Rear reading lights too bright?

[1jacobo]

Hi folks,
I'm wondering if anyone else has also found the rear (individually switched) reading lights to be too bright. If so, I am wondering about dimming ideas or other light limiting ideas you may have used.
Many thanks, Jack

[AWCHIEF]

I put in softer LED lights.

[UKDUDE]

There's a thread on this forum on adding filters to make the color softer:
http://www.airforums.com/forums/f240...ion-95117.html

[Wconley]

We just shine ours on the rear walls for indirect light.

[dkottum]

Originally Posted by Wconley

We just shine ours on the rear walls for indirect light.

That's how we do it as well, not nearly as bright.

[InterBlog]

I use the clip-on book lights by Mighty Bright. Sam's Club was recently selling them at two for twenty bucks.

[cazual6]

Originally Posted by Wconley

We just shine ours on the rear walls for indirect light.

i concur

[shadedsilver]

Michael,
Re: individually switched reading lights: Did you change the bulbs or get new units? If it was new bulbs, how did you get the bulb out?

[Moflash]

We replaced our halogen bulbs with led's you have a choice of 9 chip or 12.Warm white or bright white.The end of the fixture just unscrews then you pull out the old and in goes the new.2 mins to change.

[1jacobo]

Originally Posted by shadedsilver

Michael,
Re: individually switched reading lights: Did you change the bulbs or get new units? If it was new bulbs, how did you get the bulb out?

Looks like my 2016 bulbs are fixed in place in the spheres and not changeable. I may try a series resistor to dim, but since they are LEDs already, they may not be "dimmable" in this way.

[christopherb]

Sorry I am late to the party.

I also thought the OEM LED under cabinet lights were way too bright. So I bought two of these:

https://www.amazon.com/ITC-69923S-NI...+reading+light

I posted a review on Amazon which is at the top of the list ("Chris in Coupeville"). Attached to the review is a photo of the finished lighting in operation. I liked the results so much that I bought 2 more for use in the front of the trailer, mounted in the same under cabinet configuration. The only difference is that I left the existing lights for the times when I need more light. For this reason I may reinstall the original lights that I removed in the rear bedroom.

BTW, those ultra-bright pancake LED lights were not OEM on my 2005 Safari. They were added by the previous owner. In case any of you were wondering.

[Moflash]

Are you sure? Once the cover is unscrewed.Those spheres (disc)that the led chips adhere to should be removable.They just pull out,they have two straight prongs.You then just push the new one in as they are not polarity sensitive there are no worries.

[amirm]

Originally Posted by christopherb

Sorry I am late to the party.

I also thought the OEM LED under cabinet lights were way too bright. So I bought two of these:

https://www.amazon.com/ITC-69923S-NI...+reading+light

I posted a review on Amazon which is at the top of the list ("Chris in Coupeville"). Attached to the review is a photo of the finished lighting in operation. I liked the results so much that I bought 2 more for use in the front of the trailer, mounted in the same under cabinet configuration. The only difference is that I left the existing lights for the times when I need more light. For this reason I may reinstall the original lights that I removed in the rear bedroom.

Ah, we used to have a vacation house in Coupeville!

How do you adjust the brightness on these? I can't tell from the picture or description. Might look into replacing mine with these so thanks for the link.

[christopherb]

Originally Posted by amirm

Ah, we used to have a vacation house in Coupeville!

How do you adjust the brightness on these? I can't tell from the picture or description. Might look into replacing mine with these so thanks for the link.

No brightness adjustment. They just seem to be about the right intensity for reading. Push the lens in to the body to turn it on - push again to turn it off. In a pinch you can just aim them at the wall. The stems are adjustable and hold about whatever position to put them in.

[InterBlog]

Not to hijack the thread, but that Amazon product looks very promising - I hadn't seen anything like that before, so I thought I'd mention one of my long-sought items just in case anyone has bought something like this, or seen it.

