Switching to LED lights - Hi-Lo camper travel trailer forum

VJLarson · 08-25-2016, 09:22 PM

We have a 2009 1709T and would like to switch to LED lighting. So many people have recommended doing this but we're wondering if we have to replace the whole fixture or just the bulbs. Does anyone know? And where would we get the parts?

Thank you.
Vicki

Garry · 08-25-2016, 09:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VJLarson

We have a 2009 1709T and would like to switch to LED lighting. So many people have recommended doing this but we're wondering if we have to replace the whole fixture or just the bulbs. Does anyone know? And where would we get the parts?

Thank you.
Vicki

I replaced the bulbs only, ordering from M4 Retrofit LED Lights, which seemed to have some of the best pricing. M4 Products

retiredcamper47 · 08-25-2016, 10:37 PM

X 2! I agree with Garry. I got all my led's from M4. I went with the bright white. I replaced all the interior bulbs and the exterior bulbs.

Bob

VJLarson · 08-25-2016, 11:06 PM

Thank you both so much. We will be ordering.

VJLarson · 08-25-2016, 11:16 PM

OH...Garry, did you change out just the porch light outside - or the brake lights, parking lights and everything exterior? I can see changing out the porch light but not sure what advantage "all of the exterior lights" would give us.

JackandJanet · 08-26-2016, 09:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VJLarson

OH...Garry, did you change out just the porch light outside - or the brake lights, parking lights and everything exterior? I can see changing out the porch light but not sure what advantage "all of the exterior lights" would give us.

I don't see the advantage of changing the running lights either, but I DID change my brake/turn signal/tail lights as well as the license plate light to LEDs on my trailer.

The LED brake lights are brighter and faster acting than the OEM incandescent lights. I wanted that little bit of extra signal to vehicles following me.

AND, the porch light and all interior lights are LEDs to reduce drain on the battery.

- Jack

VJLarson · 08-26-2016, 12:13 PM

Thank you, Jack. We'll probably do the interior to begin with, and then do the exterior.

Garry · 08-26-2016, 01:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VJLarson

OH...Garry, did you change out just the porch light outside - or the brake lights, parking lights and everything exterior? I can see changing out the porch light but not sure what advantage "all of the exterior lights" would give us.

On the outside I only changed the porch light.

campthewestcoast · 08-26-2016, 09:45 PM

I replaced my light bulbs interior and porch light with LED bulds
I used 5050107 (type this number into Amazon.com)
What drew me to this bulb is;
Lumins (brightness) 330
Kelvins (color) 3200 warm white not blue
They are about $20 per bulb but worth it
I wanted the brightest bulb possible

Luckydog671 · 08-26-2016, 10:30 PM

I did the same bulbs as Les. They fit right into the existing fixtures and make a significant difference in the battery draw! Did most of the interior lights and porch light only.

VJLarson · 08-26-2016, 11:25 PM

Greg and Les, I wonder what these lights have over the ones recommended by Garry, Jack and Bob. The Amazon bulbs are twice the cost than the ones on M4. I'll have to take a closer look. Thanks for the info.

retiredcamper47 · 08-27-2016, 10:55 AM

I changed all my exterior lights, including the running lights, to led. In my opinion they are more reliable than the incandescent bulbs and have a longer "burn life" and are brighter. That is my story and I'm sticking to it!

Bob

marininn · 10-08-2017, 09:22 AM

LED do use a lot less power but recent findings show LED lighting can cause headaches. The LEDs flicker unseen to the conscious eye, so maybe keep an incandescent bulb burning to overlight this.
You can get LEDs at any auto parts store also. Expensive.

JackandJanet · 10-08-2017, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by marininn

LED do use a lot less power but recent findings show LED lighting can cause headaches. The LEDs flicker unseen to the conscious eye, so maybe keep an incandescent bulb burning to overlight this.
You can get LEDs at any auto parts store also. Expensive.

I'm just curious - where did you hear or read that LEDs flicker and this causes headaches? I've never seen anything about LED flicker. Compact Florescents (CFLs) flicker, at 60 Hz. Are you sure you're not talking about CFLs?

One thing that can cause eyestrain with LEDs is a high color temperature. This does NOT increase brightness, but a high color temperature, above 6000K, can have too much blue light, which reduces visual acuity and makes your eyes tired if you are trying to use it to read. As long as I've never used color temps above 5000-5500K (daylight), I haven't gotten eyestrain.

- Jack

RichR · 10-09-2017, 07:11 AM

LED bulbs used in 110 AC can flicker because they instantly turn on and off. Unlike an incandescent bulb who's filaments heat up to illuminate which takes time to light. It can't heat and cool fast enough during to totally go off between alternating cycles unlike the LED that can.

Oldcamper7124 · 05-06-2020, 10:38 AM

One of the first things I did was change out the lights to LED, brighter and use so much less juice. I will be changing out the fluorescent soon too.

JackandJanet · 05-06-2020, 01:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RichR

LED bulbs used in 110 AC can flicker because they instantly turn on and off. Unlike an incandescent bulb who's filaments heat up to illuminate which takes time to light. It can't heat and cool fast enough during to totally go off between alternating cycles unlike the LED that can.

Rich, I know this is an old post, but I have to disagree with you on the "flicker" part. ALL LEDs operate on very low voltage, DC current. I think the maximum voltage they can operate with is 5 Volts, but even that may be too much. When plugged into 120V AC house power, that current is converted, by a transformer/capacitor circuit, into low voltage, steady DC power before being delivered to the LED. This essentially eliminates the "on-off" characteristic of AC power that you were speaking of.

Even the LEDs that plug into 12V DC power have current limiting resistors included that prevent them from getting too much Wattage.

- Jack

RichR · 05-06-2020, 01:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JackandJanet

Rich, I know this is an old post, but I have to disagree with you on the "flicker" part. ALL LEDs operate on very low voltage, DC current. I think the maximum voltage they can operate with is 5 Volts, but even that may be too much. When plugged into 120V AC house power, that current is converted, by a transformer/capacitor circuit, into low voltage, steady DC power before being delivered to the LED. This essentially eliminates the "on-off" characteristic of AC power that you were speaking of.

Even the LEDs that plug into 12V DC power have current limiting resistors included that prevent them from getting too much Wattage.

- Jack

You're quite possibly right on that. I don't remember where I got my info, maybe I dreamed it.

JackandJanet · 05-06-2020, 05:06 PM

I don't even try to make any sense of my dreams now, Rich. They're just weird.

As I said in an earlier post, CFLs and ordinary florescents DO have a 60 hz flicker, that some people find unpleasant. I've never seen any flicker at all in LEDs. I've noticed, though, in some of mine that there's a small residual glow that exists for a short time when I turn them off. It's not a particularly strong glow, but it would also smooth out any flicker that might occur.

- Jack

anchorwood · 05-09-2020, 05:40 PM

FWIW:

I changed the interior to LED's twice. First, went with some of the cheapest I could find online. It seemed to me that some places wanted a lot of money. Turned out the ones I got were less bright than the originals, and I had not paid attention to color temp either and they were too much like cool white. The next year I got better ones and I think they are 5000 color temp. Brighter and very good work light but not as relaxing (or romantic) as the old incandescents.

In the little fixtures with lampshades, I left the incandescents in. When you have shore power, it doesn't matter how much power you are using and it's nice to have the more relaxing light once in a while--plenty of light for playing cards or whatever.

I did convert the outside lights except for the running lights. I will convert the running lights when I get a round tooit.

Looking forward to June and camping at Craters of the Moon here in Idaho during the flower bloom. No services so essentially boondocking.

Roger