RV LED Light Fixture Replacement with Dimmer

Replacing the whole RV light fixture is REALLY easy - get a better fixture AND lower power consumption


Before starting, read this article on how to replace an RV light fixture so you are familiar with all the steps. I won't detail all the steps in this article again.

The LED Light Fixture I selected

The LED lights I wanted to try were from Star Lights in California. They caught my attention because of the modular design. Their modular design allows you to have a fixture with on and off only as a base model. Or if you would like, you can add a dimmer, a light activated sensor, and a motion sensor.

I wanted a dimmer since this was in the bedroom of the RV and was a reading light. Sometimes you want it bright and sometimes you want it dim.

So to order the light, I ordered the bezel, the fixture (which comes with a 10 LED "bulb"), and the dimmer. Star Lights gave me a call and said when you order function modules you have to order a computer module. I ordered it on the phone. You can see all the pieces below...

Star Light Brilliant Light Modular Light and Options

After I removed all of the packaging and REMOVED the plastic "filler" inserts (see picture below - the "filler" is on the left) I placed all the pieces in one picture. It gives you a good idea of how the light's modular pieces work together. You can see clearly where the modular pieces need to be inserted. It only requires a gentle "push" to put the modules in the slot.

Star Light Brilliant Modular Light and Options with Fillers removed

Next, I show the light completely assembled, except I removed the "diffuser". The diffuser is the the clear plastic piece that spreads the light in more directions so the light lights a bigger portion of the room. You can also see the dimmer switch installed in the light. On the left and right of the dimmer switch, you can see the OVAL fillers where the motion activated switch and the light activated switch would be installed.

You can also see clearly the LED light has 10 LED's (all high intensity) which is what I believe to be the minimum for replacing a 921 light bulb which is the "gold" standard for setting RV owners expectations for how bright a light should be.

Star Lights Brilliant Modular light showing LED and Dimmer

Finally, I show the fixture installed in the reading area of the RV. It is shown side by side with another LED light fixture which I purchased from LED Trailer lights.

RV Light Fixtures : LED Trailer lights on left, Star lights on the right

How do I like the Star Lights Modular Light Fixture called the Brilliant Series?

Overall I like the fixture. It is a little bit larger than most other light fixtures so it might not fit in the physical space occupied by the original light fixture.

I do like the dimmer switch on the fixture. I wished it had a greater range - it doesn't go dim enough for my liking. Also, the tactile feel on the device didn't feel quite right - not sure how to articulate. But overall, it is a great light and I'm reading in style now! I'm more than happy to recommend this light.

comparison of bright white or warm white led lights

Side by side comparison picture so you can see the difference.

I've installed some warm white and cool white LED lights ( which are replacements for the wedge based 921 incandescent bulb ) in our RV.

The neat thing is that they are installed so that I could get a great picture of both at the same time to get a comparison. I spent quite a bit of time color matching with my camera so that the picture looked almost exactly the same as the scene in real live.

Some quick notes on the LED lights :
* They are very high efficiency LED lights that have a wedge base.
* Each replacement light has 10 individual LED's on it  ( This is a HUGE hint if you want the LED replacement to put out the same light as the 921 it replaced ).
* My wife and I both like the cool white a little better.
* The LED lights have 10 LED's that all project in one direction. This lighting application is solely a 180 degree application.

Now you can be the judge.

From RV Park and Campground Review videos, RV basics, and travel stories with Sheri and Marlan

RV Lighting LED replacement for halogen G4 base bulbs

Lower your electric consumption using LED lights in your RV!

I've always wondered why there are light bulbs being sold with just two pointy leads coming out their base end. It turns out those have a name and an application.

First off, let me show off where the application is located in my RV. In our 2010 Open Range 399BHS we have a pots and pan hanging rack over an island (pretty cool). Inside that rack which the view you have is looking up at the ceiling, there exists three small recessed lights.

Each of these recessed lights contains a G4 halogen bulb. I'm pretty sure that these are 10Watt bulbs. The fixture itself is round of course with two VERY small holes. I don't think you can mount the bulb wrong with these prongs. To remove I :

• Turned the black cover counter clockwise about 1/3 of a rotation. It just dropped off.

• Pulled the bulb straight out.

RV recessed lighting that typically uses a Halogen G4 base Bulb - Ripe for LED replacement

Below, you'll see the original 10W Halogen I removed from the fixtures. On the right, you'll see the LED replacements I ordered.


On the LED replacement there are 6 High Intensity LED's mounted and on the backside some circuitry that makes sure that the 12V RV power is at the correct voltage for the LED's as well as fix a little problem LED's have. The problem is that while the Halogen does not care which way it goes in, the LED's do, so the circuitry is added to make sure the LED's don't care. Its a very long electrical engineering talk to explain, but just know that all LED replacements must have a little circuitry in them.

To replace :

• I simply made sure that the LED's (the yellow things) were point out as they give off the light.
• I them pressed the two prongs into the holes in the fixture where the original halogen bulb was
• I then put the lens on and twisted 1/3 turn clockwise.

