Wiring 'journal' ### now with fire! Pg3

[RogHodge]

Greetings everyone,
I am about to embark on the electrical portion of my build and thought it would be appropriate to post a journal of the process. It might help others, and I can have a place to ask a load of questions. If this is not an appropriate move on my part I will gladly return to my other journal.

I'm going with LEDs to reduce overall battery consumption, and they are more sexy. I might even be able to run the whole thing from a handful of 'd' cells.

Going to use the basic 'Joanne' circuit.

Couple of questions to start- 'porch' lights. Switch in the cabin, or switched light? And... Why not just use a small courtesy light or even a license plate light? Or even an amber clearance light?

I guess it could be the same for overhead lights? I thought about some basic switched lights- one overhead, and one galley. I suppose these could be any small fixture, right? The galley might need more light though.

Interior dome could be fairly dim (insert occupant joke here) though I would like a reading light near my head, one each side. Any thoughts on sourcing this stuff?

But wait there's more, power, like cig lighter type. Seems I should have that, not sure why, but it 'should' be there maybe two at the galley? Most if what I anticipate needing is USB charge for phone and iPad.

I'm sure there will be more, if you care to see the build, you may follow my link below.

[H.A.]

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[M C Toyer]

I'm happy with these reading lights, one on each side - seems like I paid about $15 each last year.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AQKC7LO/ref=wms_ohs_product?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I have 12V LED puck lights under my upper cabinets and inside my lower cabinets. On the ceiling I have 12V LED recessed swiveling fixtures that I made from small 110V halogen fixtures by removing the junction box and shortening the can, then changing the sockets to MR16. The LED bulb was the same size and fit in the spring loaded holder.

I would definitely have an inside switch for the outdoor light(s) although I do not have an outdoor light yet; just a small Boy Scout lantern that runs out of fuel about midnight.

I also have some cigarette lighter type receptacles with a USB port included.

[GuitarPhotog]

My porch light has a switch near the head of the bed. The Cabin dome light switch is right next to it. The overhead spot for reading, the overhead spots in the galley, and the 30" LED strip lights in the cabin and galley all have switches on or adjacent to the fixture.

I have 3 levels of illumination, and consequently 3 levels of current dray. The dome light in the cabin is pretty dim, but draws only 50 mA. The reading spot in the cabin is bright enough to read comfortably but draws 300 mA, and the 30 LED strip light above the head of the bed makes the cabin like daylight, but it draws almost 3A.

So I use them according to where I'm camping. If I'm on battery power, with no recharge for more than 4 or 5 days, I'll use the dome light and one of the LED spots cabin or galley and never use the LED strip lights. If I'm on shore power, I use the LED strip lights for everything.

<Chas>

[kayakdlk]

Just remember almost any 12 V light can be converted to LED. I bought a 3 pack of lights off ebay
http://www.ebay.com/itm/RV-Teardrop-Trailer-12-Volt-Switched-Double-Dome-Light-3-PACK-/380380538794?pt=Motors_RV_Trailer_Camper_Parts_Accessories&hash=item58907267aa&vxp=mtr

which were cheap (old style which I liked) and had dual lamps and switches and then rewired them with 48 SMD LED panels off ebay
http://www.ebay.com/itm/2x-Panel-White-48-SMD-LED-Car-Interior-Dome-Reading-Light-Bulbs-Lamp-T10-BA9S-/261387234546?%20pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3cdbe4acf2&vxp=mtr

I used one as the inside cabin overhead light and two for my galley. Since they have two switches built in you can use them or do as I did and add external two way switches by the doors. I then wired it so if you leave the switches on the actual lights on and use the door switches both lights come on at once. I can turn one off it I want a dimmer over head. All four come on in the galley with the externals switch or I can turn any one off at the light. I decided on the two way door switches (either side turns the overhead light on or off) as I could reach it from bed easier than the over head cabin light and I alsos didn't have to reach inside to turn it on while standing outside the door. I also decided on a convenient place in the galley to add as switch for the galley lights instead of reaching up overhead for the switches.

