Right - my leisure battery split charge set up is all in and i have a new fuse board straight off the leisure battery to under the dashboard. I have wired the cd player directly into this rather than through the main fuse board. I also have a 300w inverter plumbed directly into the leisure battery so i can plug in a set of LEDs for the awning or run a radio/charge phones etc. Next job is to run a set of 12v lights to brighten up the van interior - any recommendations as to what lights to use?
have a look at the CAK Tanks catalogue....plenty of options....LEDs obviously use less juice/give off less heat....I used 4 revolving bar type fittings and replaced the GY bulbs with LEDs (which was a PITA as the prongs are smaller so needed tinning with solder) . These fittings are fitted directly above the sliding door and towards the rear....with a matching pair on the opposing side....the beauty of this is that each fitting can be swivelled thru c. 180 degrees, so light can be directed up into the roof when it's up, or down into the bus when closed....no shadowing....also, the one above the sliding door works as an entrance/courtesy light for the step and sheds light into the awning. Each fitting has a night light function....CAK catalogue here the ones I used are called midi swivel strip lamps.....ran all the cabling around the roof aperture behind the upstand, and through the vinyl into the back of the fitting so no cabling exposed....hassle but worth the effort Enjoy leafing thru the catalogue...'tis a cornucopia....they also do LED festoon bulbs to replace the stock front courtesy in the headliner....
As per @vanorak but also try a look at the catalogues for the on-line boat chandleries such as Midland Chandlers etc. The majority of boat/caravan kit is 12V & they are slowly catching on to LED fittings. Be aware they can be expensive as there is a "marine" scene tax so it's worth searching around if you see a particular type you like. Why not get 12V LED strip/rope lights for the awning & plug them in to your dedicated 12V accessory socket (or fit a good quality 12V socket with appropriate gauge wire & fuse by the slider). That will be more power efficient than running a 230VAC to 12VDC transformer through the inverter. Likewise the phone charger. Labcraft are a high quality & proven lighting brand who do good LED units. LED's can be susceptible to power surges/fluctuations you get from LA batteries so try & get the ones that are fitted with an internal voltage spike suppressor.
another option is to fit dual voltage 240/12....but I seem to remember the inbuilt transformers were buzzy....probably better now though
most led's are 12v i got some from maplin and just cut the transformer off http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/circular-led-spotlight-kit-4-pack-a53kx
It certainly is, thanks for the link. As I leafed through I came across gas alarms but discovered that we now need anaesthetic alarms as well because apparently robberies on the continent now take place by pumping anaesthetic gas into the vehicle as you sleep and then the naughty boys break in while you're unconscious.
@rickyrooo1 , correct me if I'm wrong, but you then wire the positive wire to the fuse and the negative to ground don't you ?
does that mean any light fitting that needs a transformer ( down to 12v) can be modded in this way. i saw some bathrooms lights and now can't remember where that i liked for my van....
Yeah, but as I said earlier LED's don't like voltage spikes & "MAY" fail. Best practice is to regulate the input. In actual fact, who really cares as we all go for the cheapest option anyway!
I have a set of b&q deck lights (10), one wire to door switch. 12v so wire straight in, dia is about same as a 10p and for bling a strip of stick on LEDs under front edge of units.
Just a note, but if you ever think you'll want to add a dimmer for the lights, run the -ve's back as well because LED's won't fade without +ve AND -ve through the dimmer control. I had to take my ceiling back out.
I used the 12v led strips, £2 off eBay. I set them so they're were not in your face and offered a good level light for very low power usage
haven't got round to doing this today - its wet and the traffic outside is a 'mare so can't be bothered. Nothing to do with hangover that was put upon me last night at the karate club Xmas party. I'll skip down to Maplins on the morrow
I looked i look at some led strips but only found surface mounted and didnt like the bolt on after look. But if id had a channel/lip to mount them in/behind id of used them.
Pretty sure these are well known. I fitted them just above the curtain strip. They give a distributed light (600 led's) so no individual bright bulbs at night and nothing to bang your head on; I never did remember where the striplight was. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/370924862...eName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649 Various colours and the number of led's in the 5m strip is 300 or 600 and you get big and small led sizes. The white is very bright, but good amount of light and take hardly any current. I went for the small yellow led's. I've a switch with a resistor for mooood lighting, the led will still light off 9 volts so you can have dimmer lights at night. You can cut the strip into (3, 6 ,9, 12,15, 18 etc led's) and solder onto them to make short strips.
Used these on the boat, one each side of the bathroom mirror vertically mounted. They are cut into the panel effectively fitting flush & can cope with the voltage range on the battery. Power draw is miniscule. They might be a solution for fitting into a channel or routed-out groove in a panel?
