We have decided that we would like to switch the lights in
our RPod to LEDs. It turns out that this
is a decision with a lot of questions, from what type of base is required to
how bright the bulbs should be, not to mention how do you compare brightness of
LEDs vs. incandescents? Since it seems as though many people are making this
conversion, and since LEDs are a new enough technology that not everyone
(myself included) has a working knowledge of it, I thought it might make sense
to compile all of this information into an article for the owner’s manual. I will try to compile the information that exists
in the threads, and will fill in with answers to some specific questions that I
still have. Please excuse how long this
post is, but there are a lot of questions that I think many of us have, and I would
like to get them all in one place. From reading the threads on this forum and others, it seems
like the decisions fall into two categories:
requirements and personal choice.
Here is my attempt at compiling the list of things you need to consider,
grouped by these two categories so that people can make informed
decisions. For anything where I have
outstanding questions, I am asking very specific questions that I’m hoping the
LED experts on this forum can answer. In
return, I will compile this information and put it in the Owner’s Manual
post. Thanks in advance for any light
you can shed (pun intended): REASONS FOR CONVERTING TO LEDs: 1. 1.
To reduce power consumption. Some people do this for ecological reasons,
others do it because they boondock and need to maximize their battery length. 2. 2. To reduce heat.
Some people have reported replacing the kitchen lights with LEDs because
the incandescent ones cause items in the overhead cabinet to become hot. Others have done so in the bunks because the
clear cover gets hot enough to be a concern, particularly when children use the
bunks. 3. 3. To adjust the color and/or brightness of one or
more bulbs. Some people like brighter
light in the kitchen work area, or dimmer lights overhead. 4. 4. To reduce overall long-term cost. I would like to leave this component out of
the discussion, because it seems that there are there are many complex factors
(how long do the bulbs last, what is the cost per unit of energy, etc.) that
muddy the waters; also, I believe that the three issues above are more of the deciding
factor for most people. 5. 5. Are there any other reasons I have missed? REQUIREMENTS: 1. 1.
The base of the bulb must fit in the existing
socket. ·
It appears that our bulbs require T10 base. However, when I look at replacement bulbs, I
see things like “replaces T10/T15 base” – are these two interchangeable, and
what is the difference? Will any bulb marked T10 work? ·
I also see the base referred to as “wedge” – do ALL
bulbs with a base described as “wedge” have the T10 base, or is the T10 base
one of many types of wedge bases? ·
I also see statements like,“This type of 12-SMD
T10 LED bulbs will replace the stock bulb sizes: 158 168 175 194 2825 2827 W5W
912 921”. I believe these numbers
represent bulbs that have the same base (T10) but have other differences,
mainly brightness. Is that correct? 2. 2.
The size of the bulb must fit inside the
existing dome ·
For this, it seems that the length is the main
issue. The specifications of most bulbs
seem to list the total length (including base).
Does anyone know what the maximum length should be for the fixtures in
the RPod? 3. 3.
Some parts of “what color should I use” are
required. ·
I don’t think I saw this in this forum, but I
read elsewhere that the bulb color should match the color of the light; that
is, for brake lights, turn signal lights, etc., get a red or amber LED to
match. Any disagreement on this? 4. 4.
The bulb needs to be able to handle the power
fluctuations of a camper ·
Various discussions indicate that things like
generators starting up/cycling, fluctuations found at campground power sources,
etc. cause stress on bulbs. ·
It seems as though when buying, you should look
for bulbs that say something like “wide voltage range (8-30v) DC LED bulb-the wide voltage range makes this bulb
ideal for marine and RV use” ·
Question: Is voltage an issue, or do all modern T10
base bulbs have the necessary voltage range? ·
Question: some listings that I see mention a capacitor
or resistor or resistance or having a diode (or diodes). What wording is important? ·
Question: what voltage range should people look
for? What’s the minimum, what’s the
maximum? ·
Question:
do I have any other questions?
Between being new to campers and being new to LEDs, I have no idea what
it is that I don’t know yet. PERSONAL CHOICE.
There isn’t a right and wrong answer, but these are things you need to
decide: 1. 1.
What color do you prefer? ·
“warm white” or “soft white” generally refers to
a color somewhat similar to incandescent bulbs – slightly yellow, or like
candlelight ·
“bright white” generally refers to a color that
is either more like daylight or harsh and blue, depending on your perspective ·
I saw some bulbs refered to as “Xenon white” –
is that a real thing, or does that just mean “bright white”? 2. 2.
How bright do you want your light to be? ·
I’d like to include a description of how you
compare brightness of LEDs vs. incandescent.
People are moving to describing this in terms of lumens, rather than “60
watt equivalent” but perhaps a grid ·
Does this look correct to those with LED
experience: http://www.bulbamerica.com/wattage-lumens-brightness.html - http://www.bulbamerica.com/wattage-lumens-brightness.html Question: is there any maximum
number of lumens/watts that we need to stay within for any reason? Question: what comes standard in our RPods? To me it looks like all the interior bulbs
are the same. OTHER (this will go into required or personal choice section
depending on the answer): 1. 1.
Some bulbs are flat with either a circle or
square shape, with the LEDs all on one side; others are tubular, with LEDs all
around. ·
Does it
matter? ·
Does it affect heat dispersion? ·
Does it affect how much light you get, all other
things being equal? (That is, on the
ones with light on all sides, does enough reflect off the back of the fixture
that it evens out, or do you lose (or gain) significant light?) Installation information: 1. 1.
The bulb must be inserted correctly ·
LEDs have a polarity requirement that the
incandescent bulbs do not have. If you
insert an LED and it doesn’t work, take it out and flip it over. It should now work ·
Question:
does this hurt the bulb? ·
Question: is there any way to look at the bulb and the
socket and figure out which way to plug it in (like batteries are clearly maked
with “+” and “-“)? 2. 2.
Are there any other handling instructions (for
example, are they like halogen lights where you need to make sure you do not
touch the bulbs) ?
Again, thanks in advance for helping me compile this
information.
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