With some searching your can usually get a 10 pack of the 48 SMD LED for less than 2 each. I put two in each light and have plenty of brightness. I skipped the adapter than it came with and soldered them in place but either will work. The results was much cheaper than what I found In search for LED RV lights.

These guys http://teardroptrailerparts.com/RV_Lights.html have some lights that you can convert to LED without much effort.

Also for reading lights I got a non LED Dual switch reading light something like the12 Volt Dual Swivel Light from the link above and went to http://www.superbrightleds.com/cat/led-vehicle-replacement-bulbs/ and bought replacement LED bubs.

You can also decide if you can convert porch light or just buy them as LEDs. I ended up buying amber LED porch lights as they were the same or cheaper price than me doing the effort and when they arrived they had the 48 LED SMD conversions inside them as I did for my overhead and galley lights.

I installed 12 volt cig type adapter in each corner inside the cabin and two in the galley. I planned to use the can adapters for phone, ipod etc. You can get them off ebay pretty cheap. I skipped on the USB as I didn't find any I liked and just decided to use an adapter if I needed to. I paired the 12 volt outlets with a AC outlet and made small boxes to house them in. This left my options open for how and where I would use them

You can check out my gallery for picture of my lights

Good luck with your lights and wiring
Dan

[RogHodge]

Thank you, that's helpful.
Any and all ideas and arrangements will be considered. Opinion is good, I may not take it but it's good to hear. I spend time in the 'foamie' section, we will share any crazy thing that springs to mind, so go for it!

[bdosborn]

I converted my porch lights to LED and then wired them so that I can turn them all on with a switch inside the cabin:



I also wired them so that the switch at each light turns them all on as well. Very handy when you're camping by yourself and things go bump in the night. Then I added a remote relay that I can turn them on and off with a wireless key fob but that might be just a little over the top.

For outdoor reading on a balmy night, I have a removable LED light bar that hangs off the corner trim.



Bruce

[S. Heisley]

Kayakldk is correct. Almost any 12 volt light can be converted to LED. However, if you haven't purchased your lights yet, you'll have all kinds of options and can start with devoted LED fixtures, if you're inclined to that. Also, it is best to put an inside switch on your outside light (or remote control). This is because, if someone knocks on your door or you hear a noise, you can turn on the outside lights and look out without unlocking the door....adds a measure of safety. I remember one tnttt member posting about hearing a noise at night and opening his door to look out, only to come nearly face-to-face with a bear!

A 12 volt outlet is a good idea. It's best to put one inside the cabin so that you can charge your phone where you can reach it without getting out of your locked cabin, should the need arise. I can just see you, sitting in your cabin, getting ready to post a picture and a message that you've typed, when your laptop or ipad tells you it has a low battery! If you have an outlet inside, you can simply plug it in and continue. If it's hot, you can plug in a 12V fan to cool you and the cabin. It's better to at least put the wires in the walls for that now, even if you don't do any more than that.

...Just my 2 cents.

[RogHodge]

Dan- followed your lead on the dome light, good price and nice service.
Sharon, good call on the interior switch- exactly the thing I need to hear, thank you.

So I bought lights- dome light, galley light, reading light, porch light, tail lights, along with hinge, vents, and butyl tape but they belong in another thread.

So, question... I plan to put a battery in a tongue box, and run back to the galley for distribution. So how does one go from box to under the trailer, a hole and blob of silicone? 10 gage should be plenty right? And to the lights, 16 should do the trick.

[Gunguy05]

Following along as I know this info when come in handy when we get to that point.

[citylights]

So, question... I plan to put a battery in a tongue box, and run back to the galley for distribution. So how does one go from box to under the trailer, a hole and blob of silicone? 10 gage should be plenty right? And to the lights, 16 should do the trick.

