RE: High efficiency 4.5W flat LED light modules
One question on your panels - is the light produced even? I've found some SMD LEDs use a coating to produce their warmer color temperature & some of the output slips by the edge of the coating. The result is bands of warm/cool light. Not terribly obvious, but annoying if your are reading, doing fine work, etc. I solved the problem with a piece of theatrical frost inside the lighting fixture, but I have noticed some LEDs are better than others...
I have no idea. I'll update the thread when I get a few installed.
RE: High efficiency 4.5W flat LED light modules
Hi,
These LEDs are a bit more blue in color, and only $1.66 each when you buy 25 at a time for $42 including shipping! It comes with 3 adapters, then you plug into that adapter the small LED panel. These are only 24 LED's per panel, and I put two into several of my single bulb fixtures. The LED size is 5050, or 5 mm X 5mm, and offer a good amount of light. The 4 panels in my bathroom fixture only draw about 0.5 amps while offering plenty of light.
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/led-auto-lamp-free-shipping-wholesale-25pcs-lot-Panel-5050-SMD-module-24-LED-Interior-Light/520254387.html
It will take about 3 weeks from placing the order to getting them.
The LED panels that I bought a few weeks ago are not warm when you touch them. So basically a few degrees above ambient.
Fred.
With all due respect, what is your point ? And why is this in my thread ?
First off, the seller of your panels doesn't provide any specifications. That is a real red flag to me. How much light do they really put out ? $20 says they are using 2nd or 3rd bin LEDs that didn't meet spec.
Lets say your panels are similar efficiency to the one that I put in my post. Given that my panel puts out over 100 lumens per watt, that is doubtful, but lets say they are.
It takes 4 of your panels to draw 0.5 amps. Therefore, 3 panels will draw 0.375A, the same current as the panel I made this thread about. It will thus take 3 of your panels to get the same output as one of my panels. 3 panels x $1.66 each = $5.
The panel I am proposing costs $4.50 and will be a heck of a lot easier to mount in a standard RV fixture, especially the 4 pot lights that my trailer has.
So why are you touting your panels in this thread ? I put this thread up because I was happy to find a single panel with high output (480 lumens) and high efficiency (over 100 lumens per watt) at a reasonable price.
There are many threads about using multiple low output panels in an RV fixture. This thread is about a different approach, thus the name of the thread, "High efficiency 4.5W flat LED light modules".
Here are the specifications of these modules.
Base: G4
Emitter Type: 30 SMD 5050 LED
Power Supply: DC 12V/4.5W
Luminous flux: 480LM-540LM
Color Temperature: 2700-3500K
Light color: Warm White
View of Angle: 120 degree
Life Time: >60,000 hours
Size:43 X 43 X 20MM
RE: High efficiency 4.5W flat LED light modules
Be sure to update us after you get them and install them. Looks interesting. I got 36 LED panels from eBay, warm white, with the socket I needed.... very delighted.FYI, you can't go by the number of LEDs on a panel as an indicator of the light output.
Some 36 LED panels are putting out about 140 lumens. Others even less.
How much light they put out depends on the size of the LED and how much current the manufacturer is putting though each LED.
How much current goes through each LED is a function of whether the panel has a regular, whether it has a diode or diode bridge to allow running from AC sources and how large the voltage dropping resistor is.
These panels have no diodes and no regulator. The current is controlled by the voltage dropping resistor alone. You have to watch with that sort of setup because there is no protection if they get connected to a voltage source that is too high. But most LED panels are set up that way.
One thing working in favor of these panels is that the light output from each LED is low. 480 lumens/30 LEDS = 16 lumens per LED. What this means is the current going through each LED is lower and that puts it in the better part of its efficiency map.
It also means that the panel will survive if its hooked up to a higher voltage supply because it won't over current.
Some other panels using the same LEDs are running at 20 lumens per LED. This leaves less "headroom" for current increases if the supply voltage spikes as well as leaves them operating in the less efficient part of their map.
