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09-29-2024, 11:22 AM
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#1
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Member
Join Date: Apr 2018
Posts: 75
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Camper lighting so dark it's depressing
Purchased 2014 18' Work and Play toy hauler. Has 3 over head 12 volt lights in living section. 6 total LED bulbs in fixtures and bulb has no ID numbers. Found LED bulbs that claim to be 5000 lumen for about $12 each plus shipping. Would like it to be bright enough to be able to read in there at night. Would I be better off buying more or different style of fixtures.
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St. Louis Missouri
Longing for retirement
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09-29-2024, 12:01 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2019
Posts: 2,279
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I have all LED lights in my motorhome, but for specific reading areas have little LED spotlights. I also mixed the overhead fixtures with warm colors and bright whites, because I usually like it nice and low at night, and only use one of the spotlights if I need to read.
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09-29-2024, 01:31 PM
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#3
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"Formerly Diplomat Don"
Newmar Owners Club
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Moorpark, Ca.
Posts: 24,991
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You'll never get much light out of that style light, no matter what bulb you use. I would go with something like these.....
https://a.co/d/7TePXSM
Buy the four pack and see if you like them, if not, return them to Amazon. Their dimensions are 12" x 5.5". See if that is large enough to cover the area of the ones you have now.
If they're still not bright enough, you could mount two side by side in some areas.
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Don & Mary
2019 Newmar Dutch Star 4018 (Freightliner)
2024 GMC Sierra 1500 Denali 4x4 6.2L
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09-29-2024, 02:32 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2018
Posts: 1,507
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5000 lumens is extremely bright. Think 4 foot LED shoplight. I would be concerned with the amp draw. A 40 watt incandescent bulb is about 500 lumens.
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2018 KZ 270thle 2015 Silverado.
2012 GL1800
Western PA
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09-29-2024, 02:47 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Mariposa, CA
Posts: 4,024
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dutch Star Don
You'll never get much light out of that style light, no matter what bulb you use. I would go with something like these.....
https://a.co/d/7TePXSM
Buy the four pack and see if you like them, if not, return them to Amazon. Their dimensions are 12" x 5.5". See if that is large enough to cover the area of the ones you have now.
If they're still not bright enough, you could mount two side by side in some areas.
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The dimming feature is very nice, but I installed LEDs like OP and they are PLENTY bright . . . in fact TOO BRIGHT, so that dimming feature is very appealing.
__________________
2003 - 2010: 2004 35' National RV Sea Breeze LX 8341
2010 - 2021: 2001 41' Newmar Mountain Aire 4095
2021 - ???? : 2001 31' National RV Sea View 8311
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09-29-2024, 04:56 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Winnebago Owners Club Workhorse Chassis Owner RV Trip Wizard
Join Date: Oct 2019
Location: Killen, Alabama
Posts: 398
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I have to think that 5000 lumen LEDs might be way too bright without some way to dim them. We have similar light fixtures in our 2004 Itasca Sunrise. We replaced the incandescent bulbs with 900 lumen LED bulbs and they're plenty bright for us.
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2004 Itasca Sunrise 34D, 8.1L, Workhorse W20 Chassis
2023 GMC Canyon AT4, NSA Ready Brute Elite II, BlueOx Base Plate
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09-29-2024, 06:08 PM
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#7
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Member
Join Date: Jun 2023
Location: Bothell, WA
Posts: 92
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5000 lumen is a little over 300w. That’s quite a bit. You can get led spots, even with flexible shafts to direct the light towards the book or you. We usually turn off half the light in our trailer because it’s too bright, however I put two rechargeable puck lights over the bed to read by. There are a lot of option without lighting the whole box the same. Dimming is great but you don’t want them to flicker.
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09-29-2024, 07:10 PM
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#8
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Member
Join Date: Apr 2018
Posts: 75
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You guys are correct. I went to m4 LED lighting. Looks like color kelvin is 4 to 5000 and calculated lumens is 360 to 690. Would love to know what lumens my current bulb is because I sleep with brighter night light.
