heating, electric hook ups and LED lights (1 Viewer)

Jul 17, 2012
669
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Bury St Edmunds
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1 year on and loving it!
I've been wondering, having read a couple of threads about keeping warmth in the van, when it is standing - can you use one of those oil filled radiators when hooked up to EHU on a caravan site or will it blow the electrics? I've got to go down to Welwyn Garden City in a few days time, and wondered if I could take the heater with me, and save my gas. I'll be travelling very light, so no problem with weight.

I currently have little neon lights and spotlights in the MH and would like to swop to LED's to save the battery. Excuse my ignorance, but can you just screw LED bulbs into the spotlight fittings, or do the fittings have to be changed -I'm assuming that one has to change the fittings for the neon lights and use something completely different.

I have a neon light over my gas hob, and would dearly love to take it out and fit a recirculating extractor system with integral lights, might this be possible do you think? There are cupboards above the light.

If my questions seem a little pathetic, sorry, but being a total newbie to anything to do with Motorhomes, I really do need some practical advice (along with the micktaking that is sure to follow! ::bigsmile:)
 
Jul 29, 2011
2,684
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Urmston, Manchester
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June 2012
Not sure about the lights, somebody will know, there was a thread recently concerning the oil filled heaters and problems, you could do a search.

I got a couple of electric tube heaters, type you use in greenhouses etc, also a thermostat with a double socket plugged in feeding the heaters, set the temp you want and they work ok as long as you are on EHU.
 
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Philcott
Jul 17, 2012
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Bury St Edmunds
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1 year on and loving it!
It's the EHU on campsites that I worry about! I'm sure I read that it is very easy to trip the entire campsite if you overload the system.

I don't have the money to purchase a new tube heater at the moment - got a £300 bill to pay on Monday for service and cambelt change!

Hence my question - but thanks PaulyP - it was actually the heating posts that brought this to mind and made me ask the question! :Smile:

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Terry

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Dec 27, 2007
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Hi yes you can use the oil filled rad :thumb: and save on gas ::bigsmile: Led lights are as easy as changing a light bulb simply find out the size you require -say MR11 AND 12V look on ebay for some chinese ones (very cheap about £2 each inc p&p) get a couple of extra ones :thumb: but make 2 or 3 purchases because if you exceed about £16 they charge you import duty which ends up more than the bulbs :Doh:- got the tee shirt for that ::bigsmile:Chances are people will tell you get get from so and so UK etc but chances are the so called better bulbs were made in China anyway:winky: and quadrouple the price :Eeek:Yes you can fit a extracter ::bigsmile:
terry
 
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maz

Jan 26, 2011
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Depends on the wattage of the heater and the amperage of the hook-up. If it's 16A then you've got around 3.5 kW total before needing to worry about tripping. :Smile:
 
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hilldweller

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I currently have little neon lights and spotlights in the MH

I assume you mean florescent lights - tube lights. You would have to replace them but they aren't too bad in terms of current, so low on the priorities. If you good at DIY you could strip the guts and rebuild with LEDS, but hen you wouldn't be asking here.

Spotlights, remove the bulb make sure it says 12V and match it here:

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You'll get them cheaper on ebay, or you may prefer to buy locally for easier service.

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hdvrod

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Dec 27, 2011
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We have never used the heating in our MH,we dont camp wild so allways have access to hookup and use little portable fan heater,warms up the place in minutes.
 
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aba

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Oct 27, 2009
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there was a company at the lincoln show selling led replacement bulbs for the fluorescent type that didn't require a strip out of the fitting you just put the led tube in without any modifications.

cant remember who they were but they had sold out over the weekend
 
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Philcott
Jul 17, 2012
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Bury St Edmunds
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1 year on and loving it!
I assume you mean florescent lights - tube lights. You would have to replace them but they aren't too bad in terms of current, so low on the priorities. If you good at DIY you could strip the guts and rebuild with LEDS, but hen you wouldn't be asking here.

Spotlights, remove the bulb make sure it says 12V and match it here:

Link Removed

You'll get them cheaper on ebay, or you may prefer to buy locally for easier service.

