We’ve been working on improving the rear lounge in our project caravan. With only a single ceiling lamp and no means of charging phones, devices or Bluetooth speakers, a nice little upgrade plan was hatched. Penny, our 1998 caravan, is getting some rear spotlamps. Not just any old lamps, however. To bring our caravan up to date, these new lamps would come with USB charging sockets.
Don’t miss the other recent projects I’ve carried out in Penny too, including how I fitted a caravan safe and how I repaired a sagging drawer.
Choosing LED spotlights for a caravan
First things first for adding these caravan upgrades – we needed some lamps. We are keen to make sure that Penny is parsimonious with her power requirements, so LED lamps were a must, rather than cheaper halogen options which are commonly available second-hand. There were plenty to pick from on Amazon, and we opted for ones that not only have charging sockets, but also had touch controls, rather than actual switches. We also decided a subtle nickel finish suited our tastes more than the gold ones upfront.
Mounting the lights isn’t really a problem thanks to the overhead lockers, but there wasn’t an easy source of power available. Our first thought was to try and tease a cable under the shower tray from our supplementary fuse box to provide the power. That would work, but the cable runs would have been complicated.
In a caravan, all the interior lights are typically on a single circuit. That means that, when you leave the van, you can flick the main switch and kill the lights. You can connect new lights directly to the battery and they will work. However, if you turn off the main light switch, your lights on a separate circuit will be left on, meaning you’ll come back to a flat battery and will be eating your dinner in the dark – very much a caravanning mistake to avoid!.
To ensure the lights could not be left on, they would need to be connected up to the main light circuit. There are two ways to do this; adding extra lights into the existing circuit is the easiest. Simply connect them to the nearest light in the circuit and you are done.
The other option is to run a new power supply directly from the battery, but use a relay to ensure that, if the main circuits are off, the additional lights cannot be powered on. That was a possibility, but added complexity that we were keen to avoid.
In the end, we worked out that with a bit of careful threading of cable, we could get a supply from the main light switch in the kitchen.
Ordinarily, the main doorway might have been an issue, but we’d already run cables across the doorway when upgrading the exterior light last year. We could get into the old conduit and run a cable across to the back of the van. Once the cable is in the rear lockers, it’s a simple matter of getting the cables through the locker bases to the light fittings, and neatly tucked out of the way.
The final consideration is where to mount the lights. Penny has a bunk under the lockers at the back and we occasionally have stowaway nieces and nephews who use that bed, so we needed to get the new lights as far forward as possible. We worked out sensible positions for the lamps before we reached for the drill in our caravan tool kit to start drilling holes.
Looking for more essentials for your tool kit? Don’t miss our guide to the best socket sets, they can be an important piece of touring kit.
The final result
With the lights fitted and all the sawdust cleared up, we were pleased with the overall appearance of the new lights, but it wasn’t until it got dark we could see how well they worked. They are pretty bright, but we have found that by rotating the lenses towards the wall, you can diffuse the light and ensure that final glass of wine in the evening is a little more magical.
Don’t miss the DIY project I carried out to make it easier to charge our phones when off-grid, either.
A step-by-step guide to fitting LEDs with USB charging sockets in a caravan
Future Publishing Limited, the publisher of Practical Caravan, provides the information in this article in good faith and makes no representation as to its completeness or accuracy. Individuals carrying out the instructions do so at their own risk and must exercise their independent judgement in determining the appropriateness of the advice to their circumstances and skill level. Individuals should take appropriate safety precautions and be aware of the risk of electrocution when dealing with electrical products. To the fullest extent permitted by law, neither Future nor its employees or agents shall have any liability in connection with the use of this information. You should check that any van warranty will not be affected before proceeding with DIY projects.
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