LED bulb and strip replacement in same interior fittings

[joyful]

I have a 1986 T25 camper conversion with original interior light fittings (two x spots and two times strip lights).

Is it possible to just replace with LED's bulbs to save the battery life.

[Oldiebut goodie]

Yes.

[ghost123uk]

And YES again

I did our strip lights. Easy with 12 volt LED strips of Ebay. Just junk all the old tube gubbins and glue the self adhesive LED strips in place. Use the existing switch on the housing too of course. Note that the LED strips have to be wired up the right way around (+ve and -ve) or they just don't light up. Suggest you look for "warm white" LED strips as the normal white is a very harsh light.

[MattBW]

You can buy standard strip bulbs with LED internals, about 10 times the cost of a flur tube but fits straight in no hassle.

[ghost123uk]

I wonder how that bypasses the rest of the circuitry.

[Oldiebut goodie]

It does seem odd to have direct replacements, they must remove the HV gubbins also.

[MattBW]

Mine were actual tubes not a DIY job, no need to modify anything just take out flur tube replace with LED filled tube. The DIY options made me nervous so I just paid my 12 quid

Now I know they work Ill replace the other two, they are a bit cold colour temp wise though

[ghost123uk]

So they must be running with the HV circuit = not ideal as that is were most of the wasted amps go. As it is really simple to remove the ballast / start up circuit gubbins and simply stick the strip on the back plate, and connect the 2 wires up, that would be far preferable both in terms of power saving and money saving. (imho of course )

[MattBW]

Ill have a look at the weekend, see if it works without the "gubbins". Cheers.

[Allanw]

If you're doing it to save power, look at the type of LED lights you replace them with. Many are packed full of resistors, and run quite hot... In a mates caravan, he ended up getting new flouro tubes, as they used less power than the LED strips he was going to fit in the housing..

I have interior lights like above - standard LEDS mounted in an array - if you put enough in series, they will run without resistors - just make sure the combined forward voltage is around 13-14V. Wide angle LEDs are better for lighting bigger areas too.

[dansimpson]

So they must be running with the HV circuit = not ideal as that is were most of the wasted amps go. As it is really simple to remove the ballast / start up circuit gubbins and simply stick the strip on the back plate, and connect the 2 wires up, that would be far preferable both in terms of power saving and money saving. (imho of course )

Theres a few different types, if you look at the mains ones, some go straight in, using the ballast coil etc, some need the ballast circuit removing, and work via direct 240 in, live one end, neutral the other, and sometypes need a different starter unit.
As for the 12 volt type, I prefer the direct 12 v ones, as a seperate unit, and you can dim 'em!