Group Buy of LEDs to replace incandescent bulbs

[DirtDawg]

Hi folks,

I posted the message below on both Casita forums this morning which might also be of interest here. Although the group buy link at bottom pertains to replacement bulb types used on Casita trailers, 1141 or 1156 bulbs are common to other travel trailers and RVs. Even if you don't own a Casita, you can participate in this Group Buy, subject to noted expiration date shown at bottom.

Jeff
===================

I was intrigued by Casita forum discussions on using LED replacements for standard type 1141 incandescent bulbs in our Casitas to achieve significant 12V power draw savings. A few different styles are available in the marketplace, with the tower type featuring same bayonet bases most common for quick no-hassle "plug 'n play" installation. The "warm" color equivalent to incandescent also seems preferred by many Casita owners (including myself). This category of LED is costly, so I decided to pursue a volume discount from a USA source known by forum members rather than from Asia or similar alternative.

The link below culminates communication with proprietor of LED Trailer Lights over a few weeks. My objectives were to obtain special pricing which creates sufficient incentive for owners to reach for their wallets during a limited time "window of opportunity" and also to avoid acting as a single point agent as is often done on internet discussion groups. I think both objectives are covered. I also note that the small T10 wedge type used in Casita galley range hoods is included with special pricing. Check out the link, but in brief, no minimum purchase and reduced price flat rate shipping per transaction. Just in time for Springtime boondocking, especially for those heading to Quartzsite! Don't delay though, 'cus this Group Buy pricing expires February 5th, 2011!

Group Buy link to LEDTrailerLights.com:

[Bill K]

Has anybody installed these bulbs yet and can say how close to the same brightness they are to the incandescent ?

[Jane P.]

Jeff-

Good timing as I was just getting ready to order something.

Did you actually use this particular bulb?

Will each bulb will fit receptacle for both 1141 & 1156 bulbs?

Thanks for your reply.

JMP

[DirtDawg]

Originally Posted by Bill K

Has anybody installed these bulbs yet and can say how close to the same brightness they are to the incandescent ?

Bill, several owners on the two Casita forums already have 1141 equivalent "warm color" LEDs in use and report them as similar in light emission and appearance as incandescent. Of particular note are recent threads on those forums which show quite impressive current draw comparisons between LED and incandescent. Surf over there and have a look...

Originally Posted by Jane P.

Jeff-

Good timing as I was just getting ready to order something.

Did you actually use this particular bulb?

Will each bulb will fit receptacle for both 1141 & 1156 bulbs?

Thanks for your reply.

JMP

Jane, I just now ordered a full complement (10 - 1141 LEDs) for my own Casita trailer at group buy pricing. As noted on their website; "LED replacement for 1156, 1141, or any white (clear) bulb using a single contact BA15s style base".

[Jane P.]

Originally Posted by DirtDawg

Bill, several owners on the two Casita forums already have 1141 equivalent "warm color" LEDs in use and report them as similar in light emission and appearance as incandescent. Of particular note are recent threads on those forums which show quite impressive current draw comparisons between LED and incandescent. Surf over there and have a look...


Jane, I just now ordered a full complement (10 - 1141 LEDs) for my own Casita trailer at group buy pricing. As noted on their website; "LED replacement for 1156, 1141, or any white (clear) bulb using a single contact BA15s style base".

Thanks Jeff,

Actually looked up the owner's manual to confirm my trailer uses 1141 LEDS.

Will definitely take advantage of this deal. Good work.

Thanks so much for your thoughtful efforts.

JMP

[Bill K]

Jeff,
Thanks for the reply, I have been putting buying off because I wanted to see for myself but have been unable to find any even going out west and back last fall.

I will be ordering 7 of them.

Thanks for going through the bother to set this up.

Bill K

Originally Posted by DirtDawg

Bill, several owners on the two Casita forums already have 1141 equivalent "warm color" LEDs in use and report them as similar in light emission and appearance as incandescent. Of particular note are recent threads on those forums which show quite impressive current draw comparisons between LED and incandescent. Surf over there and have a look...


Jane, I just now ordered a full complement (10 - 1141 LEDs) for my own Casita trailer at group buy pricing. As noted on their website; "LED replacement for 1156, 1141, or any white (clear) bulb using a single contact BA15s style base".

[Mike Magee]

Did you happen to find out what is the amp draw of these 1156 LED lamps? Just wondering how much of a power savings they give. I think regular 1156 bulbs draw 2.1 amps.

It's hard to find these in warm white. Thanks for locating them for us and negotiating a deal besides!

[Terry G]

Originally Posted by Mike Magee

Did you happen to find out what is the amp draw of these 1156 LED lamps? Just wondering how much of a power savings they give. I think regular 1156 bulbs draw 2.1 amps.

