LED conversion report

ffoil · August 18, 2015

Hi,

We recently updated all the interior lighting on our 2011 Shasta Revere 21TB with LED bulbs purchased from Amazon and I thought it might be useful to share my results. Our Revere has 5 double bulb lamps (3 overhead, 1 bathroom, 1 kitchen) and 8 single bulb lamps used as reading lights for a total of 18 bulbs. After reading many reviews of different bulbs on Amazon we went with GRV LED bulbs in two different sizes.

Slightly dimmer and cheaper bulb (for reading lamps) $2.48/bulb in a 10 pack

"GRV T10 921 194 24-3528 SMD LED Bulb lamp Super Bright Warm White AC/DC 12V -28V Pack of 10"

http://www.amazon.com/24-3528-Bulb-Super-Bright-White/dp/B00EDFM5QU/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1439864532&sr=8-3-fkmr0&keywords=grv+led+921+24-5432

Brighter bulb (for overhead, bathroom, and kitchen) $5.55/bulb in a 10 pack

"GRV T10 921 194 24-5050 SMD LED Bulb lamp Super Bright Warm White AC/DC 12V -28V Pack of 10"

http://www.amazon.com/GRV-24-5050-Super-Bright-White/dp/B00EDFM3B2/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1439864960&sr=8-3&keywords=grv+led+921+24-5050

Important notes:

1. We decided to purchase the "12V-28V" version of the bulbs which are marginally more expensive. Some reviews of the "12V" versions stated that they overheated when left on for long periods while the battery charger was running above 12V.

2. The larger bulb (24-5050) requires a full 2" of clearance from where it inserts into the socket. Check your individual light fixtures to make sure they will fit.

3. Some people replaced all bulbs with model 24-3528 but we opted for brighter bulbs in overhead applications and are happy with the results. I think the 24-3528 in overhead application would be too dim.

4. I used a sturdy set of pliers (from a multitool) in order to grip the base when installing the bulbs. They slotted in very easily with a little wiggle and did not require any dielectric grease. Don't attempt to insert while gripping the circuit board or you'll break the bulb.

RV_ · August 18, 2015

I second your opinion of the GRV T10 921 194 24-3528 bulbs. We found and bought them as well, two orders of ten.

We originally ordered flat sets of 10 LED mats with 48 LEDs on a double sided tape bed from eBay 10 for $15.99. They were very bright and did very well for our overhead main lights. But when I ordered 20 more, they took two months stringing me along with excuses and asking for the same information over and over. Then sent us junk lights that were dim yellow and all failed and went off and on all over. No more eBay for me. I then ordered the GRV T10 921 194 24-3528 bulbs mentioned and they were so awesome I immediately ordered ten more as my first order of the ten bright 48 LED lights plus 20 more gives me plenty of spares.

Folks these bulbs run cool with no flickering. Yes they are a pain to install. I used my thumbnail to push them in at the base. Wiggling hard got them all in fine. They are a very tight fit. I really like them in our 5th wheel.

TCW · August 18, 2015

I also purchased 20 of the 3528 bulbs. As mentioned you have to be very careful during installation as any movement of the circuit board may cause a malfunction. Two out of the 20 did not work out of the box. One never did work. Several will not work after every trip down the road but work with a slight adjustment of the circuit board. They produce significant interference on some cable TV channels. This does not seem to occur on the satellite channels. Most of our fixtures have two bulbs which can not be turned on one at a time, so the 3528s seem to be bright enough for us.

docj · August 18, 2015

1. We decided to purchase the "12V-28V" version of the bulbs which are marginally more expensive. Some reviews of the "12V" versions stated that they overheated when left on for long periods while the battery charger was running above 12V.

IMO you should not buy 12V-only LEDs for automotive or RV applications since the voltage will vary from ~12-14 V and that may exceed the capability of some LEDs. Those that require 12V-only are fine if they are powered by 120V through appropriate transformers but they may not be able to handle the voltage variations if wired directly into the DC circuit.

I like to buy my LEDs from SuperbrightLEDs.com because they provide lots of technical data about what they sell. One of the items always noted in their product listings is whether or not the item is suitable for automotive use.

Bill Joyce · August 18, 2015

I won't buy LEDs that do not specify a voltage range. Most that do list one show ranges of 8v to 32v or 10v to 24v, both are safe for RVs. Luckily many sellers do supply voltage ranges.

StarDreamers.us · August 18, 2015

Good information. Thanks for sharing.

Safe Travels!

RV_ · August 18, 2015

And these specify a voltage range and are ideal for RVs. Funny but despite knowing mine are 921 bulbs, and I have a bag of 30 good used ones now, I had a tail light go out and it was not a 921. Then when I asked the guy at Wal Mart (where I found the dead bulb when I unlocked the car remotely and saw only one light) to give me a light check and we found my back up light on that side was out too. So I went in and bought two bulbs for the price of $5.50. Got home and realized I just paid $2.75 each for bulbs I had plenty of spares for. And so it goes.

Bill Joyce · August 19, 2015

RV electric can show voltages from around 11 volts to 15 volts. 11 when the batteries get a big load like a microwave on inverter, 15 when it is below freezing and the temperature compensated charger is in taper mode.

Keelandb · August 22, 2015

I replaced all of the lights in my RV using LED lights from M4LED (M4Products.com) and have been very happy with the new bulbs. M4 bulbs are made for RVs so I guess that they do fine with the variable voltage from the coach battery.

RV_ · August 23, 2015

ffoil,

How long have you been using these as the first adhesive backed ones I got were great for a couple of months then started overheating? I did replace some already with the first lower brightness ones and am about to order the brighter ones you recommend.

kinseypw · August 25, 2015

Replaced all my lights with LEDs from Ebay. Two things to look for are the color temperature and the lumen output. Personally I dont like bright white or xenon white or just plain "white" LEDs. There are a range of colors available usually specified in terms of color temperature. 6000K is a blue white bulb that is often referred to as bright white or pure white - this is the one I dont like. Warm white usually means a bulb with a color temp between 3500 and 4500K. Personally I lilke the higher end of the range since the 3500K bulbs look yellow to me. 4000-4500K seem identical to regular 921 incandescent bulbs in terms of color. I wont buy a bulb unless the color temp is specified. Next is light output. I have found "921 replacement" bulbs with light outputs between 100 and 300 lumens. My personal guesstimate is that 921 incandescent bulbs put out about 200-250 lumens. 100 lumen bulbs seems to be about 1watt rating while 300 lumen are about 3watt in my experience. I have used flat panels with double sided tape and pancake style bulbs and found both worked well. The pancake style are a little trickier to put into the socketI wont buy an LED unless the lumen output or power consumption in watts is listed. I have typically paid less than $3 each for these bulbs through Paypal so if there is a problem Paypal is quick to refund my money. So far I havent had to use that recourse. there is more info a http://pjsnowbird.ca/index.php/tutorials/menu-options

skp51443 · August 25, 2015

Another factor to look at is the CRI Color Rendering Index, something above 90 is nice as the lights won't shift colors much from how they will appear in daylight. Some lights with otherwise good numbers are a bit off on the CRI, might not matter much for a reading light but for room lighting or worse a mirror they can look pretty bad.