Looking for LED bulb suggestions for bathroom

Seeburg220

Seeburg220

Active member
Oct 25, 2021
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Berryville, VA
I would like to get some LED bulbs to replace the incandescent bulbs in the factory light fixtures in the bathroom. Is there a specific bulb you could recommend, that isn't too blue or too bright? These are bayonet style bulbs, as depicted by my cat, Ziva. Thank you.
 

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I used these in all my house fixtures. The light otput is indistinguishable from original real bulbs and they use almost no power.

www.superbrightleds.com

1156 LED Bulb with Stock Cover - 2 Pack

The BA15S plug-and-play LED replacement bulb is suitable for vehicle applications. The 360° beam angle reduces hot spots and provides a wide viewing angle for all-over light emission. The stock bulb cover encloses the LEDs and gives the bulb a traditional look. Designed to last 30,000 hours- 25...
www.superbrightleds.com www.superbrightleds.com
 
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I got in on the LED craze early. This is what I have in my center bathroom fixtures:




www.gmcmhphotos.com



Bathroom Fixtures ​


Also from Quartzsite (the vendor that Dan Gregg and John Ruff were working with) I replaced the incandescent bulbs in the center light of the bathroom fixtures. (right side)

www.gmcmhphotos.com







www.gmcmhphotos.com



Bathroom Fixtures ​


On the left side, I used four strips . These lights come on with the first click of the switch and provide more than adequate light.

www.gmcmhphotos.com




I got them from a vendor at Quartzsite at Dan Gregg's suggestion.





Carl Stouffer
Tucson, AZ.
GMCSJ & GMCMI Member
1975 Ex-Palm Beach
 
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I prefer the lower Kelvin temperature LED lights, they look more like warm incandescent and less like harsh bright white fluorescent lights.
 
I used these lights throughout the coach. Enough left over to install one in Onan compartment.

Amazon.com: CARGO LED 1156 1141 1003 1073 BA15S 7506 LED Bulb, 20 Pack Super Bright White 3014 50-SMD LED Bulb for 12 Volt RV Camper Trailer Boat Trunk Interior Light. : Automotive

Buy CARGO LED 1156 1141 1003 1073 BA15S 7506 LED Bulb, 20 Pack Super Bright White 3014 50-SMD LED Bulb for 12 Volt RV Camper Trailer Boat Trunk Interior Light.: Lighting - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases
www.amazon.com

At less than a $1.00 apiece they won't break the bank.
 
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Bhart said:
I used these lights throughout the coach. Enough left over to install one in Onan compartment.

Amazon.com: CARGO LED 1156 1141 1003 1073 BA15S 7506 LED Bulb, 20 Pack Super Bright White 3014 50-SMD LED Bulb for 12 Volt RV Camper Trailer Boat Trunk Interior Light. : Automotive

Buy CARGO LED 1156 1141 1003 1073 BA15S 7506 LED Bulb, 20 Pack Super Bright White 3014 50-SMD LED Bulb for 12 Volt RV Camper Trailer Boat Trunk Interior Light.: Lighting - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases
www.amazon.com

At less than a $1.00 apiece they won't break the bank.
Click to expand...
No indication that they have internal voltage regulation, so odds are that they won't survive long in an RV environment. If it seems too good to be true...
 
It's more work but I blanked out the original lights and IMG_20220624_160701.jpgswitched one the upper sliders to clear, obscure plexiglass and put a high powered strip LED in the cabinet.
It lights up the bath very well now.
 
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BTW, I installed a large 'bulb' type gasket on the bottom and sides of the bath door and after much fine tuning, the door does not leak. I also embellished the weepers on the upper and lower sliders, sealed the corners and sealed them onto the bath structure.
Kinda built a submarine and eliminated the need for curtains.
The bath tap pulls out and clips on to a receiver up high and acts as my shower.
 
tmsnyder said:
I prefer the lower Kelvin temperature LED lights, they look more like warm incandescent and less like harsh bright white fluorescent lights.
Click to expand...

Todd made an important point.

For LEDs it's good to consider Kelvin - the color temperature. Sunlight is 5500K, our eyes adjust to that in daytime but can appear blue tinted and harsh indoors at night. The GMC's original incandescent bulbs are about 3000K and that's what I aim for in the interior (and porch light and license plate). Modern OEM HID xenon gas discharge headlights are usually 4,300K.

I replaced the six bathroom incandescent 1156 bulbs two years ago with imported Warm White LEDs (Antline 1156 3000K from Amazon). The color matches the original and are noticeably brighter, no flicker, all run great and I'm replacing the floor lighting right now with the same. With less power consumption I leave 1 or 2 bathroom lights running continuously when traveling.

Original 1156 incandescent bulbs consume 27 watts (x6 in the bathroom). LED equivalents are 3 watts.
 
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Christo said:
No indication that they have internal voltage regulation, so odds are that they won't survive long in an RV environment. If it seems too good to be true...
Click to expand...
Technically, LEDs are their own voltage regulator.

What they'll really experience is fluctuations in current, as they're passively "regulated" with a dropping resistor internally. That's the cheapest way to make them. They do work fine. I've had many, many resistor "controlled" LEDs last indefinitely. If they're listed as being rated for 14.7V, I wouldn't worry about it. The likelihood of the house system getting way higher than that seems low.

That said, there are plenty of low-quality offerings where they use cheaper small-die LEDs that are pushed near their operating limit with very little margin. These are the ones that will die early, since they'll pass enough extra current at 15V to shorten the life they'd see at 12V. It's hard to find known, reputable brands providing these bulbs. All are from Chinese suppliers (some of which are just fine) with varying names. Best course of action is to check reviews, and find some that have some sales history spanning multiple years. I've gotten many LED products off Amazon that I'm pleased with, but they're a gamble for sure. One website with an established reputation is superbrightleds.com. It could be worth checking.

Internally (truly) regulated bulbs would excel at keeping a consistent output during voltage sags (like when the water pump kicks on). If seeing the bulbs fluctuate bugs you, that's a great reason to seek out regulated bulbs.
 
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daver said:
BTW, I installed a large 'bulb' type gasket on the bottom and sides of the bath door and after much fine tuning, the door does not leak. I also embellished the weepers on the upper and lower sliders, sealed the corners and sealed them onto the bath structure.
Kinda built a submarine and eliminated the need for curtains.
The bath tap pulls out and clips on to a receiver up high and acts as my shower.
Click to expand...
Nice bathroom, Dave! Between this and your post on shaving the belt line, I'm starting to think that I really need to lay eyes on your coach someday. I'd be interested in seeing a "build thread" of your coach, even if it's a bit postpartum.
 
pvfjr said:
Nice bathroom, Dave! Between this and your post on shaving the belt line, I'm starting to think that I really need to lay eyes on your coach someday. I'd be interested in seeing a "build thread" of your coach, even if it's a bit postpartum.
Click to expand...
I just posted a bunch more photos of interior details
 
When using the "peel'n stick" LEDs, stick them to a piece of aluminum to act as a heat sink, rather than stick them just to plastic or the wood laminate. They will last much, much longer.
 
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Applied GMC

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