It's hard to find these in warm white. Thanks for locating them for us and negotiating a deal besides!

Mike, the 1156 bulbs are rated at 3.6 watts which would translate to about 1/3 of an amp at 12 volts. The wedge bulb is rated at 5 watts which would mean a draw of about .4 amp. In my Casita, I've measured the standard 1156 incandescents at about 1.2 amps. I've replaced all my bulbs with the Revolution bulb which is fairly similar and they draw only about .12 amps. Your mileage may vary but you're going to save a lot of battery power with the LED's.

[DirtDawg]

Originally Posted by Mike Magee

Did you happen to find out what is the amp draw of these 1156 LED lamps? Just wondering how much of a power savings they give. I think regular 1156 bulbs draw 2.1 amps.

It's hard to find these in warm white. Thanks for locating them for us and negotiating a deal besides!

You are quite welcome - the response to this Group Buy has been huge! I normally wouldn't link to data that I didn't collect, but Casita owner SteveH tested an 1141 replacement LED from this same source with impressive results: LED Lights - The Casita Club Forums

[Paul Braun]

Just a question on these light bulbs? Are they for outside use only? Are any of you planning to use them on interior sockets for reading, eating etc?

The name of the seller in RVtrailerlights, that seems to indicate these lights are designed for running, brake, turn signal uses. Don't some filament bulbs on the rear of a trailer have multiple filaments? One for brakes and another for turn signals. I thought automobile tail lights were like that, is it the same on trailers?

[DirtDawg]

Originally Posted by Paul Braun

Just a question on these light bulbs? Are they for outside use only? Are any of you planning to use them on interior sockets for reading, eating etc?

Per design and per seller's website, suitable for indoor or outdoor too (under appropriate lamp fixture cover). These are standard bulb replacements. I'll have 8 indoors and 2 outdoors for my trailer configuration installed in a few days.

[DirtDawg]

Just a comment to those who might be curious. Most of my forum posts here seem related to this post, thus I don't have much "cred".

So as clarification without response needed or intended, I mostly hang out on the two Casita forums, with http://www.casitaforum.com/ being my preference for technical topics such as this. I attended the Oregon Rally at Bullards last summer and perhaps met a few of you. In any case, my objective in this Group Buy was to get a good deal for myself through volume discounts and extend same to Casita owners. I included this forum in that, 'cus we're all connected in a plastic kind of way! Also to mention that I paid same price as everyone else without other compensation. Feel free to ping me directly with pertinent questions, otherwise I'll be on the sideline...

[Frederick L. Simson]

Originally Posted by Paul Braun

The name of the seller in RVtrailerlights, that seems to indicate these lights are designed for running, brake, turn signal uses. Don't some filament bulbs on the rear of a trailer have multiple filaments? One for brakes and another for turn signals. I thought automobile tail lights were like that, is it the same on trailers?

Yes, while 1156 bulbs are single filament, single contact base, 1157 bulbs are dual filament, dual contact base.

I have both styles inside and outside on my Fiber Stream:

• 1156 outside = Back-up lights, porch light
• 1156 inside = one way lamp (On-Off)
• 1157 outside = Brake/Turn/Tail lights
• 1157 inside = two way lamp (Hi-Low-Off)

I have 2 two way lamps (1157's) inside my trailer:

1. Bathroom, Bright=Normal, Dim=Nightlight
2. Kitchen, Bright=Normal, Dim=Nightlight

ALL of my inside light bulbs (plus the porch light) are LEDs

[LSChilders]

I've been looking for these. I ordered 10. Thanks

[Paul Braun]

I am wondering about the inside use of these bulbs, particularly where they are being used in a surface mount fixture. I would use the T-10 mini wedge bulb for example, in this case if I used this bulb only three of the LED's would be pointing down to illuminate the area directly under the bulb. Approximately 1/2 of the illumination will be going back into fixture. Now a reflector may help some but it seems like much of your light is going to be lost.

I think people will be disappointed in the low light output when using these bulbs in the interior of a trailer with a surface mount fixture.

Depending on the location of the fixture I would think you would want a reading light that uses a flat bulb. Now all the light is directed downward toward the user. So, for uses in areas over sinks, beds, tables and to improve brightness the flat bulb maybe a better choice.

Below are the bulbs for comparison. Note the round bulb is not the identical image of what is being offered, I used this image for ease of viewing.

[Ray N]

Paul,
I use two of the bulbs you show above with the flat disc and ten LEDs on them. They were $14.95 each from Superbrightleds.com They aren't quite as bright as the incandescent bulbs they replaced, but bright enough for us to use everywhere except over our dining table, where we like the extra light.