So - how did they perform. They were OK as a replacement. They were not as bright as the halogen in my mind, but they do perform admirably.

One important note : I noted that the halogen bulbs get very, very, very hot and that in the ceiling with the insulation and little bug dust that I feel the halogen are a fire hazard. The LED lights COMPLETELY reduce the fire hazard risk to a very, very low level. I would recommend the LED lights for halogen bulb replacement. If possible, get MORE than 6 LED's on the board for a better replacement. However, there are probably brighter LED"s available too.

RV lighting : On the left a G4 base halogen 10W bulb - On the right G4 base LED putting out same amount of light

921 Replacement Bulb for a 360 degree application

Previously, I wrote about a 180 degree application for an LED light to replace a 921 incandescent bulb. I'm also using that article to collect good LED replacements for 921 incandescents as well so I'll go update that article as well. As we think about RV lighting applications, here is an article that talks about the rich variety of lighting applications within an RV.

However, that application was 180 degrees (about 1/2 of the 921 reflects directly onto plastic). This application is for a 360 degree application. For fixtures in which the light bulb hangs down in the fixture and light needs to go everywhere, you need to have a special LED replacement that has LED's sending light into every direction.

360 degree 921 incandescent RV lighting application suitable for LED replacement

The light bulb that is in MOST LED lighting applications is pictured next. It is called a 921 Wedge incandescent light bulb. I've looked around around and it looks like these bulbs put out around 280 lumens - very source dependent on the number so just use it as a weak reference.

921 wedge bulb commonly used in rv lighting

The LED FORM FACTOR (shape of the light or its physical configuration) that makes lots of sense for 360 degree applications.

360 degree led light with 921 wedge base

There are many places to get these, but ONE place you can get lights like this is from ledtrailerlights.com. The particular light in their catalog is the T10 380 or at least that seems to be the part number.

We bought two of these and replaced both 921's in the application I'm showing above. Here are my notes.

• The replacement 'bulb' fit perfectly.
• The WARM WHITE is a GREAT replacement.
• Given the 380 lumens is significantly larger than the 280 nominal lumens it should be brighter than the 921.
• It was significantly brighter - the wife loves it.
• This is a keeper and we'll mark this as a good 921 replacement for campers.
• The base of the light is COLD TO THE TOUCH! That will be great for the summers.

I'll make a short video later!

RV Lighting - There is more to an RV than you think!

In an RV (recreational vehicle) the lighting system is a 12V DC lighting system. That is really awesome because it means that you can take advantage of the automotive market for lighting and innovation for RV's.

In my first article about an RV porch light I really have started to appreciate the idea of lighting in an RV.

LED lights make sense for RV's (and boats, motorcycles, and cars)

First, without being technical, LED's (which stands for light emitting diode) are a low voltage device. That means they don't fit well (yet) for houses which are 120V. They have them, but the bulbs have to have extra circuitry to lower the voltage to the LED's. But for car, auto, truck, motorcycle or RV's which are 12 Volt systems, LED's are a much better fit.

Also, LED's are a DC (direct current) type of device while homes are an AC type of device. While this is a gross oversimplification, you can think of something running on a battery as DC (again cars, RV's) and the home as something different. LED's work best with DC systems. So again, another great fit.

While the green revolution is important for homes, mobile devices like cars, trucks, motorcycles and RV's car about fuel conservation so green is even more important. In fact in an RV, when you are camping on a generator or WORSE, on a battery, you care very, very much how long you can operate. That means that lighting that takes less energy is much more important. A reasonable ESTIMATE of the efficiency of LED lighting is that it is roughly 2-4 times more efficient than incandescent (this is changing) lighting and the numbers are all over the map. I'll try to decode in this article and later articles. By efficiency I mean "how much light you get" in exchange for "how much power you consume".

LED's operate much cooler than regular lights (called incandescent lights) so you'll get less heat which is pretty handy in the summers - particularly in the south.

Lighting Types for RV's

I'd like to list all the different areas that lighting is used in an RV and I think it will surprise you how many different lighting applications exist with an RV. Specifically, I'm going to focus on towable RV's like fifth wheels or travel trailers, but much of what I'm listing can also apply to Class A Motorhomes or Class B and Class C as well.

