Upgrading a 12 Volt RV Lamp Fixture
Recently I updated our Keystone Cougar Fifth Wheels lighting systems to new LED bulbs. While installing the new bulbs, one of my fixtures was damaged. Due to the heat produced by the 12-volt incandescent bulb the bulb holder became very brittle and the bulb actually fused to the holder. While attempting to remove this bulb I damaged the fixture beyond repair.
Old faulty RV lamp fixture
Rather than replace the fixture with the same type I decided to install an upgraded LED fixture made by StarLights Inc.
The StarLights Brilliant Light fixture draws much less power and lasts longer than a regular incandescent type fixture, but it also does a few other cool things. With this lamp fixture, you have the ability to add in specialized modules to the lamp allowing it to perform different lighting tasks. There are several modules to select from. I went with the dimmer module. The dimmer module adds a small dimmer control right on the lamp case allowing you to set the brightness of the light.
Modules available for the StarLights Brilliant Fixture:
- Dimmer Dial
- Motion activation sensor
- LED night light 4200K
- Day/ Night photo sensor
- 12 Volt Jack
- PCB Adapter Module
LED Lamp Install Details
Installing the new LED fixture and modules is very straight forward. The modules themselves are dead easy, they just snap into place and are even keyed so they can’t be inserted wrong. Mounting is the same as the old lamp fixture, just a few screws. The wiring is pretty simple. There are just two, but you have to make sure you get the positive and negative polarity right or the lamp won’t work. Generally RV 12 volt wiring uses black for positive and white for negative but not always and you never know if the factory dudes got it wrong. So it is best to check it with a test light or better yet a multimeter before hooking things up.
Install Video – StarLights Brilliant Light LED RV Fixture
Conclusion
After spending a few evenings with the StarLights LED Brilliant Light BL-3002 I have to say it is pretty sweet. I use it as lighting over my computer workspace and it’s nice to be able to control the intensity with the little dimmer knob. If I had to say anything negative about it would be with the dimmer adjustment knob. It feels a little cheap, tight to turn and is a little small for my fingers to grip. Maybe as I use it a little it will loosen up and smooth out.
A great place for a fixture like this would be in the bathroom. I hate heading in there in the middle of the night and turning on the light only to be blinded. With a fixture like this I could have a night light in there or the dimmer. Having a motion light near the RV entrance door would be nice as well. I think these modular type fixtures are a great idea. StarLights Inc. also makes them for the regular incandescent RV bulb style as well.
