Swapping 12v bulbs for LEDS in Duetto

Considering replacing all 12v bulbs (not the fluorescent strips) in my Duetto for replacement LED bulbs as i'm told they consume less juice than the standard 12v bulbs. Has anyone done this and if so how much were the bulbs and where did you buy from?

The standard 12v are small 2 pin push in type bulbs....no idea what the wattage is as there is nothing written on the bulbs or what model/type number they go under.

I too am interested in this.

Ive now resolved my 12v lead/socket for my TV- but how long can i expect the battery to last (I know like a piece of string)

Badge

Hi, I have just joined the forum. I have a '95 duetto and ordered some cheap led's on Ebay. The fitting required is called a G4 side pin (yours may be different?) They come in a variety of lighting outputs and that affects the cost, my cheap ones were about £2 each and they didn't fit properly, the pins being thin wire strands as opposed to proper stiffer pins. I have since ordered from the internet ones which look the real thing and cost £7.50 each, i only ordered 4 and if they are OK then i'll get more next month to spread the cost. Problem.......there seems to be a shortage of stock in a lot of sites as they are getting more popular. general lifespan seems to be 30,000+ hours. I will update when I get them and fit. i hope this is of some help. Regards, Rodger

Straight swap (like for like fittings) no problems and you will use less power.

My first ones were bought off ebay at a lowish price £2 to £3 and didnt last that long before the odd diode started going with the bulb unit itself. Learnt my lesson and went to one of the well known 12v eqt suppliers who are local to me and touch wood these have been ok. We have used them for about 3 years now. Also converted the outside
awning light with an adaptor

Decide what kind of light you want before buying, ie warm white, or a brighter white

Try campercare products Or Aten lighting for bulbs, they are both on the internet, campercare do 12 volt and 240 volt, but I think Aten only do 12 volt but Aten wil do specials longer prongs etc if that is what you need.

Outside compartments are also a great candidate for LED lights. These can be powered through a pin switch so that when you open the compartment door, the light turns on, and then off when you close the door. The color of the LED light is not so important as is the placement of the light.

Hi all,

Lots of good info on this subject on [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] but you need to search for the threads as it is a big site.

The two things that seem to be to the fore are, yes it's a good idea but check the quality of what you buy, the only downside appears to be the coldness of the light. Many people comment on this, but the answer seems to be to make sure you buy the 'warm' version of the lights.

Davy

The upside to LED lighting is obviously the low power consumption but I think to benefit you would need to use every single light in the van every night for years on end before the cost is recouped! By which time most of us would have replaced the leisure battery or in some cases sold the van!

At the moment I feel the unit price far outweighs the benefits to make it worthwhile.

I remember when low energy domestic use bulbs first came on the market, the price was ridiculously high. Now they can't even give the dam* things away!

LED 12v lighting is nothing 'new' and the bulb prices being charged are IMO excessive.

Hi

I agree with Bulletguy, How often do you have all your lights on in the Van. I have had my present van for 3yrs, and I think I have only had more than two lights on at the same time on 3/4 occaisions, and even then, it has been max of 4 lights. Most of the lights I have never used at all.

I have ordered two of the cheap ones (£2ea) from Hong Kong,and will put them in the holders, above where we read in bed, I am still a bit doubtful of the harshness of the light given out. So if I (or perhaps I should say we )don't like them I can ditch them.


Andy

I've just last week replaced all 4 downlights/reading lights for 24 WARM WHITE LEDs, they only pull .9W each & although not as brutally 'bright' as the halogens, they are very nice to read by, & in actual fact, having all 4 on gives a nice defused total cabin-area of light, & all 4 pull much less than 1 halogen!!

I agree with the reservations about power savings - especially since I almost always have EHU so battery life is not an issue. For me (and her) the biggest advantage is that whilst groping for the light switch on a reading light in a reading-induced near comotose state, I never burn my fingers any more. I don't miss those halogen bulbs at all!

Tony

Hi modelman
I would like to change the downlighter halogens for led,s in my Exec which I assume are the same as a Talisman.
Can you tell me the led number, price, supplier, etc.
Thanks John

rockair8 wrote:Hi modelman
I would like to change the downlighter halogens for led,s in my Exec which I assume are the same as a Talisman.
Can you tell me the led number, price, supplier, etc.
Thanks John

If you punch this into e-bay, they should come up!

Warm White G4 24 SMD LED RV Camper Marine Lamp Cabinet Spot Light Car Bulb 12V

regards

Or, try cutting and pasting this into your browser:

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Tony

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] are also shatter proof and free from Mercury, making them much safer for home and the environment.

LED bulbs to swap with halogen can also be found in screw fix national trade outlet but anyone can buy on line or pop in, definitely the way to go both for energy safing and safety no heat build up at all, even if you only buy the main lamps you use regularly initially then as and when spare cash available. Cheers

Hi there,

Just a point about "power savings".

It's not how much power your lights USE it's how much power your lights SAVE for other use.

In our case, we tend to use most of our 12v amperage on the TV. By not using the available Amp Hours to power the lights we can be reassured that we have enough Amp Hours in our 60Ah battery to last us for at least three evenings of watching TV.

The alternative is that we sacrifice room and weight in "Petal" by installing a second 60Ah battery (or a single much bigger 110Ah battery) and the cost of this modification would far outweigh what we paid for our LEDs.

Best regards,

This thread would really have been better off coupled to the one I made last month; [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Most will have found (apart from Dutto who has some pricey ones ), the G4 LED's won't fit without modifying bulb and reflector cap. After spending ages modifying just one reflector, I gave up on the idea and will renew my search when back off my travels.