Yes I mean florescent light - thanks for that Brian. Nope, I'm no good at DIY as you guessed - give me a sewing machine and a piece of fabric and I could probably manufacture just about anything, but electrics, mechanical and all things in between - hopeless!:thumb:

Thank you people, just the sort of information I was looking for!

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vwalan

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Sep 23, 2008
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best is use gas lights .
light.heat and keep midges away.
been using them for years .saves leccy much better than led lights.
two gas lights on and it can be lovely.
look on ebay usually some on there .or truma do new ones.
see them in some of the continental m,home catalogues as well,
 
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pappajohn

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there was a company at the lincoln show selling led replacement bulbs for the fluorescent type that didn't require a strip out of the fitting you just put the led tube in without any modifications.

cant remember who they were but they had sold out over the weekend
Fluorescent tube lights have an inverter in the fitting to provide 230v so 12v leds are out of the equation.

My RV has 9 x twin tube fluorescent lights and i simply cut the 12v feed wires and, using the original 12v feed wires, fitted these led strips.


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Jaws

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Yes I mean florescent light - thanks for that Brian. Nope, I'm no good at DIY as you guessed - give me a sewing machine and a piece of fabric and I could probably manufacture just about anything, but electrics, mechanical and all things in between - hopeless!:thumb:

Thank you people, just the sort of information I was looking for!

Phil, grab hold or some lengths of LED light strips from fleabay ( proly cost you less than £20 for the lot.. buy TWO strips per strip light..

If you do not fancy having a go at it your self, the first FUN meet you go to someone ( me if I am there but lots of folk will dive in ) take em with you and get em swapped out !

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Jaws

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LOL !!! Phil, just remembered !

You are only up the road from me.. Just shout me and come on over mate.. not a problem :thumb:
 
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hilldweller

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Fluorescent tube lights have an inverter in the fitting to provide 230v so 12v leds are out of the equation.

My RV has 9 x twin tube fluorescent lights and i simply cut the 12v feed wires and, using the original 12v feed wires, fitted these led strips.


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I reckon anyone who could work a sewing machine could manage that. Neat solution.

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Apr 18, 2009
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Not long enough!
I used one of Link Removed took the guts out of the light fitting and wound the strip leds back and forth in the holder and soldered the wires onto the switch:thumb: job done, just wish I'd taken some photo's now:Doh:

You just need to decide if ya want bright white or warm white:Cool:
 
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Spacerunner

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Apr 7, 2008
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I replaced a 20 watt halogen spot with a twin 8 watt fluorescent fitting over the kitchen worktop and saved a bit of juice.
In turn I replaced the twin tube fitting with a multiple LED fitting. Didn't make a lot of difference in leccy consumption but increased light levels by at least 3 times.

I have replaced every bulb with an LED including the awning and locker lights. The process was done simply by replacing the bulb in the original fitting.
I've used a small oil-filled radiator in the van for years (900watts) with no problems. It stopped working so I replaced it with 2 smaller rads to distribute the heat more evenly.
Also, to save even more gas when on EHU I bought a single electric induction hob (Lidl...£30) which works well. Suitable pans available from Tesco (£2.00-£5.00).
By using an extension lead it can be used as an electric BBQ outside. Especially appreciated if cooking a strongly flavoured item such as fish.
 
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Philcott
Jul 17, 2012
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Bury St Edmunds
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1 year on and loving it!
LOL !!! Phil, just remembered !

You are only up the road from me.. Just shout me and come on over mate.. not a problem :thumb:

thank you Jaws! Will take you up on that in the New Year - life is a bit hectic at the moment, what with son getting married next week, Christmas the week after and two new grandchildren courtesy of the new daughter-in-law - am up to my ears! AND my dog being spayed on Wed, and I so want to take my MH out and play! :winky:

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Philcott
Jul 17, 2012
669
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Bury St Edmunds
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1 year on and loving it!
I used one of Link Removed took the guts out of the light fitting and wound the strip leds back and forth in the holder and soldered the wires onto the switch:thumb: job done, just wish I'd taken some photo's now:Doh:

You just need to decide if ya want bright white or warm white:Cool:

Thanks Tim - I suspect it will be the warm white - easier on the eyes!
 
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Jul 26, 2010
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Bristol
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since May 2010
IMHO bright white lights are ideal if you'd like to recreate the ambience of a mortuary :ROFLMAO:. I tried them initially and rapidly swapped them for warm white.

