We’ve been kicking this same issue around. Look up the Nebo Larry C light, a compact LED flood that runs on three AAA cells and has a magnet in its pocket clip. One of those on the underside of a galley hatch would be all you’d need there. A couple inside the cabin would be more than enough.
That’s the “camping” approach. With Ni-MH batteries and a small inverter & charger in the car, we’d do fine on road trips.
But aside from what we need, what do we want? Built in lights are nice. Today’s LEDs give us so many options. A simple 12 volt system would be, well... simple. I’m an electrical worker, soon to retire and enjoy some road trips with my wife. I have a lot to learn about teardrops, but the electrical aspect is the simplest for me. Heck, a deep cycle RV/Marine battery and an inverter would let you even run a small microwave. But we don’t need that, and we’d rather save weight.
It all comes down to what really will make you happy. After 44 years of operating hydroelectric powerhouses, I’ll take simple and reliable over complex any day. But making the decision at the beginning is best. Adding wiring later will limit options for routing it. Your ttt questions are: 1. How will you be using it? 2. What do you need? 3. What do you really want? And oh yes, there’s that pesky “what can you afford?” Today we have so MANY options that we did not, a couple of decades back.