RE: High efficiency 4.5W flat LED light modules
Looks like a great value if you really want that much light.
I prefer a little less.I know what you are saying. There are times when the mood dictates less than really bright light. In my defense, at least the color temperature is warm white and not pure white or bright white.
The LEDs in that panel appear to be arranged as 10 strings of 3 LEDs, each string with their own voltage drop resistor, easily accessed from the back of the panel.
What one could do is disconnect the power side of the resistor on, say, half of the strings and connect them to a second switch. Then the first switch would turn on half the LEDs and the second switch would turn on the other half. It would require mounting a second switch in the fixtures.
One could use a 2 position switch in place of the single switch there now, but you'd have to use a diode on one half of the LED strings for it to work properly. No big deal, but it would cut down on the light intensity of the second half of the LEDs a bit and waste a bit of power. (Approximately 0.65V x 0.1875 amps = 0.122 watts)
Lots of options here.
RE: High efficiency 4.5W flat LED light modules
The light fixture over the table is a frosted inverted bowl type fixture with 2 bulbs in it. Its usually pretty dim playing cards under it in the evening.
I am going to put 4 of these LED panels in it. 2 on the normal switch and another two on a second switch. That should make it 2x and 4x brighter.
I'm pretty excited about the prospect of having lots of bright, energy efficient light in our trailer.
We have 3 x 7 watt florescent bulbs in the ceiling fan fixture in the main part of the kitchen right now. That makes for a pretty bright kitchen, which is greatly appreciated at times. I have to turn on the inverter to run them and that has some current overhead, but they still provide us with great lighting for not much power.
Now the rest of the trailer will be just as bright and energy efficient as kitchen.
I can't wait to use it in the spring.
RE: High efficiency 4.5W flat LED light modules
The 921 bulbs that normally reside in my fixtures (one on each side) are rated at 18 watts each (12.5V x ~1.4A) and the fixtures had no problem with them.
I don't expect there is going to be a heat problem with these LED panels.
The base of the fixture is lined with sheet metal, partly, I suspect, for heat purposes and partly to serve as a reflector to redirect the light coming from the back side of the bulb. I plan to stick the panels directly to the sheet metal with thick double sided tape, leaving an air channel for cooling the resistors on the back side.
The 921 bulbs in my fixtures may have been rated at 264 lumens, but about 180 of those lumens had to reflect off of the inside of the fixture in order to become useful light outside of the fixture. I think that dramatically cut down the efficiency of the fixture.
The LED panel has no such issue. All if its light will radiate directly out of the fixture, no reflection required. I won't be surprised if the light fixtures are twice as bright with the LED panels in them.
High efficiency 4.5W flat LED light modules
480 lumens, 4.5W, 12V, 30 SMDs, flat mount. He sells them for $4.50 each in quantity if you contact him.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-G4-4-5W-480-Lumen-30-5050-SMD-LED-Warm-White-Light-Bulb-DC-12V-/180981934523?pt=US_Light_Bulbs&hash=item2a235d29bb
The 921 bulbs that the fixtures in my trailer use put out about 260 lumens and draw about 1.4 amps each. These LED modules put out nearly twice the light and draw 0.375 amps each.
They put out over 100 lumens per watt, mostly because the LEDs are being run at lower power (only 16 lumens per LED) and there is no diode for running AC to consume power.
They are warm white (~3000K), not pure white.
I'm installing these in all the light fixtures in our trailer.
$4.50 each (with shipping) sounds like a lot, but it would take at least 3 of most other LED panels to put out this much light.
I'm looking forward to having a nice, bright trailer and not worrying about battery rundown. Our trailer has over 30 bulbs in it. Our current draw with all the lights on would have been 45 amps, not that we ever had them all on at once. Now it will be about 12A and should be so bright that we don't need all the fixtures on.
