Household style lighted light switch, but meant for 12v? - Fiberglass RV
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Old 02-22-2013, 11:54 PM   #1
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Household style lighted light switch, but meant for 12v?

Does this exist? I don't care in what manner it's lighted, as long as it's visible during the day. LED would be a bonus.

Why you ask? Because I'm weird. I actually want two of them.

One I'm putting in the closet next to the door, and wiring all 12v lights to it, so I can just hit one switch and turn them all on. I'm tired of turning on/off all ten lights (again, I'm weird, I like things bright).

The other one I want to put in a dual gang box, and have a 120v lighted one for the water heater, and a 12v lighted one for the water pump.

Yes, I can use normal lighted 12v switches for them, I know about them. I don't want to.
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Old 02-23-2013, 12:10 AM   #2
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hmmmm, are you asking if there is a switch that is illuminated when on? Can't answer as for your idea of illuminateing the whole trailer with a flick of a switch. But my Casitas hot water switch is illuminated when on. So I suppose there is a switch out there that would work for what your doing. Have you checked Camping world? Cause we had several lighted switches in our Class A so I can't imagine why they wouldn't work in a glass trailer!
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Old 02-23-2013, 12:22 AM   #3
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Originally Posted by Robin G View Post
hmmmm, are you asking if there is a switch that is illuminated when on? Can't answer as for your idea of illuminateing the whole trailer with a flick of a switch. But my Casitas hot water switch is illuminated when on. So I suppose there is a switch out there that would work for what your doing. Have you checked Camping world? Cause we had several lighted switches in our Class A so I can't imagine why they wouldn't work in a glass trailer!
The one for the camper lights would be lighted when off. The one for the water pump I want lighted when on, just to make things a little more complicated.

I've looked around, haven't found anything yet. I may have to get creative and buy a 120v one, and see if I can put a 12v led in it.
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Old 02-23-2013, 02:41 AM   #4
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Can you use a standard light switch for a 12 volt light?
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Old 02-23-2013, 03:56 AM   #5
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I don't want a standard switch. I wanted a lighted one that runs on 12v, but is the size of a standard house light switch, hence the trouble.

Something like this for the lights, but with a 12v light in the switch that's illuminated when off:



Something like this for the water pump that's illuminated on, but 12v:



Brownie points for one of these lighred with one being 12v, and one being 120v (now I'm really stretching it):

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Old 02-23-2013, 10:09 AM   #6
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Well I know you can get something lighted for the hot water heater switch! Check camping world!
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Old 02-23-2013, 10:44 AM   #7
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I don't know of any 12V lighted toggle switch that looks like a standard 120V wall switch - You might take a look at a Google image search for one you could use.
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Old 02-23-2013, 11:02 AM   #8
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You may have to build your own. Might I also point out that a 12v switch lighted when off will be putting a load on your battery while driving, storing, etc unless you have a kill switch installed.
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Old 02-23-2013, 12:04 PM   #9
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All Spectrum Electronics seems to have both a 12v and 110v illuminated switch (they look the same) and you could put together a switch plate. Not sure if the dimensions would fit a standard plate. Is this what you are looking for?
Waterproof Illuminated Rocker Switch, SPST, ON/NONE/OFF, IP66 Waterproof, 110v AC Neon, RED, .250" Tab (Q.C) 54-230W - All Spectrum Electronics
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Old 02-23-2013, 02:30 PM   #10
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Originally Posted by knighth001 View Post
You may have to build your own. Might I also point out that a 12v switch lighted when off will be putting a load on your battery while driving, storing, etc unless you have a kill switch installed.
I might build one. The power draw crossed my mind last night. You're right, although small, I think I would leave the one for the lights without a light.
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Old 02-23-2013, 02:31 PM   #11
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Originally Posted by Lora View Post
All Spectrum Electronics seems to have both a 12v and 110v illuminated switch (they look the same) and you could put together a switch plate. Not sure if the dimensions would fit a standard plate. Is this what you are looking for?
Waterproof Illuminated Rocker Switch, SPST, ON/NONE/OFF, IP66 Waterproof, 110v AC Neon, RED, .250" Tab (Q.C) 54-230W - All Spectrum Electronics
No, however, that might very well be the best solution at this point. Thanks for the link.
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Old 02-23-2013, 04:03 PM   #12
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I contacted somebody I've used before. He found an ordered a 120v light that might match his 12v led ones. He does custom engraved panels for them, also. Check out 12voltguy.com, neat stuff.
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Old 02-26-2013, 05:40 PM   #13
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with a factory lighted switch
I would guess if you want the switch lighted when off you would wire the switch back wards running the power in through the out put and the out put wired in through the input. with the switch in the off position the led woud still see power that way unless the led is switched through the ground. The only thing is when the switch was on the light would not go out and would still be fed power. You would probably have to run a ground to the switch case too.
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Old 02-26-2013, 06:40 PM   #14
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Jared,
I installed miniature LED lights in several lights to turn on when the lights are off so that at night you know where the lights are. In addition I also wired them into my water heater and tank heaters to let me know when they are activated. You can wire them to come on while the switch is off.
here is a link to that thread Planned modifications for my 19' - Page 6 - Escape Trailer Owners Community
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Old 03-05-2013, 09:42 AM   #15
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On my boat I use Blue Seas wiring panels for switching. They come with 12v or 110v AC LEDs. Regarding Jon Vs comment on LED power draw, I have the first switch wired in to control the panel lights. The 12v LEDs are cheap and could be installed anywhere you like. Blue Seas panels are nice but pricey. I like the labels which can be custom ordered.

