Replacement interior trailer lighting - LED
10-09-2014, 12:43 PM
#18
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I used LED light strips and ran them completely around interior. The light output is very good and no shadows. I have a battery in the trailer for the winch and tongue jack that powers them easily. It was a pretty simple DIY project and I can post more details if there is any interest.
Also my trailer is pretty ghetto with money going into the car (- but it does have 2 a/c units - the trailer that is). It has bare wood on the inside- whats the best "cheap 'n cheerful" way to cover the walls and ceiling? Paint? Paneling?
Last edited by Ritter v4.0; 10-09-2014 at 12:58 PM.
10-09-2014, 01:02 PM
#19
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Very nice. Details please.
Also my trailer is pretty ghetto with money going into the car (- but it does have 2 a/c units - the trailer that is). It has bare wood on the inside- whats the best "cheap 'n cheerful" way to cover the walls and ceiling? Paint? Paneling?
Also my trailer is pretty ghetto with money going into the car (- but it does have 2 a/c units - the trailer that is). It has bare wood on the inside- whats the best "cheap 'n cheerful" way to cover the walls and ceiling? Paint? Paneling?
10-09-2014, 01:31 PM
#20
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Very nice. Details please.
Also my trailer is pretty ghetto with money going into the car (- but it does have 2 a/c units - the trailer that is). It has bare wood on the inside- whats the best "cheap 'n cheerful" way to cover the walls and ceiling? Paint? Paneling?
Also my trailer is pretty ghetto with money going into the car (- but it does have 2 a/c units - the trailer that is). It has bare wood on the inside- whats the best "cheap 'n cheerful" way to cover the walls and ceiling? Paint? Paneling?
10-17-2014, 11:03 PM
#21
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As promised, here are more pics and info. The LED's are from Amazon and are the double density versions:
Just measure your trailer circumferentially and order the length you need. They are easily cut to shorter lengths. They make junction blocks and wires but I found those unreliable and just soldered the connections for the LED's. There is a "peel and stick" on the back of the LED but that is unreliable as well. Just use a little cement glue as you go and they will stick and stay stuck.
Wiring is 'tinker toys'. I have a deep cycle battery that powers the winch and a charger. It is hooked up to a power block and I placed a switch in the side of the cabinet (along with a USB charger and a power point).
The lights are bright and a side benefit is no shadows when I'm prepping things on the car inside the trailer. I though about adding another strip but haven't found the need for more light. They run fairly cool and since they run off the battery, will work any time and not just while plugged in to 110V. The original interior lights still work as well but I did wire them to the battery instead of the tow vehicle plug.
Just measure your trailer circumferentially and order the length you need. They are easily cut to shorter lengths. They make junction blocks and wires but I found those unreliable and just soldered the connections for the LED's. There is a "peel and stick" on the back of the LED but that is unreliable as well. Just use a little cement glue as you go and they will stick and stay stuck.
Wiring is 'tinker toys'. I have a deep cycle battery that powers the winch and a charger. It is hooked up to a power block and I placed a switch in the side of the cabinet (along with a USB charger and a power point).
The lights are bright and a side benefit is no shadows when I'm prepping things on the car inside the trailer. I though about adding another strip but haven't found the need for more light. They run fairly cool and since they run off the battery, will work any time and not just while plugged in to 110V. The original interior lights still work as well but I did wire them to the battery instead of the tow vehicle plug.
03-15-2015, 09:03 PM
#22
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I replaced most of my 4' fluorescent shop lighting w/ LED retro fit strips, they use the oe fitting but w/ the ballast removed. Light is fabulous, from either 5k or 6k color temp, you can get from ~ 1700 to ~2300 lumen 120° bulbs
led replacement bulbs
led replacement bulbs
I had a small problem with my replacement bulbs as it appears that manufacturers make them differently and the installation process varies. I removed the ballast, wired the hot to one end and the ground to the other end. It didn't work. I then realized that I needed non-shunted holder sockets (a/k/a tombstones). I tried them and again nothing!
Becoming frustrated I decided to look at the instructions that came with my bulbs. (Always a last resort!) I found that the pins for hot and ground were both on the same end and the pins on the other end of the tube were merely to hold it in place. Once I rewired it so that one of the tombstone got the hot lead and the other got the ground they worked perfectly.
I know its hard to tell from the picture but the light inside my trailer is so much brighter. I went with pure white and it looks real good.
This is what I bought from Amazon:
It cost me about $110 to change out four light bulbs. If I had read the instructions I could have had the job completed in under 30 minutes. Thanks for the idea Bill!