Battery location is a matter of tongue weight and trailer balance. My battery weighs 60# or so. I had planned for it on the tongue, but that made the tongue weight excessive. I moved it to the galley.

I used a wire size hole and blob of silicone adhesive for all wall and floor penetrations for the wire.

You might want to consider one of these for a fuse and power distribution box.

http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Sea-Systems-Blade-Block/dp/B001P6FTHC/ref=sr_1_2?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1391784278&sr=1-2&keywords=fuse+box

They make a smaller version too, but for $10 extra, I wanted the extra circuits for expansion. The box makes all the splicing, fusing, and power distribution so much easier.

Here is my rats nest before I built the cabinet around it. My tear is wired for 12v from battery and 110v from shore power and battery charging. All the 12v for road lights, turn, brake, stop lights etc, also run through this cabinet, but they are held as a separate system. Lower fuse box is tear 12v system. Upper splice strip is vehicle light system, no fuses for that here, be values they are fused in the vehicle.

It is probably overkill, but I have porch light, reading light, and dome light for both drivers and passengers side all individually switched. I also have the fantastic fan switched. That's is why the two four plex switches, one on each side of the cabin. I just used a standard 120v four plex switch from lowes for the 12v circuits. Nobody could give me a good reason to use 12v switches.



It's all finished behind that left cabinet door now...



And it works!

[S. Heisley]

Rog, when you get your battery, it may come with instructions, telling you what gauge to use. (Mine did and the mfgr wanted me to use a bigger gauge than I had planned on.... I was glad I checked!) So, check for manufacturer instructions first. If you know what battery you are going to purchase, call the manufacturer and ask them; or, better yet, look for written instructions from the manufacturer's website.

Even if people tell you it is overkill (and some may), go with what the manufacturer suggests.
When you don't work with electricity and batteries every day, peace of mind is worth a lot.

As far as where to put your battery, the closer it is to where you are going to use it, the less power you will lose from traveling the wire; and therefore, the more power you will have available for your use. How you are going to use power will often dictate how big a battery you need. Be sure to calculate that. If your usage is mainly for lights, you may not need much, especially if you are using LEDs. When I switched out my incandescent for LEDs, my AMP usage went down from 1 AMP an hour per light to just .16 AMP per hour per light....a big difference. (AMP usage per hour is often stated on the light's packaging.) If you decide to run your lines under your trailer, I would run them through tubing, such as aggie79 did. (Tom did a beautiful job.) See picture below, from Tom's album:

[RogHodge]

Well that was not the day I expected
But at least I am still getting tomatoes
I'll post a complete update tomorrow

[working on it]

Cant help with your lighting choice,There is so much available.

Anyway, a comment about the on-off switch,
You might consider one of the remote fob thingies what are common nowdays..

from another thread on light switches

Someone suggested just having them just inside the door to make it easier to turn off from the outside.

I concur with having easy-to-reach lighting switches for entering a dark trailer. I put an easily reached (from either door) single switch hanging free behind the overhead fan. It powers a set of overhead LEDs (12vdc, always live).Here's photos:

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[RogHodge]

*******First my new question*******

Having trouble sourcing heavy primary wire. I am running a very basic dc only system, if I turn on everything it might draw 5amps. (Just a guess) throw in a power outlet and charge a couple of phones and an iPad and I might get up to 7amps.
12 gage would be plenty, but in the spirit of overkill and what if I add more, blah blah blah. I thought I would go with 10gage. All the auto parts stores around here have mini coils of 10 gauge wire, but it's only 10 ft?!?
They have 14gage 20ft for about $7. Or 100ft $17, so here's the question

What if I take the roll, and create two - two strand (maybe three?) cables? So two pair of 14gage wires in parallel? Essentially doubling the capacity of the 14gage wire. The description would like to tout the 14 as having 17a capacity, seems a touch optimistic. But if I tripled it that should give me a 30amp capacity easily, right?

This is not an attempt to still the trouble pot. Though I have been known to be a rabble rouser at times