RE: 2 seasons on LT265/75R16 LREs. (+Torsion axles and disks)
Do you have any details you can post on the disk brake swap? I wouldn't mind seeing what was done to make that happen.
http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/23960591.cfm
RE: 2 seasons on LT265/75R16 LREs. (+Torsion axles and disks)
If my Rockwood had come with Chinese made tires it would have been a deal killer for me. I told them what I wanted and they gave it to me. 6 seasons on two sets of load range C Maxis tires and no problems at all.n Replaced the first set with 42,000 miles on them.
And what does this have to do with tires on a 5th wheel trailer ?
RE: 2 seasons on LT265/75R16 LREs. (+Torsion axles and disks)
Glad its working out so far but only 10k isn't much of a test. Come back in 35k-40k mile and tire report.
Even a cheap foreign made LT can stand abuse like putting a 265 tire with a 8" wide tread on a 6.5" wide wheel.
You will have less rolling resitance and less stress on the trailers suspension/wheels and the tires themselves and less side scrub friction with a 235/85 E at 3042 lbs (65 psi vs 80 psi) which would meet your axle load requirements.
I put 7,000 pound axles under my trailer and I wanted a tire that got close to matching that capacity.
Furthermore, trailer tires are not necessarily equally weighted.
With my trailer axles weighing 11K, that makes for an AVERAGE of 2750 pounds pe tire. A tire with a rating of 3042 pounds doesn't leave much margin for unequal weighting. A tire with a rating of 3420 pounds has a much larger margin for unequal weighting.
I think that putting a tire with a rating of 3,000 pounds, like the 235/80R16 LRDs that Coachmen put on our trailer, on a trailer with 6,000 pound axles is asking for trouble. People will load the axles to 12,000 pounds and then wonder why they are blowing tires. They are too friggin small for the job.
Chinese or not, my 265/75R16s are a way beefier tire than the 235/80R16s that the trailer came with. Bigger diameter, more tread, wider and they weigh a lot more.
RE: 2 seasons on LT265/75R16 LREs. (+Torsion axles and disks)
I'm glad you've been trouble free since the swap-over to LT's but I fail to see the logic in buying the 'cheapest Chinese tire' you could. In my mind that's asking for trouble. I did it to prove a point. The problem with tires on these trailers isn't that the tire is manufactured in the wrong country, its that the trailers are running the wrong size and type of tire.
For the money spent you could have bought some great Cooper SRM's made here in the states. So ? I bought cheaper tires and they work well. Why do I need Coopers ?
Secondly, correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought LT's had a carry capacity of 3042 lbs, far less than the ST's 3402 lbs? 235s generally have a capacity of 3042 pounds. 265s are generally rated at 34xx pounds.
RE: 2 seasons on LT265/75R16 LREs. (+Torsion axles and disks)
3 seasons here without a BANG :B
Hows your engine swap going? I haven't checked on it for awhile. Last I saw was some trouble mating the Ford tranny to the Cummins.
Everything is worked out, technical wise. I had to stop and go camping for a few months and now I need to build a CNC plasma cutter so that I can cut parts inexpensively.
There have been a few more interesting developments too.
RE: 2 seasons on LT265/75R16 LREs. (+Torsion axles and disks)
Do you have any details you can post on the disk brake swap? I wouldn't mind seeing what was done to make that happen.
I did a complete write up. Search on my name and you should find it.
2 seasons on LT265/75R16 LREs. (+Torsion axles and disks)
Hi people.
I've now got 2 trouble free seaons on the LT265/75R16 LREs I put on our Chaparral 355. It weighs 13K +. The trailer axles are carrying about 11K.
This is the first time since 1999 that I have ever gone 2 seasons without changing a tire on any trailer.
This trailer came with ST235/80R16 LRDs from the factory. When one developed a sidewall bulge I changed all 4 over to the LT265/75R16s.
