Flourescent light over dinette

[B_and_D]

I've been searching for a fluorescent light that could replace the twin incandescents over the dinette (to be mounted inside the front vent) and found this:

http://store.solar-electric.com/thin94913wat.html

Do you think it would fit into that space? Actually, I'm vacillating between buying the bigger wattage one; that's the light in our TM that gets the most use (except for when we're dry camping & I'm always making everyone turn it off).

[Joesjunk]

B_and_D,
I replaced mine with the same brand as the one in the bathroom (can't remember the name). It is the lower wattage version vs the bathroom fixture. Works fine and just fits in the vacancy when you remove the two incandesent lights.
Seems like there were other posts on this same subject.
Good Luck,

I installed a removable chain lamp over our table. It uses a 12 volt flourecent bulb and thus is easy on the battery. The bulb, shaped like an Dairy Queen ice cream cone was purchased from a company in Boulder Colorado. I seems like it was around $25.00 and will outlast many tungsten type bulbs. The light fixture was obtained from a Good Will type store. I do still have the plans for this, free for the asking.

This lamp surely beats trying to read maps, etc using the lamps that are installed high above on the ceiling.

Hal
[email protected].

Anyone else find that the flourescent lights don't work very well when the batteries are low?

We've found that most things don't work very well when the battery is low.

Ok thanks, newbie here. I'll stick with the incandescents as they still glow under a weaker battery.

[B_and_D]

If your battery is that low, you should recharge it and not draw it down any more. It will ruin the battery. We never let ours get below 12.2, and the fluorescents work fine at that voltage.

I've found this book to be very helpful: http://www.amazon.com/Electrical-Sys...4470122&sr=8-1

I just found this post by someone about how to keep your battery charged without a generator, it would definitely work for us and I've made a cable that will reach from our 12V outlet in the truck into the truck bed: http://www.girr.org/random_stuff/cam...ower_tips.html.

Hope this helps.

[B_and_D]

I received my replacement fluorescent light today (I do manage to get a few things done every 6 months or so) . I went with this light (it's the first one on the page, the 112): http://thinlite.com/prod03.htm.

I haven't installed it yet but it's amazingly thin (1") and there is enough room for it to fit into the vent area with space available to toggle the switch on and off.

We've had problems with the lenses on the old light fixtures getting scraped up on the roof when we travel, and sometimes falling off. I think this will be much lower profile, so hopefully it will eliminate that problem. And it will use 1/2 the energy of the original incandescent lights.

They're making some really nice LED lights now, but I think that we'd have to upgrade our converter before we switched over to those.

I pulled my flourescent out as it only worked right on shore power. Tried different bulbs but no luck. I figure the incandescent will just dim a bit. Anyone else get that effect? My batteries seem fine and go for many days on a trip.

[B_and_D]

There was a fact sheet that came with my new light. It explains how to get the most out of your low voltage d.c. lighting (making the lights last).

Here's a link to the website that has this information: http://www.solarseller.com/trace_dc_...d_centers_.htm

I was very pleased with their service, the shipping was really fast. They have a few lights that I've never seen on other websites.