Here is the list for RV lighting and what I believe are the best types of lights for each system :

• exterior rv lighting applications

• running lights - I think of these as the lights that are on during the day. This only applies to Class A, B, or C as this the same as daytime running lights and really is the same as headlights.
• clearance lights - These would be the lights at the top rear of the RV and along the tops of the RV along the sides. The idea behind these is to give an idea of the extents of your RV so that people understand it is a large vehicle and know its boundaries. Clearance lights are a good candidate for replacement with rv led lights. You will save energy, and have a more rugged light you can probably replace once and never again for the life of the vehicle.
• brake lights - These are the lights that turn on when the brakes are applied. Typically these are in the same housing as the tail lights, but are additionally applied so the drivers behind you know when you are reducing your speed, maybe even rapidly.
• tail lights - These are the standard lights on the rear of the vehicle that let people know you are there. This is another great candidate for replacement with an LED. One thing that makes this application great is that you want all the light to be aimed at the vehicle straight behind you and LED's are great for that.
• turn signal lights - These are the lights that you see that blink yellow (generally) when you are making a corner. A great candidate for replacement with an led turn signal - even more so since LED's can be used to make an "arrow" shape and actually animate to help notify the vehicles behind you.
• reverse or backup lights - My RV (a towable has these). They don't make a great deal of sense on an RV because you are so far away from the rear of the vehicle. But they would be a great indicator so that people know you are backing up.
• porch lights - This is the first light on my list that is not typically part of the "automative" lights package. You car does not have a porch. In the home, porch lights have typically been 120VAC lights that were incandescent or compact fluorescent. But the RV porch lights are 12V. Typically they are incandescent and utilize an automotive light bulb that uses a bayonet base. There are lots of these and you can get them at most auto parts stores (and Walmart, Target). A typical bayonet bulb that uses LED's is pretty easy to find. I've found that the porch lights use a yellow diffuser cover which is supposed to not attract bugs.
• flood lights - Basically a porch light with a white diffuser. Or at least that is how my RV is arranged.
• storage bay lights - These are lights that are in the RV storage bays so you can get your stuff at night.
• rope lights and other decorative area lights - you can't really have an RV without making the outside look festive. This is a common lighting application and it deserves an article all by itself!

• interior RV lighting applications

• recessed lighting - RV's have almost all of the lighting you would find in a home, except it is DC. Our RV has small recessed bulbs that are DC. These are GREAT candidates for replacement with LED lights because they are more accent lights and they are meant to illuminate an area. This is one of the best applications.
• standard wedge style rv lighting - This is the most common form of interior RV lighting. By my estimate we have around 40 of these in our RV. If you have a light fixture that has a BROAD lighting requirement, you might leave it incandescent. But we have these over our beds and in those applications, you could have a GREAT LED wedge style light replacement. Pay attention to the idea of having LED lights all the way around ( 360 degree lighting ) or just 1/2 way - which is the most common method.
• Here is an article on led lighting application for replacement of 921 wedge bulbs.
• reading lights (like above the bed) - a particularly good application for LED replacements. RV's tend to have these built in.
• In this article, I changed the RV Reading light fixture to accommodate an LED bulb.
• accent lights - These are the lights above the entertainment cabinet. One added advantage of using LED lighting here is that you can vary the colors and really add color and timing accents to your accent lights. Typically, these are halogen bulbs and I write about replacing halogen with led's with a G4 base (I explain G4 in the article)
• under cabinet lights - Really an extension of the reading light theme but RV's tend to have these installed already.
• night lights - We plug these into the AC outlets. These are not typically built into an RV. I don't think these are a good or bad candidate for LED's because night lights are already fairly low power consumption.
• flash light - You probably ought to have an LED flashlight sitting right by your door. I've noticed that for flashlights, the LED's beat the old D-Cell flashlights hands down.

What is a Wedge style light for an rv light?

What is a bayonet style light for an rv light?

 

What is a G4 style light for an RV light?

RV Electrical : Outdoor Light Bulb

[ Updated with clarifications ]

From RV Park Review videos, RV basics, and travel stories with Sheri and Marlan

One of the interesting and NEAT things about an RV is that everything on one hand is simpler (maybe) and everything is different from what you might know about lighting based on a typical house or car.

For example, an RV has a DC (direct current) system (simpler) and a familiar AC (alternating current) system. I find it interesting to learn which is used in different ways.12V DC lighting is probably the most obvious use of the DC system. You can run off the rv battery without power or a generator for your rv lights (and hot water ignition, water pressure via rv water pump, and finally your refrigerator).

Recently, we had a light bulb burn out in our 'porch'. Well, really, that was the light that goes under neath the awning and would be an outside light for when you have guests over and are sitting outside but don't want to be in the dark.

My (uneducated) expectation would be that the light was a normal light bulb. However, when I took off the cover or diffuser, I was somewhat surprised to see a little tiny 'baby' bulb which is I have pictured.

That is a 12 Volt DC bulb which is really widely available in any automotive section in Target or Walmart. So it was cheap and easy to replace (Sylvania 1141 LL). To replace, it is simply a press-twist-release and then push the bulb in - twist - and let up. The twist-in rv lights are called bayonet style lights. By the way, you can find excellent replacement rv led lights that have bayonet connections. Oh and put back on the diffuser. 

My assumption is that DC was chosen so you could have a tiny bit of rv outdoor lighting while on battery. At least that makes sense to me. Most of the lighting is DC.

Which brings me to another idea. RV's will be great candidates for using rv LED lighting which will provide a nice degree of added luminance at really no cost in power. More on that later!