On my camper, I am migrating over to a combination of DIN Rail components for grounding with Blue Seas panels for switching. My camper is all aluminum so I am using the framing for DC ground and trying to decide how to ground the AC at the moment. I could tie it to shore power ground but that will not protect me if the AC is running off my inverter. On my boat I tie all my grounds together to sea water. It seems like a big pain to drive a rid in the ground for AC ground. A length of chain laying on the ground would not be effective in most situations.

I will probably just use AC when connected to shore power, and then only for hot water, charging batteries, and then run everything off my 12 Volt systems.
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Old 03-05-2013, 01:56 PM   #16
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If you have a converter with a combined 120V panel & 12V section, there should be a ground to the frame from the converter. Most large inverters have a case ground that should be run to the trailer frame. Since it is attached to the round pin on the inverter outlet, this should offer protection if you run anything on the inverter.

Be very cautious if you intend to connect the inverter neutral to a ground. This can be done with some; for others it will "let the smoke out".
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Old 03-05-2013, 02:03 PM   #17
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Old 03-06-2013, 12:27 AM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jon Vermilye
If you have a converter with a combined 120V panel & 12V section, there should be a ground to the frame from the converter. Most large inverters have a case ground that should be run to the trailer frame. Since it is attached to the round pin on the inverter outlet, this should offer protection if you run anything on the inverter.

Be very cautious if you intend to connect the inverter neutral to a ground. This can be done with some; for others it will "let the smoke out".
If the frame and primary ground is not well grounded to earth, there is the possibility that a short to ground would energize the frame. Although I suppose a metal camper would be better grounded than a person standing next to it, that touched it--unless that person was standing in a damp spot in bare feet. I do know that people conduct electricity well and it is not fun when we carry household current.

My underlying concerns are 1) how good is the ground path through the tires? And more importantly 2) what if the tires are themselves on a poor conductor like dry soil? 3) How conductive is asphalt? Dry sand? Bare rock?

I spent a lot of time while in the military developing and building grounding systems for fixed electrical systems at remote sites. It was at times difficult. I remember one location where it was too rocky to dig deep and we laid horizontal metal bars in shallow trenches surrounded by Bentonite clay, and still the ground was poor.

Is obtaining a safe AC ground in an aluminum camper is problematic? I don't know enough to say.

Even though I have a good quality sine wave 1800 Watt inverter I wonder how safe it would be.

So while the extra capability of AC wiring is appealing, it also worrying. I'll admit I don't know enough about tire conductivity or the surface area needed for a good ground, or ground quality through tires on various surfaces.

Regarding connecting inverter neutral to ground, I don't understand what you mean. I find the term converter confusing because it is really two things: An inverter and a 13.8 volt power supply/charger. Bonding neutral to ground has to be done somewhere. It is typically done at the source...which would be 1) at your shore power camp ground panel, 2) at your generator, or 3) at your inverter.

I don't see how it would let the smoke out unless you connected both shore power and inverter at the same time causing a possible ground loop.
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