02-09-2013, 06:35 AM

These are G4 base 15 chip LED's The fixtures are custom made I thought I would modernize a little bit and get rid of the plastic stuff. I would say they are all most as bright as a 10 watt halogen and draw 80% less power.

Wannabes · 02-09-2013, 06:40 PM

These are the new LEDs in our 2363. We're quite pleased with them and will be looking to put in a few more with an eye to dry camping this summer. In the bottom pix the double light is both LEDs while the single light under the cabinet is incandescent.

Mainah, Your LEDs look nice and bright, like the update on the fixtures. Wife really likes the couch cover too. (Did you get snowed in?)

mainah · 02-10-2013, 06:46 AM

We only got about 2' Portland got 32" It was a pretty good storm but we have had that much inland before, 09 we ended up with a bit more then 150" for the season I went on a long snow machine ride on Apr 15th. That is a Pendelton blanket we actually have several when you turn it over the colors reverse. The plates are 1/8" aluminum with no lens just the LED about an 1/8" above the opening. The one over the stove has 3, 15 chip LED's on top of a thin clear plastic base (easy to clean) with 2 switches either one two or three lit.

Vicky · 02-23-2013, 03:32 PM

My 2001 260 SR is a hundred miles from me so I can't check the lights and I won't be there until April. I want to go with LED replacement bulbs for at least some of the most used lights. Is it safe to assume the 921 replacement is the one I'll need the most? What about the little lamps on the wall....don't they take a different bulb? I also wondered about replacing the fluorescent over the dining table. My TT is on a permanent site so I don't need to worry about battery draining but I want to cut the electric bill since we stay for a month to six weeks at a time during the spring, summer and fall. Any help will be greatly appreciated!!

Vicky

**JohnB** · 02-23-2013, 05:39 PM

Hi Vicky,

I do not know exactly about the 2001, on our 2004 we did replace 921 bulbs when we went to LED. I do not think the 3 model years would be this far out, but again I'm not sure. Someone else may confirm.

And yes you are right, the wall fixtures "may" take different LED bulb because of the lighting direction of the LED.

Here are pics of my fixtures and the LED inside them. See if these fixtures ring a bell to what you have and then I can help confirm the LED I used.

A spot light LED

A ceiling or cargo hole light. Comes in 1 or 2 bulb types

close up

A reading lamp. This one is special and did not come from Sunline. Cindy wanted a reading light so I found the new fixture that had both radial lighting and end lighting. Expense bulb but it fit the need. This is a round base.

A wall light. This one was a 921 bulb but I selected a different LED to shine up in this fixture. This fixture did come from Sunline

Over the table shining down. Use the same LED as the wall fixture

Now to saving on your electric bill, what do you pay now per what length of time period? and how many days are you using the lights during that period? Reason for asking is many of us have changed to LED to save battery power when camping off the grid. If you are still on 120 VAC shore power, yes there will be less electric used. How much that will result in saving money on the charge is harder to tell.

I do not know but the campground may have it's own rate verses the power company. Do they by chance give you a bill with kilowatts of power used and how much cost per kilowatt?

While you will use less power going to LED's, I do not know if you will save on your electric bill in amounts that can be very high. If I did this right, if you are burning 5 fixtures with 921 12 volt bulbs drawing 1.4 amps each that is 16.8 watts x 5 = 84 watts. These 5 are like burning a 85 watt light bulb at you home. Going to the ceiling LED I showed above draws 195ma at 12 volt is = 2.34 watts x 5 = 11.7 watts or about what a night light bulb at home draws.

So yes you can see there is a big difference. However depending on what the minimum charge rate to have power is, you many not save much.

Maybe one of our members who is a AC kilowatt power person can confirm or correct my thought process. I declare I'm not a incoming utility power consumption wizard.

Hope this helps

John

Vicky · 02-23-2013, 09:30 PM

John,

Thank you so much for making the time and effort to respond. I could only hope to have as nice of light fixtures as you have. Did you replace them to get the nickel finish? Mine are the really cheap looking (read "yucky") shiny brass colored things. I definitely have the single and double ceiling lights like yours and I have the two wall sconce type lights on the wall at each end of the sofa - again the brass stuff. This may sound really stupid but...do you wire the 12V light systems just like you do the regular wiring in a stick house? In other words, if I bought a reading light like you have would it take special wiring or anything to put it in the TT? I've changed out many light fixtures in my home but never in the TT. I do all the work on our TT because my husband is handicapped and I've done a lot of things BUT electricity intimidates me and the technical part of it boggles my mind. We are on a permanent site so I don't have to worry about the voltage variations.

We are billed for electricity strictly on the going rate from the electric coop and I can't remember what that is but it surely couldn't hurt to put in the LED bulbs plus I could get more light in the TT, especially in the reading/crafts area as well as the cooking area. Another probably stupid question...are fluorescent fixtures wired any differently than the other lights in the TT? I would like to convert the fluorescent fixture over the dining area to LED also.

Thank you and any others who might respond. I've learned in my "older" years I can do a lot of things I never thought about doing...some by necessicity and some by choice; but, I don't have a lot of confidence when it comes to electricity.

**JohnB** · 02-24-2013, 03:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vicky

I could only hope to have as nice of light fixtures as you have. Did you replace them to get the nickel finish? Mine are the really cheap looking (read "yucky") shiny brass colored things.

This is the only special one I bought to convert a wall light pointing up to a wall light shining over Cindy's shoulder for reading. She is a book worm though and through.

All the rest came from Sunline. In 2004 Sunline switched from the oak motif to Maple. I "think" the silver came along with the maple switch. Sunline Fan I'm sure can fill in the blanks on when the lighting fixtures colors changes.

Changing a fixture if not that hard. Shut off the battery and unplug the 120 VAC shore power. Take the 2 screws out holding the fixture and then there are usually 2 wire nuts holding the wires on. On mine and most likely yours there is black for the hot wire and white for the DC common.

We bought ours at an RV surplus place in Elkhart IN. They have several surplus places there. You can eve order on line.

Here are a few of them.

Mobile Home Supplies | Bontragers Surplus Inc.

Axles, Rims and Tires items in Johnson's Surplus store on eBay!

And then these guys. This is where I bought ours
Factory RV Surplus

The prices are good at these places however they do not always stock the exact came thing. They buy up overruns etc from the camper manufactures in the area.

I'm sure if you take a pic of and old one, or find a new one on line and call/send them one they may look in what they can can tell you if they have it. I'm sure they can take a pic and email. These places are latching onto the internet sales. Johnsons sells on Ebay a lot. They use that as their web site.

If you are going after LED to get more light, heads up, need some more research on this. The lumens they emit is how bright they are and they range all over the map. All of the ones I have are not as bright as the high power incandescent bulbs they replaced. I was after low power for boondocking and I made sure each light where I needed a lot of light was at or over 100 lumens. Some of the other are lower but they work in the areas I'm using them in. Each year it seems they get brighter as they are become more mass produced and demand raises. You can buy LED's brighter than incandescent bulbs just have to shop more and pay more.

On the electric meter, do you get charged in the off season months even when you are not there? That might be the flat rate that you will pay regardless. When we use to have 2 power meters on the farm for a barn on other property we paid the flat rate regardless if we use anything to not.

Good luck

John

apackoftwo · 04-01-2013, 05:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mainah

These are G4 base 15 chip LED's The fixtures are custom made I thought I would modernize a little bit and get rid of the plastic stuff. I would say they are all most as bright as a 10 watt halogen and draw 80% less power.

Very nice! I like this better than just replacing the bulbs! You should post a DIY on making these!