Lighting the awning

Amarillo · Mar 30, 2017

Does anyone have any experience of the Vango sunbeam 450?

It claims to offer 450 lumens (the equivalent of an old 40 watt bulb) from each strip, so four strips should be sufficient to light a Kela III, both the main tent and the attachment area.

MattBW · Mar 30, 2017

I have the fiamma LED rafter which looks similar, surprisingly bright and seems low energy too.

Only downside with external LED lighting is that you need a 12v socket to plug in somewhere. We found however that we could pass the cable along the awning top and into the van via the drivers door and then across the dash into the leisure battery socket on top of the dash. We find it works fine with the seals or you could open the window a little.

Kmann · Mar 30, 2017

We use these from IKEA. They are solardriven … the cells are waterproof and lives outside ;-)

johnyboy · Mar 30, 2017

I copied someone else's work on here with adhesive LEDs and a socket, only hook it to the silly under seat socket when in use, also added in a dimmer

Kmann · Mar 30, 2017

johnyboy said:
I copied someone else's work on here with adhesive LEDs and a socket, only hook it to the silly under seat socket when in use, also added in a dimmer

Dimmer makes it very interesting. I am looking for someting that can sit more permanent on the awning, but all the LEDs i have looked into, are way to bright for a cosy night. Therefore we use the IKEA once as described above.

I would be very happy, if you would tell a little more about the parts in your setup? How is the dimmer added?

snowy55 · Mar 30, 2017

The original OP wanted lights for a canvas awning so this is off topic but this is what I did for lighting the windout awning.

https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/threads/awning-leds.8702/

johnyboy · Mar 31, 2017

That's the thread snowy - copied him :thumb

morfar · Apr 6, 2017

my solution

Yorkie · Apr 6, 2017

MattBW said:
I have the fiamma LED rafter which looks similar, surprisingly bright and seems low energy too.

Only downside with external LED lighting is that you need a 12v socket to plug in somewhere. We found however that we could pass the cable along the awning top and into the van via the drivers door and then across the dash into the leisure battery socket on top of the dash. We find it works fine with the seals or you could open the window a little.

Matt; you said Leisure battery socket on top of the dash. Is that correct, i have been avoiding the dash ones as i thought they were both connected to the starter battery?

theonecraw · Apr 6, 2017

@Yorkie , My dashboard 12v is linked to the leisure battery as is the one by the drinks holder by the bench seat and the one in the boot. Strangely my 12v on the end of the worktop is linked to the starter battery - a VW error??? I found this out, as did a few others after borrowing @SimonB 's tester (thanks again) at the East Fleet meet last September.

Yorkie · Apr 6, 2017

theonecraw said:
@Yorkie , My dashboard 12v is linked to the leisure battery as is the one by the drinks holder by the bench seat and the one in the boot. Strangely my 12v on the end of the worktop is linked to the starter battery - a VW error??? I found this out, as did a few others after borrowing @SimonB 's tester (thanks again) at the East Fleet meet last September.

@theonecraw , so do you know what a standard set up would be?

theonecraw · Apr 6, 2017

@Yorkie - There was a thread on here but I cannot find it anywhere.... There were quite a few discrepancies though. Not sure what the norm is but would rather my worktop one was running off the leisure battery.

SimonB · Apr 6, 2017

theonecraw said:
@Yorkie - There was a thread on here but I cannot find it anywhere.... There were quite a few discrepancies though. Not sure what the norm is but would rather my worktop one was running off the leisure battery.

I've just hunted through the threads and found this one which I think is the one you were referring to.
https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/threads/useful-digital-voltmeter-alarm-usb.14199/page-4

Are you coming to the Brean Meet to join us in May?

theonecraw · Apr 7, 2017

SimonB said:
I've just hunted through the threads and found this one which I think is the one you were referring to.
https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/threads/useful-digital-voltmeter-alarm-usb.14199/page-4

Are you coming to the Brean Meet to join us in May?

Thanks @SimonB . Unfortunately we can't make that one but should be at one or two this year. Look forward to seeing you again.

hirsty · May 20, 2017

I've just bought two sets of Biolite USB string lights (8 total, they daisychain) which happily run from either cigar socket, an Anker battery pack or even better plugged into my Alpkit Lampray:

https://www.bioliteenergy.com/products/sitelight-mini

Will post a picture next time I have the awning out.

Lighting the awning

Amarillo

Tom

MattBW

Here to help

Kmann

Iben & Henrik

johnyboy

Kmann

Iben & Henrik

snowy55

johnyboy

morfar

Yorkie

theonecraw

aka Rioja

Yorkie

theonecraw

aka Rioja

SimonB

theonecraw

aka Rioja

hirsty

Two Seat Beach DSG

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