I use an electric halogen heater when on EHU and have had no problems. I am careful though to unplug it when I put the kettle on so as not to overload the circuit.

I like the idea of a single induction hob to further reduce my gas usage :thumb:
 
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DM14742

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Fan heaters are good, instant heat but at 2 kw you have to be careful if you're boiling the kettle at the same time!!! also I find that they do dry my eyeballs out in the Van & I end up looking like Globetrotter from Kung Fu after a few hours.
For me it has to be an oil filled rad now, I think they are ideal as they are quiet & provide a good level of background heating which can be left on through the night. :thumb:
 
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Apr 29, 2012
312
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Holmfirth
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1990 Gulfstream RV
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30yrs
I think I may have mentioned it before, but after reading an article somewhere on the web where a guy had all his inside and outside lights changed to LEDs for £520, I decided to do it myself. I bought them all on ebay but from different suppliers. There were 21 outside lights, and 20 inside lights. I did see instant replacement bulbs for the 21w interior ones, but went for flat panel ones in three variations. This turned out to be a good idea, as my mate bought all the straight swop bulbs and was disappointed by the brightness in some locations. I just had to do a bit of wire connecting at the back of the light to take the multi LED panels. Where there was double light fitting, I put a 20 LED one in one half, and a 40 LED one in the other half. It all worked out good. The outside ones I swapped for a variety of different straight swop bulbs, also from china, and they are all excellent. The total cost......just over £36 for the lot. But there is a fair time factor of about a day and a half to do the swop over. Now the whole vehicle with all lights on at once, inside and out, which would never happen, uses less power than 3 of the previous 21w lights. The only down side I can come up with is that the lights from china take between two and three weeks to come. The only lights not converted were headlights and front fog spotlights.
 
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Mar 7, 2012
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Since 2012
:thumb:Not sure about heaters, but as far as LED replacements go, try ATEN - we bought a load of replacement bulbs from them at the NEC, and the difference is amazing. They're far brighter than the normal bulbs and take about 10% of the battery load.

If you go on their website, there doesn't seem to be a fitting they don't supply including flourescent replacements sold by the centimetre

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oldun

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Mar 23, 2008
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If it's 16A then you've got around 3.5 kW total before needing to worry about tripping. :Smile:

This could be a little misleading as the maximum load that can be taken from the sockets can be as low as 10 amp (2.3 kW). Please check the fuse rating for the sockets on the distributor box in the MH.

If the site electrics are set up properly then tripping your fuse on the box SHOULD NOT trip the site.

tripping a fuse in the house does not blow the main fuse!
 
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Jan 27, 2013
1,334
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Stamford
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Benimar Mileo 282
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Seven plus years
best is use gas lights .
light.heat and keep midges away.
been using them for years .saves leccy much better than led lights.
two gas lights on and it can be lovely.
look on ebay usually some on there .or truma do new ones.
see them in some of the continental m,home catalogues as well,

Gas light? You mean gas lights with mantles? Really? Like primus lamps? Can you show a picture or share a link?
 
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s7ev0

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May 31, 2010
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Just had a look at those Truma gas lights, and they looked really good. So I did a quick search for where to get them and discovered they were £123 each! :Eeek:

They might save you electricity, but it's a helluva lot to spend to prolong the life of your leisure battery by a smidgen, and if you're on hook up then it's academic.

Steve :Smile:

Not available yet, but I like the look of this gravity-powered light. It's aimed at villages in the developing world to replace dangerous paraffin lamps, but nothing to stop them being adapted for other uses too, I guess (and yes, I did donate).
 
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pappajohn

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Just had a look at those Truma gas lights, and they looked really good. So I did a quick search for where to get them and discovered they were £123 each! :Eeek:

They might save you electricity, but it's a helluva lot to spend to prolong the life of your leisure battery by a smidgen, and if you're on hook up then it's academic.

Steve :Smile:

Not available yet, but I like the look of this gravity-powered light. It's aimed at villages in the developing world to replace dangerous paraffin lamps, but nothing to stop them being adapted for other uses too, I guess (and yes, I did donate).
£23 for the lamp and £100 for the name....rip-off !
 
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