Bruce
and
Jean's
Tiny
Travel
Trailer -
The Boxcar
LED
Lighting Conversions
I've been meaning to post some
pictures of the various led light conversions I've done for the new
camper and finally got around to it today. My goal was to provide good,
quality light using only LEDs and avoid the common pitfalls associated
with LEDs. I wanted diffuse light (no glare bombs), good color
rendition and a yellow/incandescent color. Most of the conversions are
based on the information found on this web site:
DIY LED
Conversion
This conversion is better than most RV options I've run across for two
reasons:
- The star emitter he uses has a higher light output and *MUCH* better
color rendition than the LEDs I've used in the past. Its a nice, full
spectrum yellow light as opposed to the sickly blue light that most
el-cheapo LEDs have. I like a 3500K color temperature but more on that
later.
- It has a driver that takes care of the voltage swing that teardrops
have when they are on battery versus the charger. I've had multiple
light failures using Superbright LED products, I think because they
don't typically use drivers.
That being said, here's a light I made using LED striplights instead of
emitters. It was supposed to be a fluorescent like work surface fixture
with shielding to prevent glare. This one is over the sink:
I originally used a single LED strip but added a yellow one to get a
whiter color. The nice thing about this one is it puts out a lot of
light but only uses 0.2 amps. I'm not sure I'll keep this light as
three of the LEDs have burned out, even with a 12V regulator. Its also
a little too blue for my tastes, but not bad:
Here's an area light for the kitchen area that uses four - 3 watt
emitters. It puts out tons of light but draws 1.0 amp. The light is
very incandescent like. Note how the ceiling has light on it, I really
like the effect of this light but it uses almost as much juice as an
incandescent would.
I angled the emitters so it throws light high up on the wall and gets
rid or the "cave" feeling in the kitchen. It also shines light into the
cabinets a little.
Here's an el-cheapo eBay LED that I'm using for a night light. The
*only* good thing about this light is that it uses less than 0.1 amps.
Note the ugly blue light. There have been studies that show blue light
like this interrupts sleep and can cause phantasmagoria (google that!).
I only plan on using this so there's a light on when we come back from
sitting around the campfire.
Here's a picture of three LED lights over the bed. The ceiling light
has the emitter conversion. The strip light in the front bulkhead is
just for bling. Notice the difference in light quality between the
overhead light with emitters versus the LED strip. The reading lights
have been converted with a G4
LED
replacement
light.
Here's a closeup of the overhead light showing the dual 3 watt
emitters. I just roughed up the aluminum with a wire brush and glued
them on using the Thermal Adhesive from the article. I picked this
fixture because the entire base can serve as a heat sink to get heat
away fro the emitters. It still gets a little warm. The LED driver is
covered in heat shrink and you can see it through the hole in the
reflector. This uses 0.5 amps and would be my choice for a tear galley
or interior.
Anyone who thinks LEDs are too dim hasn't tried the emitters! The lens
knocks the light level down a bit but turns the emitters from a glare
bomb into a nice diffuse source.
Here's a picture of the reading lights in action. They have kind of a
green color that I don't like much but they put out plenty of light and
use around 0.1 amps per head. I ordered three different light from eBay
and settled on these as the "best" . I'm still not all that happy with
them and I'll probably keep trying other lights till I get one I like
better.
I even converted the porch light to LED with a single 3 watt emitter.
It use a 6500K color temperature versus the 3500K I used for the
interior lights. Everything has a price and good color requires more
power. I sacrificed the nice yellow color for maximum light. But, all
three of the porch lights still use less power than a single
incandescent porch light. I wonder if bugs will be attracted to them?
Here's a closeup of the emitter. The jury's still out on how long it
will last. Its exposed to dust and moisture so we'll see.
I just added a wireless switch so I can control the outside lights with
a keyfob. One push of the button and all the exterior lights come on.
That should scare the monsters away!
Here's some of my ideas, now get out there and experiment with your own
LED conversion!!
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