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05-03-2015, 01:56 PM
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#1
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Moderator
1968 17' Caravel
Battle Ground
, Washington
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 12,255
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LEDs in my '68 Caravel!
After our amazing trip to Yosemite, I immediately came home and started planning another trip to Yosemite in the fall. Since the campgrounds in the valley are ‘dry camping’ – no electric or water, I started researching how long my battery would last. When the battery runs out, my lights and furnace stops working, and the Airstream becomes an aluminum tent! So I decided it was time to bite the bullet and invest in LED lighting for the trailer.
I had looked into this two years ago, but wasn’t ready to spend the cash. I contacted Dan at LED4RV.com because he was highly recommended here. People reported back that he helped them pick out the right bulbs, and if there were any problems he made it right. I only want to do this once, so that sounded good to me! We discussed it via email, and finally over the phone to work out the details on which bulbs would fit my vintage cone lamps, and a week later it was in my hands!
The list:
4 x 1156 Warm White 18 SMD LED Cluster Light SKU597 (B1156SMD18WW) - For the reading lamps over the dinette and the bathroom vanity lights.
3 x LED strip light kit for the Square 60 s Model SKU680 (TSLM_kit) - for the square ceiling fixtures
1 x Warm white spot with Aluminum base SKU1505 (B1156SpotWW3) - for the cone light over the couch
The square ceiling fixtures were the only tricky part – the kit consists of mixed color LED strips that are adhesive backed, so they need to be stuck into place. But that only took about 15 minutes per fixture. The rest of the bulbs all just plugged in exactly like the 12v bulbs had.
The finished product has just the right color of light to give it the same cozy feeling inside it has always had, and the quality of the light itself feels even brighter.
__________________
Stephanie
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05-03-2015, 05:10 PM
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#2
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Rivet Master
1966 17' Caravel
Currently Looking...
Las Cruces
, New Mexico
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 577
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The LED's look great and they are a good idea. Big battery users are not the lights so much as the furnace and water pump. You might consider getting a solar panel and controller to pump up the battery in the daytime when dry camping. Just a thought.
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1966 Airstream Caravel
2006 Toyota Tacoma
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05-04-2015, 10:34 AM
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#3
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Moderator
1968 17' Caravel
Battle Ground
, Washington
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 12,255
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Yup, haven't decided yet if we will go solar panel or little generator. I'm looking forward to seeing how long it lasts at Trout Lake. Also trying to determine how quickly it charges back up while being towed. We'll find that out on the way home from the long weekend.
__________________
Stephanie
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05-04-2015, 07:16 PM
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#4
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Rivet Master
1966 17' Caravel
Currently Looking...
Las Cruces
, New Mexico
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 577
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Good idea. It's pretty easy to rig a solar controller to your battery and use a panel on a length of cord that plugs in when you want it rather than mounting on the trailer. Advantage is being able to deploy in the sun when you are camped in the shade and no noise.
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1966 Airstream Caravel
2006 Toyota Tacoma
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05-05-2015, 01:04 PM
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#5
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in the rising sun toaster
1956 26' Cruiser/Overlander
Wimberley
, Texas
Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 52
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A way to save power for the 12v water pump is to install a air proessure tank instead; these wwere routinely common on 50s AS but bu now, most all those old systmes and theri metal tank would have been replaced. About 20 years ago, I replaced my metal tank under the curb side twin bed) with a 5' section of 12" diameter Schedule 80 PVC pipe, caps, saddle clamp to inlet, re-used original air-valve inlet, and the tank also fills via a water valve from (and to) the shore water pipe system. One "charge" of 40 to 50 psi lasts for more days than I've EVER needed but it's easy-peazy fast to re-charge/add more air at any time with any 12 volt compressor. I haven't even had any need/use for a 12 volt water pump in the last 20 years and always have pressure driven water while on the road or when dry camping.
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05-05-2015, 02:17 PM
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#6
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Moderator
1968 17' Caravel
Battle Ground
, Washington
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 12,255
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rsjmcg
I haven't even had any need/use for a 12 volt water pump in the last 20 years and always have pressure driven water while on the road or when dry camping.
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I have never heard of such a thing! I'll read up on it - thanks
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Stephanie
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05-05-2015, 02:33 PM
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#7
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4 Rivet Member
Currently Looking...
z
, North Carolina
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 262
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Indeed, A Very Nice Improvement
Stef,
That really looks nice. Your TT is very cozy looking. You have decorated it very nicely. With the LEd's, you are probably using 1/8th of the power that you were using with the old lights. Well worth the $. Dan is awesome to work with.
I too am debating solar vs generator. Both are expensive routes to follow. I have many shinies to save for either route we choose. Maybe next spring. Now it's time to get out there and see this great country.
Sea ya down the road,
Gavin
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03-05-2016, 04:41 AM
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#8
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Rivet Master
1967 17' Caravel
Oak Creek
, Colorado
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 1,560
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Stef,
I just came upon your thread.
You did just what I will be doing in a month or so. Or when spring comes.
Thanks so much for posting part numbers and a contact person.
