light fixtures

[Virgil Jones]

Possibly a silly question.  Can any light fixture be used on my 12 volt system without the inverter,  assuming the bulbs are 12volt compatable?

If not any suggestions besides Amazon for light fixtures?

 

[highdesertranger]

I would say that any mechanical type fixture would be yes. but any fixture with electronic controls would be no. highdesertranger

 

[blars]

12v bulbs won't fit in a 120v fixture and visa-versa, mainly for safety reasons. You can swap out the sockets. Any RV parts place, such as camping world (biggest with worst reputation) will have or can order them. Some under-counter lights you can get at home depot, etc run on 12v but may not last long when your battery is charging.

 

[B and C]

Back in the '70's, they made 12v incandescent bulb's that would fit in a 120v fixture, so yes it can be done.  See what HDR said.  Not much light for the battery power they consumed but the fixtures were sure pretty.  I don't know what the offerings are nowadays.  

Our rig has been converted to all LED's.  I made sure to get the LED's that were rated 10-30VDC after I first started the changeout with regular 12V LED's.  They got VERY hot and ended burning out when the batteries were charging.  I think the regular 12V LED's are meant to be run behind a transformer plugged into 110V.  YMMV  LED's come in basically two colors, yellow and blue.  The yellow ones (3500-4000 kelvin) are about the same yellow as incandescent bulbs.  The bluish ones are a higher kelvin and can be very harsh looking.  Both are listed as being white.  

Google is your friend if you are not going to a S&B store.

 

[highdesertranger]

I hate to disagree with you, but 12v Edison bulbs are widely available. just do a search. an Edison bulb refers to the screw in bulbs that we are all familiar with for 120v. highdesertranger

 

[speedhighway46]

A trick maybe you don't know about:

Five or six years ago, before LED bulbs were are popular and widespread as they are today, I had a couple of 110vac fixtures I wanted to use on my Peterbilt Motorhome conversion project. I intended to use these fixtures on my 12vdc system but I didn't want to have to convert the "sockets" to accommodate any of the typical 12vdc bulb bases.

After some research I found a pretty cool solution. Typical-looking fluorescent spiral-type screw-base bulbs which are 12vdc. Got them from Camping World (ugh) for about $7 each. So, just wire your fixture into your 12vdc system, screw in these bulbs, and turn 'em on! Lots of illumination, like a typical 120vac bulb of this type, but needing only 12vdc. I have used several of these bulbs for the past seven years and they are still going strong. There is no polarity here to worry about, so just run one wire to the red and one to the black of your 12vdc system; how easy is that.

They are not very well marked when you get them, so I suggest writing "12vdc" in red on them in big letters around the screw-base of the bulb. Once, I picked one up and screwed it into a fixture on the 120vac system, and it blew immediately! Ha, ha; dumb me . . .

These are probably now available on the Internet somewhere else so you can avoid the misery of dealing with Camping World. This is an easy solution for a 12vdc, plus you can use existing 120vac fixtures and table lamps.

Just my opinion . . .

 

[B and C]

I've seen the 110v Edison bulbs but didn't know they came in a 12v variety.  I said I didn't know what the current offerings were.  That being said, the 110v Edison bulbs didn't seem very bright but I do like their look.

 

[speedhighway46]

These are not Edison-type bulbs; they are the fluorescent spiral type. These give significantly more light than an Edison bulb. Good for reading and general illumination.

 

[highdesertranger]

the screw in base is called an Edison type base and they come on many different bulb types. highdesertranger

 

[B and C]

These are not Edison-type bulbs; they are the fluorescent spiral type. These give significantly more light than an Edison bulb. Good for reading and general illumination.

Sorry Speed, I was writing in response to HDR.  Did I take it the wrong way or sound harsh?  Just trying to relate my experiences.

I would though on a 110v fixture be sure to connect the black wire to 12v+ to make it easier down the road if you get a bulb that is polarity sensitive.  Simple swap and no troubleshooting.

Doh!  Gotta remember that sometimes people are writing a response while I am and start using the quote reply button instead of the regular reply button.

 

[speedhighway46]

I Hey, no prob! There are Edison bases and Edison bulbs; kinda confusing sometimes. Technically, "Edison type" bases are called ES" or "E27" bases.

 

[blars]

There are a variety of sizes of edison bases, at least three were in common use in the US for 110 to 130v bulbs, and a different size is used in Europe for 220 to 240v bulbs. I didn't realize that anyone was stupid enough to use the exact same base for a 12v bulb, but I guess it should not surprise me. I do know you can get adapters between the most common US and Europe sizes.

 

[DannyB1954]

We used to use 12 volt bulbs that would screw into a regular work light socket. If you screwed them into a 120 volt socket they got VERY bright, but not for very long. POP. Not really a safety issue. It was like putting a 1 amp fuse into a 100 amp circuit.