LED Lights

[gprapim]

I own a 2017 Greyhawk 29W and would like to know if anyone knows if the LED lights that come with the coach will work with a dimmer switch (rheostat). The lights are very bright, sometimes too much so, and at times I would love to be able to tone them down a bit.


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[gprapim]

Originally Posted by gprapim

I own a 2017 Greyhawk 29W and would like to know if anyone knows if the LED lights that come with the coach will work with a dimmer switch (rheostat). The lights are very bright, sometimes too much so, and at times I would love to be able to tone them down a bit.


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ANYBODY ?????


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[gprapim]

Originally Posted by gprapim

I own a 2017 Greyhawk 29W and would like to know if anyone knows if the LED lights that come with the coach will work with a dimmer switch (rheostat). The lights are very bright, sometimes too much so, and at times I would love to be able to tone them down a bit.


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Are there any answers for this? Surely others have tried to do this, or know if it can be accomplished.


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[Magnolia Tom]

Don't know if this will work on the inside lights or not but several folks have used this for the awning lights. Cheap enough to try it out.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AHU2U7O...5PX9P26A&psc=1


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[retiredtech]

My temporary solution was to cut out a piece of manila folder (heavy paper) to fit inside the led light covers on certain lights. Also gave them a more natural color. My lights don't get hot, only slightly warm, so no danger of fire. I have heard of some led lights getting hot that were poorly engineered.

[gprapim]

Originally Posted by retiredtech

My temporary solution was to cut out a piece of manila folder (heavy paper) to fit inside the led light covers on certain lights. Also gave them a more natural color. My lights don't get hot, only slightly warm, so no danger of fire. I have heard of some led lights getting hot that were poorly engineered.

Sounds like a good idea. No wiring problems and will try different inserts to get the color and brightness I desire. Thanks for the idea !!


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[gprapim]

Originally Posted by Magnolia Tom

Don't know if this will work on the inside lights or not but several folks have used this for the awning lights. Cheap enough to try it out.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AHU2U7O...5PX9P26A&psc=1


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Thank you; I’ll look into it. The price is right !!


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[KiwiBruce]

Some LED's can be dimmed but not all, you can get a dimmer with remote etc off eBay for not a lot of cash, yes just like the one in the last post. My brother has them in his truck sleeper.
When he turns up this Xmas I will as him for more info

[che57vy]

Dimmer is cheap can hook up one to test and see if it will work, as stated some will work others not.

[bankr63]

Electronically, a rheostat dimmer will not work with simple LEDs at all. Your coach lights are 12v not household current, and a rheostat works by reducing the current (or really voltage drop) across the bulb. Fine for an incandescent, not for a LED.

LED bulbs have two states, on and off, and are dimmed by reducing the amount of time that they spend on very quickly. With a straight 60Hz AC, they turn off 120 times a second, and there is a period where the current is not high enough to turn them on. If the you reduce the "on" time by half, the light output will also be halved. It takes special circuitry on the bulb to achieve the dimming effect.

LED compatible home dimmers are not rheostatic, but rather work by adjusting the phase time and amplitude of the current to the bulb. These home dimmers won't work with 12V circuits, because they need the 60Hz AC as a starting point for the adjustment. The "controller" in the linked amazon product works by modulating the DC voltage to turn the LEDs on and off, reducing output. In some ways this makes it into a 12v AC circuit, except the current alternates digitally on and off.

That sounds a little convoluted. Check out dimmer switches on the site howstuffworks for a lengthy, and probably much better, description than I just gave.

[PlayersZ28]

Pretty much any LED bulb in an RV will be a simple LED(s) with current limiting to suit the 12v. They can be dimmed by reducing the voltage or installing a PWM dimmer that reduces the avg voltage they receive.

Something like this one might work to replace an RV light switch.

https://www.amazon.com/Facon-Dimmer-...12v+led+dimmer

Just make sure whatever you select is designed for 12v usage.

[PlayersZ28]

Originally Posted by bankr63

Electronically, a rheostat dimmer will not work with simple LEDs at all. Your coach lights are 12v not household current, and a rheostat works by reducing the current (or really voltage drop) across the bulb. Fine for an incandescent, not for a LED.

Never seen a rheostat dimmer for home AC use, that would turn the undesired power into heat and be pretty large. They used to be all SCR-based and would cut out section of the AC sine wave to reduce the RMS voltage to the incandescent bulb, newer design might have changed to other electronic control. Some home LED bulbs work with them, some don't due to the electronics in the bulb.

[che57vy]

I always see LED lights stated that it can be dimmed or not, I have tried a few on bench and will not work.Biggest factor is not generating enough resistance to cause a fire in the switch, I came across one of these in a search for low voltage leds

The LS-PWM-6A is a Pulse Width Modulated (PWM) low voltage dimmer. The smooth dimming works perfectly with 12 or 24Vdc applications, specifically designed to work with our 12Vdc LED Flex Strip. The wall mount LS-PWM-6A dimmer has a switch and vertical slider for easily adjusting light levels. The internal design eliminates voltage surges, AC flicker and has a maximum load of 6A. The unit fits decora style trim plates, standard junction boxes, comes with a 1-year warranty and installation instructions. but may only work with their lights

[Vicr]

Bankr is correct in the dimming of LED's which for the most part are all "dimmable". One thing to note in order to install a LED dimmer you need to be able to intercept the positive wire and negative wire going to the lamps and the negative wire needs to be dedicated to the lamps to be dimmed and not shared with any other switched LED's. Google LED dimming.