Our galley has only an old fluorescent fixture over the sink, and nothing at all over the stove. We replaced the fluorescent bulbs with LED chips, and while it helped reduce battery demand, it did nothing for the quality of light, which is not great.

I've wanted to replace this with an adjustable twin-head LED 12-volt fixture so that I can aim one head at the sink and the other head at the stove, to finally achieve effective task lighting. I might be able to adapt two of those reading lights, but there's only one set of wires, and reading lights might not be bright enough for galley work.

It has probably been a year since I did an intensive internet search for such a device, and I turned up absolutely nothing. If anyone has any product suggestions, please post.

[gregwall]

I have ordered dimmer switches to help this problem. I know nothing about wiring or dimmers, but am learning. I will let you know how it goes.

[Pahaska]

Amazing how many posts in this thread have nothing to do with the Interstate lighting problem posted by the OP.

One of my reading light fixtures failed in my 2014.5. I found an identical-looking light fixture on EBay with warm white LEDs rather than bright white. The switch is slightly different, but the overall appearance of the fixture is the same. I have the bright, original fixture on my wife's side since she reads in bed and needs more light. I have the warm white fixture on my side which I seldom use.

Appearance wise, it takes a close look to notice that the switches on the two fixtures are not identical.

[Tronadora]

This should be relevant. Somewhere there's a thread that showed someone installing studio light colored gel sheet material into the overhead lights... which I have now done and it's great ! Now my wife will allow the overhead lights to be on, a major improvement in lifestyle !!

Next task is to figure out how to detach the lens on those two bedroom reading lights and install it there, maybe two layers.

I decided on this color and density:

https://www.amazon.com/ROSCO-SHEET-C...EET+Gel-Sheets


I should note that the same lights that illuminate the galley counter we kept the original bright white. This is task lighting and wifey wanted it to stay that way. This jibes with many residential kitchen lighting schemes. Also, the gel sheets will dim the light output, which we did not want to happen over the galley area.

If you repeat this procedure here is a tip for the ceiling lights: Only remove the lens holder, the inner ring, not the whole fixture. Bend up the tabs to remove one lens disc and use to trace out ten circles on the gel mylar. Trim with knife or scissors inside the line you drew. When you insert the pieces above the lens of each overhead light, further trim two flat spots at the 9and 3 o clock position to allow slipping the gel under the lens keeper tabs. No need to remove the glass lens from its holder on every light.

[Air99]

Originally Posted by Tronadora

This should be relevant. Somewhere there's a thread that showed someone installing studio light colored gel sheet material into the overhead lights... which I have now done and it's great ! Now my wife will allow the overhead lights to be on, a major improvement in lifestyle !!

Next task is to figure out how to detach the lens on those two bedroom reading lights and install it there, maybe two layers.

I decided on this color and density:

https://www.amazon.com/ROSCO-SHEET-C...EET+Gel-Sheets


I should note that the same lights that illuminate the galley counter we kept the original bright white. This is task lighting and wifey wanted it to stay that way. This jibes with many residential kitchen lighting schemes. Also, the gel sheets will dim the light output, which we did not want to happen over the galley area.

If you repeat this procedure here is a tip for the ceiling lights: Only remove the lens holder, the inner ring, not the whole fixture. Bend up the tabs to remove one lens disc and use to trace out ten circles on the gel mylar. Trim with knife or scissors inside the line you drew. When you insert the pieces above the lens of each overhead light, further trim two flat spots at the 9and 3 o clock position to allow slipping the gel under the lens keeper tabs. No need to remove the glass lens from its holder on every light.

Tronadora: Great idea, the “hospital” white lights, as wife called them, we rarely used. If you can sketch a disassembly method of the lens it would be very helpful, I’m afraid of breaking something if there’s no screws seen. Thanks!

[Alex AVI]

Originally Posted by Air99

Tronadora: Great idea, the “hospital” white lights, as wife called them, we rarely used. If you can sketch a disassembly method of the lens it would be very helpful, I’m afraid of breaking something if there’s no screws seen. Thanks!

+1 - Excellent tip