General Boards > Redecorating and Updating your Motorhome
LED T8 and T5 upgrades
Greg Kamper:
--- Quote from: Joel Weiss on April 08, 2013, 09:19:00 PM ---Those look similar to, but have lower lumen ratings than these (this link is to the 12" tube size) which I have been quite pleased with:
http://www.rvledbulbs.com/product-p/18-0577.htm
I found that two 300 lumen LED tubes produced slightly more light than the two 12" fluorescents they replaced. I have used mine for over a year with no problems.
--- End quote ---
When you replaced the fluorescents, did you have to remove the ballasts as well?
Joel Weiss:
--- Quote from: Greg Kamper on May 11, 2015, 06:00:17 PM ---
When you replaced the fluorescents, did you have to remove the ballasts as well?
--- End quote ---
You don't have to remove the ballast, as long as you cut the wires going to it. The ballast is hidden by the center decorative cover. However, I usually remove it just to be neat.
This is an old thread and on my more recent LED conversions I didn't bothered to buy the LED "tubes". I've been using just a length of LED stick-on strip and it works just fine and costs ~half as much as the tubes. Once the fixture cover has been replaced you can't tell whether the LEDs are in tubes or are simply stuck to the top of the fixture. When I use the stick-on strips I remove everything in the fixture including the lamp holders. That way I can maximize the length of LED strip that I use.
For example, about two months ago I bought two of these: https://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/flexible-strips-and-bars/led-light-strips-led-tape-light-with-18-smdsft-3-chip-smd-led-5050/2138/3281/ and the result was quite a bit more light than the fluorescents provided.
Greg Kamper:
Thanks Joel or Sandie... Iknew this was an old post so I'm glad you still answered it. I'm envisioning these all over in our coach... Especially underneath to replace all of the storage lights.
Joel Weiss:
--- Quote from: Greg Kamper on May 11, 2015, 08:53:57 PM ---Thanks Joel or Sandie... Iknew this was an old post so I'm glad you still answered it. I'm envisioning these all over in our coach... Especially underneath to replace all of the storage lights.
--- End quote ---
Greg:
We've used LED stick-on strips under all the cabinetry in the living area. They are hardly visible under the front edge of the cabinets and the high power ones I bought can produce quite a bit of light. They are all wired using inexpensive touch-activated dimmers so you don't get the bright light unless you want it. We also have a set of LED undercabinet lights in the kitchen; those were purchased at Lowes. In addition, we replaced all the wall sconces with more attractive, faux-Tiffany ones that take standard base bulbs (instead of candelabra base) and these all now have the kinds of residential LEDs you can buy at Lowes or HD and are ~60-watt equivalent. And the dining area fluorescent fixture was also replaced by one that takes standard base LED bulbs and which now provides excellent task lighting for my wife's quilting efforts.
The bottom line is that we have so much available lighting (all of which is dimmer-controlled) that I haven't even bothered to replace the halogen "puck lights" since we have no need for them and the lighting we have is far more uniformly distributed than these provide. In our opinion most RV interiors are "dreary" because they are underlit. That's not ours; on a cold, dreary day we can definitely brighten the place up.
Joel
Greg Kamper:
Thanks Joel,
I think we need to try to go to a BAC rally sometime to get ideas... Do they turn into mini RV shows for us newbies who need ideas to upgrade? :)
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version