WLED-xHP10-DAC Specifications

For comparison, I use one of these square ones with nine LEDs. In use it's about like the ones above but isn't quite as simple because it has to rest on the lens and has a long cord that must be tucked around it, plus it cost $21.95. It's listed as having more lumens, but the difference seems negligible.

T10 PCB series LED Lamps Specifications

[Paul Braun]

Ray

I have the identical bulbs as you and from the same source. I have replaced eight inside bulbs with the flat WLED-xHP10 bulbs. Before installing I purchased three of the bulbs and tested with the incandescant bulbs that were original. I thought the light was very close in brightness and color after using LED's. Now, after a season of use we have found the bulbs give the trailer a very comfortable and well lit feeling. Of course the more lights on, the brighter the trailer is.

I had an older model of the flat square circut board model you describe. I used it as a porch light and believe it is marginal. Some of this could be age, LED's have improved in the past five years and I may just have older versions or it maybe the design. I also do not like the lack of stability in connecting it inside the fixture. You have to use something like a double stick tape.

I repeat again that I do not think outside bulbs being offered will work in many situations for inside use. The flat models generate much more light in a specific direction, and be purchased with different light angles and different colors such as cool white and warm white.

The superbrightled web site is a good source for the bulbs. They do cost more however but reasonable shipping and coming out of Missouri I found fast 1st class mail shipping.

[Rick G]

I think it is a good opportunity for people to reduce the power consumption in their trailers from these incandescent 12V lights in common use, the 1141 and 1156, which are virtually identical. Our Trillium has about 10 of those bulbs in the interior lighting as original equipment. Thanks for getting the reduced price.

Since I have an electronics background and am really cheap to boot, I went a slightly different way. I found the “G4” type, 25 LED warm white lights on eBay for $3 each, including shipping. Picture below. I thought I would try 5 of those to start, to see whether they looked good and would give enough light. Obviously, these do not have the 1141/1156 type base, which is called a BA15 or BA15s (for single). So, I ordered some of those empty bases, also off eBay, at 20 pieces for $9 including shipping. When they come in, I will solder either one or two of the lights into each socket.

I got the LED lights in the mail yesterday, and hooked one up to test. It gives a pleasing colour very similar to an incandescent bulb. Without measuring, it seemed to me to be about 2/3 to 3/4 as bright as the 1141 bulb I used to compare it with. It was very bright, giving me spots in my eyes if looked at directly. The light also spilled around all over, just like the 1141 bulb. Since the fixtures are designed with reflective backs to accommodate the old bulbs, I think it will work very well. In places where I want a lot of light, I will solder two of the lights into the same base, as they are a bit smaller than the 1141 glass enclosure.

The big advantage is power. When hooked up to my 12V bench power supply, the 1141 bulb used 1.35 amps of current, equalling 16 watts of power consumption. With ten of those in the trailer, that is a significant drain on the battery.

On the other hand, the LED light used .085 amps (or 85 milliamps) of current, equalling a power consumption of 1.02 watts. That means I could run 16 of the LED light bulbs for the same current draw as one of the traditional 1141 bulbs. That seems worth while to me, since I want to charge mostly on solar when boondocking.

The LED current consumption also varied with voltage, from a low of about 8 milliamps at about 8 volts to about 95 at 13.5 volts. The LED is rated higher for voltage but I did not go higher. So, at 13.2 volts, which is a fully charged battery, it is more or less equal in intensity to a standard 1141 bulb, at about 1/10 the power.

Even better: The variable voltage experiment led me to realize that you could use a standard dimmer with LED lights, as it gave a very smooth increase in brightness as I increased the voltage, at least once I got above the 8 volt threshold. I don’t anticipate that with the trailer, but new LED lights for the home are coming on line now and I use dimmers at home a fair bit.

Finally, the LED gives off almost no heat, which is good for summer camping, and is virtually shock proof and non-toxic when broken, unlike fluorescent light bulbs. So, it looks like this will be the way to go when I get started on renovations in the spring. I can’t wait for spring to get here!

Rick G

[Mike Magee]

I have ordered 3 of the lamps... unfortunately I'm in the "delayed delivery" group.

Rick, it's good to know that the heat buildup isn't an issue. If these run the same or cooler than the incandescents they replace, we don't have to worry about melting our plastic fixtures.

[DirtDawg]

Originally Posted by Mike Magee

...If these run the same or cooler than the incandescents they replace, we don't have to worry about melting our plastic fixtures.

Mike, some folks on the Casita forums that rarely camp without shore power are switching to LEDs simply to eliminate heat from incandescents causing distortion of their lamp covers.