Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

im looking for a simple solution to add some lighting inside the trailer. I had planed on using coleman lanterns, its what ive been using during some of the construction process. but i imagine it should be simple enough to run some lights off of a car battery. the search words "lights, car, and battery" produce many threads. does anyone car to share a simple lighting solution or thread that explains a lighting solution. ill be living out of my cargo trailer during my work week on the ski basin. and just need some lighting in the evening while i cook and drink.

We use 4 of these in our CT... lots of light

https://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinf ... 1544/3514/

Try candles , they will also keep you warm
It's the most simple solution

tlsallada wrote:I bought a three pack of these on eBay and they work great with very little current draw. I used one in the galley - one on the interior ceiling - and one as a reading light. Not bad, three LED lights for $25.00!!!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/3-x-RV-Ceiling- ... b7&vxp=mtr

I am using two of those exact same LED lights, coupled with three of the double light versions and one 8" LED round on the outside. LED is expensive in comparison to standard incandescent bulb, but from what I have read, they draw 1/10 power of the standard incandescent bulb. That was enough to warrant the cost for me for the LED lights, as I will only have one Optima Blue Top in my conversion.

MtnDon wrote:We use 4 of these in our CT... lots of light

https://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinf ... 1544/3514/

What do you have these lights wired up to? your solar set up? would it work to run wiring to a golf cart battery or car battery?

Sorry... we have a set of 2 golf cart batteries in series for an output of 12 volts. All DC power goes from that battery set through a fuse block to the various circuits. As well as those LED lights we run a 12 VDC refrigerator, a fantastic roof vent fan and have a USB power port. In addition I have two of those LED units fitted to two gooseneck flex arms for an additional two lights. These are portable with clamps on one end of the gooseneck.

MtdDon, are your flex lights the kind that plug into a lighter type socket or are they permanently wired? I have found socket types in my searches, but no hard wired ones yet.

Bob

My flex lights began life as a 120 VAC clamp on unit. Lowes had some on a clearance earlier this year. I removed the 120 socket and lamp and fitted one of the LED lights I linked to in each. For a connector / plug I used a 2 pole flat trailer connector.

Interesting. Thanks MtnDon,

I have 4 30" LED lights. one is above the counter on it's own circuit and the other three are on another. I also have 4 LED "fog lights" on the 4 corners of the trailer outside. The one above the side entry door is on it's own circuit and the rest are on another. I have these 4 circuits controlled by a remote I got off fleebay with 4 buttons. That way I can use the exterior lights from the cab of my truck to illuminate the area around the trailer when backing in at night and I can control the rest of the lights in the trailer without getting out of bed.

MtnDon wrote:Sorry... we have a set of 2 golf cart batteries in series for an output of 12 volts. All DC power goes from that battery set through a fuse block to the various circuits. As well as those LED lights we run a 12 VDC refrigerator, a fantastic roof vent fan and have a USB power port. In addition I have two of those LED units fitted to two gooseneck flex arms for an additional two lights. These are portable with clamps on one end of the gooseneck.

so i need two golf cart batteries, some wire, is the fuse block necessary, and a few of these lights or something similar? (I don't like the white light of led's i prefer a yellow or natural light color.)
i don't have a solar set up, what alternatives are there to charging a battery?
care to jot down my shopping list?

cheers

Just make sure you get "warm" leds. Cool white are bluish, warm ones I used are nice and yellowish, like incandescent normal old ones

so i need two golf cart batteries

2 golf cart batteries are technically better than a 12 volt marine/rv battery. Mainly because the lead plates are thicker and can withstand deep discharge cycles better. I recommend golf cart batteries over a marine/rv battery because of that.

If the amount of stored energy is not large, as in just LED lights to be powered, then a single 12 volt marine/rv battery could be a satisfactory choice. However, if two 12 volt batteries are used to increase the stored energy, it makes much more sense to go with golf cart batteries.

is the fuse block necessary

ALWAYS have a main fuse or breaker in the + line as close to the battery + terminal as possible. That is the safety device in case of a catastrophic failure of some sort... dead short in a wire... As for a fuse block to serve many circuits... that can be handy if there is ever a failure in some device. If only one fuse protects all the circuits in the event of a failure then everything goes off at once. That can make troubleshooting more difficult.

i don't have a solar set up, what alternatives are there to charging a battery?

Battery charger powered by 120 VAC home or campground power or a portable generator (Honda EU, etc.)

Something like a PD 4045 combines the AC and DC circuit protection and a multi stage battery charger. Iota engineering makes some good quality stand alone battery chargers.


LIght color is a matter or personal choice. I don't like the yellow light of a traditional incandescent for example.

HsPaap72 wrote:
so i need two golf cart batteries, some wire, is the fuse block necessary, and a few of these lights or something similar? (I don't like the white light of led's i prefer a yellow or natural light color.)
i don't have a solar set up, what alternatives are there to charging a battery?
care to jot down my shopping list?

cheers

A small sealed lead acid battery of 35ah will give you 17ah at 50% DoD for about $40 and it won't vent. You can charge inside. If you use 2 amp per hour for lighting it will last a weekend. It will recharge on with a wall wart charger. Add a small solar panel and you can run basic LED lighting indefinitely.

Try Batteries Plus.

small solar charger...
can you please quantify this?

Sorry I suck at math