__________________
St. Louis Missouri
Longing for retirement
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09-29-2024, 09:40 PM
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#9
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"Formerly Diplomat Don"
Newmar Owners Club
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Moorpark, Ca.
Posts: 24,991
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For average lighting, you want 3500 color. That's close to daylight. Anything above that gets brighter and brighter.
__________________
Don & Mary
2019 Newmar Dutch Star 4018 (Freightliner)
2024 GMC Sierra 1500 Denali 4x4 6.2L
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09-29-2024, 11:39 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 5,859
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BC Buck
You guys are correct. I went to m4 LED lighting. Looks like color kelvin is 4 to 5000 and calculated lumens is 360 to 690. Would love to know what lumens my current bulb is because I sleep with brighter night light.
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That'll be a bright light with a crisp cool color, and possibly hard on the eyes.
Great for flashlights and such but imo, not pleasant to be under in a house or RV. A Kelvin temperature of around 3.5k is like daylight and pretty bright. I personally like the lighting to be warmer at around 2700.
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03 Itasca Sunova, Workhorse P32 with the 8.1 and 4L85-E
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09-29-2024, 11:53 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2019
Posts: 289
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BC Buck
You guys are correct. I went to m4 LED lighting. Looks like color kelvin is 4 to 5000 and calculated lumens is 360 to 690. Would love to know what lumens my current bulb is because I sleep with brighter night light.
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Low voltage incandescent lamps are 10-20 lumens per watt. The fixture they are in can eat up half that quite easily.
If your RV is that dark you should look into several solutions.
- Lighter surfaces, walls and ceilings especially! Paint, fabric whatever...
- More fixtures rather than super bright ones. Glare can make it seem far darker than it really is.
- Hide fixtures in corners and behind furniture. Indirect lighting is will make the RV seem bigger, brighter and relieve many other lighting problems.
- Replace incandescent fixtures with "build for LED" ones. They just work better with the way LEDs make light. Retrofits are a half baked solution.
- USB rechargeable battery lamps can be cheap and effective.
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Rick
2019 Grand Design Reflection 150 273MK,
2015 Ford F350 CC SB Lariat Powerstroke, PullRite Superglide
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09-30-2024, 12:13 AM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: North America somewhere
Posts: 31,972
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$13 ea. wow. I bought a dozen off Amazon for that price 6 years ago and they are still working.
There are only 2 base patterns for 12V LED's with that size base, 1 center conductor or 2 conductor contacts on the base.
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2000 Winnebago Ultimate Freedom USQ40JD , ISC 8.3 Cummins 350, Spartan MM Chassis. USA IN 1SG 11B5MX,Infantry retired;GS Life member,FMCA " My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country. John F. Kennedy
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09-30-2024, 12:21 AM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: South of Atlanta, Georgia
Posts: 2,336
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I use M4Products lights in everything. I have converted 3 RV's to LED and used M4 in all of them. I always use the Natural White, and the good thing is no matter which fixture you are relamping, the lamps are consistently the same color. They spec certain Samsung LEDs and that assures you getting the same thing, no matter what you buy.
I have used their Elite lamps and also the 24 and 48 led plate lamps. I also use the G4 side pin lamps in reading lamps.
The OP may need to replace the fixtures with something different and possibly install more of them. In any case, I suggest using fixtures that have sockets for B15 base lamps or wedge base lamps, so you can get a choice of color and brilliance. If you get dedicated LED fixtures, you are stuck with what you bought and the quality of the LEDs are usually poor. I've had exactly one M4 lamp fail and they replaced it, I've never had a led in a lamp fail, that I bought from them, and I have the lamps on when I am at home with the trailer, doing work, cleaning, modifications, etc.
Charles
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'03 Ram 2500 CTD, 5.9HO six speed PacBrake std cab long bed Leer top and 2008 Bigfoot 25B21RB trailer.. Previously, 2008 Thor Freedom Spirit 180, SOLD! 2007 Winnebago View 23H Motorhome, SOLD!
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09-30-2024, 05:24 AM
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#14
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Member
Join Date: Apr 2018
Posts: 75
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Wow great post guys. You saving me much grief with trial and error.
__________________
St. Louis Missouri
Longing for retirement
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