Converting an RV to LED bulbs
Swapping the halogen bulbs in an RV for LEDs is one of the cheapest upgrades you can make: brighter light, cooler fixtures and a house battery that lasts much longer.
Count your bulbs
Walk through the coach and note each fixture: most ceiling and reading lights take 1156 / BA15S bayonets; porch lights, cabinet lights and markers often take 194 / T10 or 921 wedges. A 20-pack of each covers most trailers and campers.
The power difference
A halogen 1156 draws around 2 amps at 12V; an LED around a quarter amp. Ten ceiling lights on for an evening can take 60 amp-hours from the house battery with halogens and under 10 with LEDs — the difference between a dead battery and a full one in the morning.
Warm or cool white
- Warm white: cosy living and sleeping areas.
- Cool / xenon white: kitchen, bathroom and storage.
- Mixing colours in one room looks uneven — pick one per area.
Fitting tips
Switch off the 12V system, let old halogens cool, then push and twist bayonets or pull wedges straight out. Test each LED before closing the lens, and keep a few spares in the glovebox.