I tried ordering the trailer with better tires, but the factory would have nothing of it.
The LT265/75R16s I used were the cheapest, no name, generic tires I could find. Probably made in China. They are rated at 3420 pounds each.
I run them at about 65 PSI. I haven't checked the pressure in a while. I drive 60-65 MPH towing. I hit my fair share of curbs and I'm always turning the trailer tight.
IIRC, they now have about 10,000 miles on them. They are wearing well. I haven't measured, but I suspect that less than 1/3 of the tread has been used.
I used the rims that came with the trailer for the 235s. Some people said they would be too narrow for the 265s, but I haven't had any issues.
On a similar note, my torsion axle/ hydraulic disk brake swap has now been running for 3 seasons, also with zero issues.
My trailer seems to ride very well and stops incredibly well. I HIGHLY recommend hydraulic disk brakes. I will never own a heavy trailer without them again.
I am very happy with these modifications. I'd do them again in a heartbeat. Nothing worse than having equipment on a trailer that isn't up to the task and is constantly causing headaches.
YMMV.
RE: Emergency braking and handling.
I just added air horns, can't wait for the first jerk that cuts in front of me and slams on the brakes!
Best post of this whole thread !
RE: Superduty Bounce
I wonder how hard it would be to rig up one of the $100 backup cameras Costco carries to view underneath while the problem is occurring?? perhaps you could figure what to start with rather than just going down a long list until it is fixed or you run out of money...
An HD Hero2 camera with the motorsport mount is your friend. And its great for a lot of other things too.
RE: 2012 3500 Denali Payload
If the math on the SRW truck works, then go for it. I've got an 08 F350 with the 11,500 GVWR package. I pull a 13K+ 5er and it works great.
Its great that GM upgraded their trucks so that the SRWs have more payload.
BTW, the weight rating on the (optional?) 20s on the GM may be higher than the usual 3420 pounds. The 275/65R20 LREs on the Fords are rated at 3750lbs each.
Not to start a DRW versus SRW argument, but for me its very nice not to have a dually.
RE: Pacific NW suggestions ? (beaches, aquariums, campsites)
Update
After much debate we ended up in Vancouver, Canada and then went over to Vancouver Island.
We had perfect weather every day. Shorts and tee shirt or no shirt at all every day and yet didn't run the AC in the trailer once. Does it get any better than that ?
Highlights included Stanley Park, Vancouver Aquarium, which is quite a bit smaller than Seatle's, Tofino and Ucluelet, Qualicum, Parksville and so on.
If I had to do it again, I'd go north on the Island to Port McNiel as the kayaking, whale watching and salmon fishing there is supposedly spectacular.
It costs a lot to take a rig over on the ferry.
We had a terrific time. We swam or kayaked every day except for 2 travel days. We'll probably go back and do this next year.
PM me if you need specifics.
RE: Pulled 5er over Teton Pass - OMG
I don't get why the brakes were smoked on the way down.
The GCW of my setup is 22K ish. With my truck,a stock 08 F350, put it in tow haul mode and tap the brake until its downshifted to about 2nd gear, which would be 3,000 RPM at about 25MPH.
It will hold the truck and trailer at that speed on a 10% grade all day long. So would my '99 F250 ZF6 truck, in 2nd gear. If that is not enough braking, I'd use 1st gear.
Either truck would have more than enough engine brake capacity to hold it at 25 MPH without using the brakes. Both trucks hold our 13K 5er on engine braking alone on 8% at 55-60 MPH.
If they don't I have hydraulic disk brakes on the trailer. It stops itself and then some.
I just returned from a 2700 mile trip using an 08 F350, pulling many mountain passes, most at 7-8% with one section at 16% IIRC. Not a single moment of fear and certainly no smoked brakes.
The key to downhills is the right gear selection. When it says slow down and downshift at the top of the hill, I do, unless I know the hill from a previous trip and how to drive it.
