Replacing ceiling fluorescent lights with LED

[basssears]

Steve C, where did you buy your Thin-Lite fixtures? Looking online is a letter underwhelming, was looking for the 612P and 616P can only find one vendor who has them (camperid.com) and they can tell me what temperature the ones they have are (Thin-Lite makes 3k, 4k and 5k, although they indicate 3k is special order so it's probably not those).


-- Bass

[DesertSMB]

I gutted the fluorescent light components out of mine and added a second switch and used self sticking LED strips from Amazon. On one of the switches I put white LEDs. On the other I put red LEDs. It's nice if one is out looking at the stars at night but want to be able to see inside the van without ruining night vision.

[moorefc]

So many options...I bought these 5 yrs ago, and there is a newer dimmable version linked within this listing..
https://www.amazon.com/Kohree-Ceilin...01L8CW8Q2?th=1


They are 3 way and work very well, tho not quite as long as the original fluorescence's, so added 4 stainless screws in the old holes...Much brighter and the color temperature on the ones I received are neutral, probably 4000K. $21 for two...

[Steve C]

Originally Posted by basssears

Steve C, where did you buy your Thin-Lite fixtures? Looking online is a letter underwhelming, was looking for the 612P and 616P can only find one vendor who has them (camperid.com) and they can tell me what temperature the ones they have are (Thin-Lite makes 3k, 4k and 5k, although they indicate 3k is special order so it's probably not those).


-- Bass

I purchased mine last year from here https://bereeloutdoors.com and unfortunately they are currently unable to get more. My search also only found them currently in stock @ camperid.com with shipping/tax $130... ouch!!! Mine was $102 total with free shipping and no tax.

[TechTonics]

Thanks for all of the great replies!

Lots of options.

[Orv]

I had a mix of incandescent and Thin-Lites in my van. I replaced the bulbs in the incandescent fixtures with drop-in LED replacements. The fixtures had three bulbs, wired two to one switch and on to another, for a simple high/low setup; I put one bright white LED bulb and two dimmer red ones in each. The red light is especially nice when I want to get up in the middle of the night and use a campground restroom. The light is soft enough to not wake my wife and it doesn't kill my night vision. (Some of the best stargazing I've ever had was when I got up in the middle of the night to go to the can.)

I haven't done anything with the Thin-Lites yet. They still work well some 30 years after they were installed, but they're such battery hogs compared to the LED lights. Gutting them and putting in LED strips is a great idea; it'd be a good use for the LED strip material I have left from my cove light project.

[Andrew Coates]

Leisure is my favorite top motorhome LED lights. They are corrosion and heat resistant, making the RV always ready for your trips to harsher climates.

[TritonTamer]

Originally Posted by DesertSMB

I gutted the fluorescent light components out of mine and added a second switch and used self sticking LED strips from Amazon. On one of the switches I put white LEDs. On the other I put red LEDs. It's nice if one is out looking at the stars at night but want to be able to see inside the van without ruining night vision.

Mind linking to the lights you used?

[86Scotty]

Originally Posted by Andrew Coates

Leisure is my favorite top motorhome LED lights. They are corrosion and heat resistant, making the RV always ready for your trips to harsher climates.

I just read about those in your link. Nice.

Link below is yet another option that I used in my first van build. Has a red and white LED option so you can turn on some dim bug free light at night if needed. It's a more expensive version of what DesertSMB did but ready made. We loved this light for the kids while traveling at night. I might have to order another for my new-to-me van.

https://www.amazon.com/Aqua-Signal-M...04678312&psc=1

[DesertSMB]

Originally Posted by TritonTamer

Mind linking to the lights you used?

I bought the white light strips several years ago and don't have the link for the exact ones I used but these are typical of what I did use: https://www.amazon.com/Flexible-Kitc...%2C275&sr=8-11

Here is a link for the red ones I used: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It does involve some fine soldering to install them.