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03-05-2016, 11:23 PM
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#9
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Moderator
1968 17' Caravel
Battle Ground
, Washington
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 12,255
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I was just out today doing spring cleaning and oiling/waxing the woodwork. The LEDs are all still working fine. I'm really happy with them. Good luck with your conversion.
__________________
Stephanie
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03-06-2016, 05:30 AM
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#10
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Rivet Master
1967 17' Caravel
Oak Creek
, Colorado
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 1,560
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Stefrobrts
I was just out today doing spring cleaning and oiling/waxing the woodwork. The LEDs are all still working fine. I'm really happy with them. Good luck with your conversion.
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I don't want to change the topic of your thread but what do you use on the woodwork? I've been looking for something that won't harm the old finish.
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03-07-2016, 09:24 PM
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#11
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3 Rivet Member
1965 17' Caravel
1965 17' Caravel
Memphis
, Tennessee
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 208
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Stef,
Thanks for posting the specific bulbs you used. I'll be doing this also, hopefully soon. Your Caravel is looking great!
Dingo,
You weren't asking me but I wanted to share what I used. Watco Danish Oil. If you read your original owners manual it was what Airstream recommended back in the day and it is still made today. It is great stuff that penetrates the wood and leaves a rich finish. If yours is original it is what would have been used originally.
__________________
1965 Airstream Caravel, 2003 Ford F150 SuperCrew, 2003 Miata Special Edition, 1993 Miata Black & Tan
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03-08-2016, 02:45 AM
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#12
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Rivet Master
1967 17' Caravel
Oak Creek
, Colorado
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 1,560
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Watco Danish Oil. Thank you!
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03-08-2016, 12:15 PM
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#13
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Moderator
1968 17' Caravel
Battle Ground
, Washington
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 12,255
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I just did spring cleaning, and that involved a round of wood care as well. I use the Howards Restore a Finish, followed up with the Feed-n-wax, which is beeswax and orange oil. Looks beautiful and smells great in there when it's done.
__________________
Stephanie
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03-08-2016, 02:29 PM
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#14
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Antiquepedaler
2010 25' FB Flying Cloud
Currently Looking...
Laramie
, Wyoming
Join Date: Sep 2002
Posts: 832
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The inside of our Bambi II is 100% LED. But I bought all the bulbs on EBay for less than $2 each. They're all Chinese, no matter who's selling them. All the sockets in my trailer take 1156 bulbs. I power them with dual 6 volt batteries. So far we've boondocked up to 5 days in summer without draining the batteries.
We also use only Watco Danish Oil on its woodwork.
All the interior lights on our 2010 FB are also LED. Those sockets are both 1156 and 2-pin high intensity.
In addition to the low electricity pull of LEDs we also enjoy the absence of the heat the original bulbs put out.
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Antique Pedaler
2021 Caravel 20 FB
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08-05-2018, 08:17 AM
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#15
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Rivet Master
1967 17' Caravel
Oak Creek
, Colorado
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 1,560
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Ordered half my bulbs today.
Thanks again for all the info @stefroberts & the courage to tackle this Caravel project.
You don't know how much I appreciate your thread. 😊😊😊😊😊😊😊
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08-12-2018, 09:06 AM
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#16
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Rivet Master
1967 17' Caravel
Oak Creek
, Colorado
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 1,560
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Started installing the LEDs in the cone lights.
The first one popped in jack rabbit.
The second & third would go in but not twist & lock in place.
After looking at the difference between the two it was apparent that the reflective cone inside the shade on the one that would NOT go in was not pushed in as far as the reflective cone on the good one.
After much struggle & an imprint in my hand that will be there awhile I was able to push it on a bit further. The bulb went right in and locked in place .
It was a matter of about a 1/16 of an inch or less.
I only had to take the nut off the switch and pull the guts of the light out a bit to work on it.
Hope this helps someone with the same issue.
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08-12-2018, 10:30 AM
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#17
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Rivet Master
1967 17' Caravel
Oak Creek
, Colorado
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 1,560
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The space that was too great is between the arrows.
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08-13-2018, 12:07 AM
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#18
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Moderator
1968 17' Caravel
Battle Ground
, Washington
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 12,255
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That's how it is with old trailers - always some little surprise! Glad you got it to cooperate!
__________________
Stephanie
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08-18-2018, 12:53 PM
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#19
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Rivet Master
1967 17' Caravel
Oak Creek
, Colorado
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 1,560
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Hi Stef,
could please you tell me if your cone spot lights have the double contacts in the socket?
I noticed the new leds bulbs are single contact but my light sockets have double contacts.
Same with the square ceiling lights.
I don't want to plug the trailer in and do harm.
Thank you!
Sherri
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08-19-2018, 05:01 PM
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#20
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Moderator
1968 17' Caravel
Battle Ground
, Washington
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 12,255
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Hi Sherri, I just went and looked at the cone lights over the dinette and the square ceiling light, and they are both single center contact. Odd that yours would be different! I dont know if it would hurt anything, most likely they just wouldnt work.
__________________
Stephanie
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