Need help converting my standard RV light fixtures to Home Depot ones

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Bttrswt1986

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Oct 20, 2019
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I have a 02 Sunnybrook 27RKFS fifth wheel w standard rv lighting and want to change 5 fixtures to 120v fixtures from Home Depot with either 60 watt Edison bulbs or LED Edison bulbs. Please advise if this is safe to do. I?m continually connected to a power source and don?t use it for traveling
 
There isn't 120v available at the fixtures so unless you run new wires the plan isn't feasible
 
SeilerBird said:
Most all of the lights on my fiver are 110 volt. Only the two in the bedroom are 12 volt.
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Obviously if there's 120v available it would work. In my rig I have a total of one fixture that is 120v, everything else is low voltage
 
Evidently I am in the minority when it comes to 110 volt fixtures. But I have replaced almost all the bulb with LEDs so to answer the OPs question yes you can do it safely.
 
SeilerBird said:
Evidently I am in the minority when it comes to 110 volt fixtures. But I have replaced almost all the bulb with LEDs so to answer the OPs question yes you can do it safely.
Click to expand...

That's if they already have 120 Volt AC light fixtures. If they have 12 Volt DC lights, they can't do it I don't believe.
 
If your current light fixtures are 12 volt, it would be easier to replace the incandescent lights with 12 volt LEDs. I did that with my TT. Used high lumen LEDs which are much brighter than the incandescent ones. Since you are plugged into 120 volts, your converter changes (converts) the 120 volt AC to 12 volt DC. So you should still have power for your 12 volt outlets.
 
With sufficient electrical skills it is do-able, but you would have to isolate the branch circuit(s) from the 12v system and connect them to a 120v source. The existing wire sizes should be adequate for Led lighting, but probably not incandescent or fluorescent.  The fact that you have to ask about this suggests you probably don't have the skills to do it yourself, and it would likely be prohibitively expensive to hire a professional.

Can we back up a bit and ask what you are trying to achieve with this change?  More light (lumens), lower power, reduced heat, nicer looking fixtures?  Or some combination of those?    All those can be done without changing to 120v power.
 
Oh my gosh I hadn?t realized anyone replied!!
Ok please understand that though you guys are saying very basic things on this subject, I?m dense as a rock when it comes to electrical stuff. Idk why I have such trouble processing it.

I was told I?d have to rewire the whole system for it to work. Others say that as long as you use 120v bulbs on a 120v light fixture it should be fine. So that?s not sound advice?
As for what I?m trying to achieve: I?m remodeling my entire camper, and the old fixtures are a tacky eyesore to say the least. I want light that feels cozier and more ambient, like  Edison bulbs, specifically  a warmer tone. I don?t really care about reduced power. Just prettier light fixtures that RV stores  prob don?t sell bc they?re very behind on current trends, also they are overpriced. From what I read.
 
so I can?t convert the actual fixture from 120v to 12v then. It would have to be wired for 120v already (in the ceiling or wall) for lack of a better way to describe it
 
In all likelihood, your current lights are a 12 volt system DC system (battery system). Different from a house that has 120 volt AC power the runs the lights, outlets, and all other appliances. Again, when you plug in your RV to 120 volt AC, the RV converter converts the AC to 12 volt DC electricity. Your lights and light fixtures are 12 volt DC. However, your RV also has 120 volt AC power outlets (like in your house). Thus, you can plug in a house appliance such as a TV or blender to the 120 volt outlets.

What you can do is replace the 12 volt DC light fixtures with new 12 volt fixtures. The good news is that there are a lot of low cost 12 volt fixtures.

Check out these that I found on Amazon: https://smile.amazon.com/s?k=12+volt+light+fixtures&ref=nb_sb_noss
 
I don?t know how to directly reply to a specific comment, but thank you for the explanation.
I still don?t get how all these rv renovations have beautiful modern light fixtures, I just asked one girl on Instagram and she said they used regular 120v fixtures with 12v bulbs and it was fine.
 
Back2PA said:
Obviously if there's 120v available it would work. In my rig I have a total of one fixture that is 120v, everything else is low voltage
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How do you know if 120v is available or not? You mean in the wiring to that specific fixture?
 
Bttrswt1986 said:
How do you know if 120v is available or not? You mean in the wiring to that specific fixture?
Click to expand...
If the fixture is wired with stranded wire then it is a 12 volt fixture. If it is wired in romex (solid wire) then it is a 120 volt fixture.
 
Forget about converting to 120v, nothing but problems ahead. You don't have the right wiring, probably no neutral circuit you could use, a real can of worms. Just get new LED light fixtures or get new brighter LED bulbs for your existing ones. I've never seen any rv's with 120v lights, they're all 12v with a converter so you can use all your lights when boondocking but I suppose there could be exceptions.
 
Read what Gary says above.
If your present fixtures are 12 volt. Their wiring needs to be trace out back to their twelve volt fuses at the panel. Then disconnected and reconnected at a 120 volt breaker in the AC panel. if the wires at the panel are not long enough a junction box or terminal box will be required.
You need a qualified electrician to do this or some one who knows what they are doing.

Your best bet is to just get new 12volt fixtures

Jack l
 
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