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Alternative Fixtures ---------- > |
Easy Conservation and boosting methods
Remembering how it used to be...and realizing it wasn't actually bad!
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Thinking Outside The Box When IN The Box
The key to not needing the heavy charging methods is to use items that don't use so much poop. And by using items that need no electrical poop at all!
This does not mean wandering around in substandard light, or freezing to death because your heater will not run unless there is power to run the fan. Your beer can stay cold with very little, or without any electrical power.
For electrical items, you will see a recurring theme in my trailer. All items in my trailer run off of 12v, with the exception of my computer charger. There are no permanent high current output invertors OR house converters. I have no permanently installed 110 appliances at all. At least, not the kind typically thought of. I see no reason to use an inverted 110v item if a 12v one is available.
If it can be wired straight into my battery, it is. Inverting is inefficient and power consuming. Not to say I don't do it in a pinch, I am set up with portable inverters, but I rarely indulge, with the exception, as mentioned, of charging my laptop.
Yes, I have a fused system, but even with EVERYTHING in my alternative electricals list on at once, I have not popped even the 5 amp fuses.
Lighting
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Cold Cathode Florescent (CCFL) Lighting CCFL lights are normally used by geeky little boys wanting to make their computer cases be seen from counties away. CCFL bulbs are also what are used behind your laptop screen, in photocopy machines and other applications where intense light with low current draw are needed. They run off a small inverter designed for them. The inverter puts out 110v, but since it does not have to deliver mass current, it is suited only for the lights. More efficient than using a big chunky 300 watt or more generic inverter. It is directly wired into 12v lines at the input.
The item emitting the cosmic blue orb seen to the left is the actual inverter. The big fat item next to it is my OLD power sucking incandescent fixtures' bones. I used it for the 12v line tap and the power switch. Not a bad trade off. The light in the top pic is what these actually produce. Quite enough for task lighting, and they also cast a usable ambient light throughout the trailer. Get white ones. They come in many colors.
The "bulbs" are thin tubes held in place by small squares of Velcro. They can be moved to where you want them, within range of the inverter output line length. To the left, you will see a combo of the CCFLs and overhead LEDS. For thems thats interested, these draw a whopping .38a each. 4 15 inch tubes use a tiny bit over 1a. |
 
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LEDS LEDs give off an intense, but highly focused light at almost zero electrical expense. I have 4 of these Domes. They look like regular small lighting fixtures, but they have 24 LEDs behind a magnified and focused lens. Two domes are in the front of the trailer, over my dinette, and two in the back, over the bed. These can run for DAYS without a significant voltage drop. And have. I sometimes forget to turn them off. A few days later, when I go into the trailer for my frequent fridge or cupboard raids, I find them on, and the battery in tip top shape. With no charger on it. Not even the solar panel. The trade offs, as you can see, are the limited "wash" they have (Turn your back to them and you are staring into a black hole) and even though they are called Super White, they actually give off pale blue light. Some folks don't like the blue. I actually find it soothing to the eyes. These are bright, but there is nothing harsh about them. The bottom photo shows a close up of the type of center fixture you see above the bed. It uses a 194 type auto bulb normally, but they make LED bulbs that drop right into their place. Pure Plug and Play. These fixtures and 194 LED bulb are not real good for reading, but they give off a usable light good enough to keep you from stepping on an innocent sleeping dog. The one pictured is actually right inside my door. It goes on and allows me to place items in the trailer quickly, and to step in and find the switches for the brighter lights. I sometimes leave this one on purposefully, so light can be seen from inside the trailer if I am not near it at night, or if it will be left unattended for a couple of days. If all else fails, I also have LED flashlights that are charged by a crank dynamo system. Human power! |
El Wire is another alternative lighting method. El wire is a thin line that glows. You have probably seen it on lots of tricked out Honda Civics. It is intended to Highlight shapes, and can easily be molded to conform to whatever one you have. It comes in a variety of colors, and when they say "white" it really is. (Just as with the Cold Cathodes)
A 6 foot length uses a small 1 inch cube sized inverter, and the hook up concept is the same as with Cold Cathodes. I have not installed mine in the trailer yet, but have used it tenting recently. (Yeah, I still do that sometimes) It was adequate for providing ambient light in the 2 man tent I was using. I could read by it if directly underneath it.
In keeping with the "Low to No" current use, after 5 nights of using it, I saw ZERO voltage drop on one of the small gel cells I use as Auxiliary batteries. BUT.. It will not bring down planes, just be aware it is an option and could be a good supplement to your current (Excuse the pun) lighting system.
Clicky here for other fancy things that use NO (or very little) electricity