interior lighting

[hixsy]

hi guys, before i re trim me back panels im curious as to wat is the best option for lightin the back of the van area, are these super bright LEDs the way foward or convetional bulbs still do the job. my interior will be quite dark in the back so need a good lighting system, i intend on putting a second battery soon so i wanna rig these lights to that. Any1 got any suggestions so i can plan the wiring before i get the boards back on ?

cheers

[waltraud]

I would definately say get LED's for the back interior as if you use a leisure battery they take very little charge and are very friendly to your battery, this mean you can top up charge with something like a 13watt solar panel (see Maplin for a suitcase 13w panel including regulator for about £50) . Try 'rainbow conversions' on the web for different LED light strips.

Tim

[AngeloEvs]

The 12V flourescent tubes give the best compromise between energy efficiency and good light distribution. The next alternative is to use Luxeon LED lighting rather than conventional Superbright LED's. Conventional superbright LED clusters are cheap now but the light output is very directional and 'cold' and you may need to fit several units to distribute the lighting in the rear. A couple of 8W tubes in a normal 12V camper light unit and will consume around 1.5A, Luxeons about 0.7A to 1A (depending on how many are fitted) and conventional LED clusters around 0.25A for a 36 LED matrix......all better than a conventional bulb in terms of current draw.

[ermie571]

Hi, i bought some of these http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/LED-STRIP-LIGHT-6 ... 286.c0.m14

I use them as a full strip, My mate Mark (vwcamperfan) has cut them into sets of three (easy to do this and designed to do so). I can read easily with just one set on....and one set gives enough ambient light in the van to see around and locate stuff. All told I have 4 sets in the van - one above the cooker unit, one above the rear window on each side for reading in bed, and one up in the high top.

I am really pleased with them

Em
x

[hixsy]

thanks guys, im gonna buy one of them strips to see how they go, if i like em ill kit it out with em !

[AngeloEvs]

Them luxeon strips look a bargain Ermie........

[hixsy]

guys them strips that emmy listed are brightest things i have seen ! you would need two of them strips max ! got some more on order now, definitely the best option for lightin ya van !!!

[CovKid]

Just to throw something into the mix, my local £1 shop is doing 20 LEDs on a string powered by 3xAA battery and one resistor for the circuit - £2.95!!

Difficult to shoot because lights ruin exposure.

Change the resistor to suit 12-13v and thats a fraction of the cost of patio lights. More than enough for interior lighting certainly. I bought 2 white sets and 2 blue sets - just under £12 and 80 lights in all....

Malmart Ltd Discount Stores. Tel: 024 7665 9918 - 74b, Walsgrave Rd, Coventry, West Midlands CV2 4EB (in case you can't get them anywhere else). You could I guess leave them on the 3xAA supply if you liked and use rechargables but changing the resistor would make them run on van supply without frying the LEDs.

Either way a bargain at under three quid.

[chickenkoop]

Hixsy, i put l.e.d becking lights from b&q £30 for 10, in my old van in july, they were good but what covkids got today are great for the price, i've bought 2 set, 1 blue,1 white, gona rig them up off the leisure battery,

[CovKid]

One way you could use them is to buy a length of small bore plastic pipe, cut along the length of it so you can open it up a little where needed (making it a 'C' profile if you viewed pipe from one end) and on the opposite side drill a row of holes the length of the pipe, not further apart than the LEDs are on the string, with each hole exactly the right size to take an LED as a snug fit. That way you can feed the lights along inside the tube. poking a light through each hole - then have a kind of strip light that can be fastened to the side/s of the vehicle up high using suitable pipe clips. Or if you can't be bothered, just string them along your curtain track.

I'm informed that a 1kohm resistor should be sufficient to work on 12.5v supplying 4.5v.

I have tried these lights in the dark and they're more than enough to light the van interior at night and see what you're doing without taxing your battery in any way and without the horrible glare of a flourescent, which lets face it, you only really need to use if you're looking for something. I'm 50 so for reading I'd need a stronger light and have a small stick-on LED spot for that, but for general 'cosy' lighting, these would seem great value at £3 and you can put them where you like.

Heres the pack with a 20p coin to help with scale.

[hixsy]

excellent idea! these things are so cheap now it'd stupid not to use them !

3 quid is a bargain tho, you could do a lot with them . . .

[CovKid]

Aye, we went a bit overboard and bought quite a few in case they ran out. You could light a T25 up like a Christmas tree

[nesty]

How would you change the resistor. Would you have to replace it in the battery box?

[ermie571]

Its great for those that know what they are doing with resistors - and Covkid - sounds a great idea for mounting.

But, as I am hopeless with things like that, a nice ally strip, with 6 lights bright enough to read by, easy + and - connections (I even managed to switch each one independently!) are not bad value!

Em
x

[CovKid]

Its more for the T25 owner who wants to wire in discreet or innovative lighting set ups. I'll happily give some explanations once I've sorted my exhaust this week.