Lighting the awning

[Amarillo]

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]

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]

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

 

[johnyboy]

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]

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]

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]

That's the thread snowy - copied him

 

[morfar]

my solution

 

[Yorkie]

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]

@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]

@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]

@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]

@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]

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]

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.