CYPHER-CHLNGER replied:

These are really good.

http://www.virtualvillage.com/items/item.aspx?itemid=4397870&utm_source=baseusa&utm_medium=shopping

CYPHER-CHLNGER replied:

Laterns also

http://www.theledlight.com/emergencylights.html

Nick R (VIC) replied:

We have 3 LED versions of the flouro ones out there, 2 with cords and 1 without, We find the light is very good, also I am going to put some led rope lights in the camper.
Apparently with a 7 amp hour gel battery one of the corded lights can last about 2 weeks non stop.

One idea I have had about recharging instead of a gennie with inbiult charger I am thinking of putting a car alternator on a lawnmower engine, should give a good level of charge in an hour if i was basecamping for a few days......
NickR

replied:

Most efficient things are LEDs. Get bright LED light (JayCar, DickSmith or even LED downlight kit from Bunnings), power them with LiMh batteries and get fast 1Hr charger.
Cheers

Member - Barry M (NSW) replied:

Hi Mark, We ran an 11w flouro off a 600 ah Battery booster pack
for 5 weeks ,maybe 4hrs a night & didnt need to recharge it.
Will recharge off cig plug if required. Not exactly a reading light but
more than adequate for cooking & locating esky....oldbaz.
P.S. Both from Autocrap...light $15, Booster...$50.

Middle Jeff replied:

Hi Mark

I just got one of these Narva led work light and I love it, for something so small it really puts out a lot of light. The only down side is that it has no hook but it does have a belt clip, but I have a light holder that it just slips into.

Have fun

Craig

Member - R Send replied:

At the Penrith Camping show recently they were selling LED lights you could hang from the 'rafters' when camping. I think the units had about 24 LEDs in 2 groups - each group of LEDs could be lit on it's own or with the other so there were three levels of lighting.

I don't have any other info but I think they were on the CAMEC stand.

Member - Mick O (VIC) replied:

I went to Jaycar and bought a 17 A/H Sealed battery. I connected a 50 amp Anderson plug to it and just plug it in to my aux batteries to charge it. It also has a cigg plug attachment on it. I carry this to the tent and plug a normal 12 volt fluoro into it. Means you don’t have to set up the tent near the car to access the power. I had a little carry bag made by Klaus at In Front and the whole thing slides in next to the battery box in the rear while travelling. I noticed in Jaycar that they have a small carry bag for 18 bucks that comes complete with a cigg plug and cigg socket. It takes a 7 a/h Sealed lead acid battery which'll cost you $20. This will run a versalite 12 volt fluoro for at least 5 hours (probably more). Means you can transport a good quality 12 volt fluoro anywhere around your camp. (Go the versalite. $80 on special now and then but nothing beats it).

Cheers Mick

Philip A replied:

I have made 2 clip on lights with the following
2x 38 LED MR16 lamps
2x MR16 sockets
2 pieces of PVC 2inch pipe say 3inches longplus 4 X end plugs
2 rocker switches
suitable length 2 core cord
2 merit plugs
2x clamps
They are as bright as 20W halogen lights and draw say 0.4 amps
I plug them into the plugs in the camper
I also have a "Supa cheap" 40 LED hand lamp like the one above but with cord and Merit plug. I have glued 2Hiflux magnets on the back. It sticks to the camper bow near the kitchen to light the workbench.
I reckon you are best running LEDs from the car battery. They draw so little it is not an issue .
Regards Philip A

Muddy doe (SA) replied:

A Pirahna or similar brand 11 watt 12 volt flouro light coupled with a 17amp hour Projecta (or similar brand) "powertank" would make a unbeatable general camp light that you can use anywhere around the camp.

Outside, the idea is to set it up nice high and it will illuminate a good area. We and a few other friends set up an extendable pole with a small angled bracket that sits in the top and a peg that has a bit of tube welded to it. Drive in the peg then sit the pole in the tube. Sit the light in the bracket at the top of the pole setting it at 45 degrees to the ground. The effect is much like a small streetlight and it is amazing how much coverage you get.

When in groups we set up 2 or three of these around a common area and it is nice and safe and well lit. These flouros use only about 1amp per hour so a 17 AH battery pack will do several nights of a few hours usage easy before plugging into ciggy lighter of car for a recharge while travelling. Alternately a couple of hours on the genny during the day and you have strong silent lighting during the evening when you DON'T want the genny running.

Supplement with a couple of LEDs in your work areas like kitchen and inside the camper and then you are all set. We have found that the LEDs are great for focussed light but you can't beat the 11 watt flouros for area lighting.

A bonus of the Projecta powertank is that it is available to jumpstart the car in a crisis. Also handy if you come across some other poor soul that needs a jumpstart (reduces the chances of a faulty connection in a car to car jumpstart frying your engine management computer).

Cheers
Muddy

Member - michael H (NSW) replied:

Hi Mark, I like the jaycar 21 led lights and have taped them to the inside of the camper with switches. I think they draw .2 amp each have a look at my rig pic at my set up, It might be a bit over the top but it suits me. I have just made up another light set up over the kitchen out of qubelok that i can dismantle and store under the trak shak stove. I'll try and get some photos up shortly I am in the process of modifying the gas stuts on the camper hoping to make it easier to open and close.

Cheers Michael

V8 Troopie replied:

While you enquired for 12v lights, why did you rule out gas lights? I would assume you have gas available for cooking, it also gives an excellent light to do it by. Its likely to be cheaper to run than the most efficient 12V lights when you put the light output into the equation.
If I were planning to stay at one campsite for some days then a gaslight is hard to beat.

Klaus

tdv replied:

I have just returned from 4 months in a camper and my setup was a 20 amp/hr sealed battery in small carry bag with cig socket and 12 volt and 240 volt charger included for $98 from Whitworths (boating supply store, they are online also). I could charge while driving from cig socket. From this I ran a "Col Light" which was more than sufficient to cook and eat by. It draws just 0.8 amps. We were so stuffed each day that it would only be on for 3 hours max a night anyway. As mentioned above it can be moved around easily. I also used the bettery to run electronics in my tinnie. I could get 5 days without charge easily from this setup. Inside the camper I used a coleman rechargable lantern to read by etc. It would only be used for 30min a night on average. I had some problems initially as I was trying to charge it from cig lighter once it went flat which mean't a long recharge time. However once I plugged it in everytime we were on the move there were no problems. It has an easily accessible 4amp? battery in the base which could take charge faster if you just removed it and connect directly to your car battery.

Cheers

Tez

Sand Man (SA) replied:

Mark,

Your qualification of EFFICIENT narrows the market considerably.

Muddy is the only one who is spot on with his recommendation.

The Piranha or Versalite 12 volt fluro (made in the same factory and virtually identical) draw around 1 amp and provide the most effective light output of any 12 volt light source.

They retail for around the $90 mark but are a worthwhile investment all the same.

The next level down is the LED lamp.

Besides the Piranha mentioned above, I also have a LED "worklight" containing 20 rows of 3 LED's for a total of 60.
This light is quite good but is not as bright as the Piranha/Versalite.
The advantages are 1/2 amp power draw and does not attract insects anywhere as much. Good to place around cooking areas, but I always have the fluro going at the other end of the Camper Annex. Price was also around the $90 mark.