LED lighting for motorhomes: tips and buying guide

Improving the quality of LED lighting for motorhomes, a natural issue

Focus on the different lighting technologies over time! The first and most popular were filament bulbs known as "halogen" providing a white/yellow light, but with very poor luminous efficiency. These bulbs were first replaced by xenon models already 30 years ago, and more recently by LEDs.

Less well known than presbyopia in your fifties, the need for light also increases significantly over time and active safety is compromised. Of course, all the major manufacturers of lighting devices know this as well as those who have experienced it.

Just like shock absorbers, it is a progressive but very real physiological deterioration that a healthy and balanced diet can only slow down.

Beyond this amount of light, measured in Lux, we must not forget its color. Ideally, it should be close to that of daylight white. This is why the bulbs in our cars have changed from yellow to white since the 70s-80s, just like road markings. In optics, color is measured in degrees kelvin and it is accepted that daylight is around 6000-6500 K. Note that the best white halogen bulbs peak at only about 4500-5000 K.

In other words, their color appears white compared to previous yellows, but it is still far from the ideal target of 6000-6500 K. Finally, to ensure homogeneous and non-dazzling lighting for oncoming vehicles, it is also necessary to ensure that the light generation is in the right place in the headlight optics. In the case of a parabolic reflector, it will be the focal point. Now, this point is tiny by definition. This is why the precision of the bulb holder manufacturing is crucial. Once again, this purchase criterion remains little known and therefore neglected. For all these reasons, AGM Vision has become a recognized expert in improving the lighting of all vehicles including recreational vehicles and two-wheelers!

Today, the main activity at AGM Vision is lighting expertise, especially based on very high quality LEDs. This qualifier is deliberately plural since it includes not only the increase in luminous flux, but also its color, its actual electrical consumption and its indispensable precision for homogeneous lighting. The latter is essential so as not to dazzle other users while being more visible, with optimized lighting quality according to the allocated budget, but always superior to the original.

How does AGM Vision develop LED lighting for motorhomes?

The AGM Vision lab includes a radio-spectrometer allowing very precise measurement of colorimetry, which will be translated by an average figure expressed in degrees Kelvin (K). Thus, daylight white corresponds to 6000-6500 K whereas a classic so-called white halogen bulb will not exceed 3500 K and will remain pale yellow.

Other important parameters, the luxmeter allows quantification of the luminous intensity in Lux at the measurement point, located on a white wall in the lab 4 m from the optics.

By globally scanning the light beam, its homogeneity and absence of glare in case of crossing can be evaluated. This last quality is closely linked to the quality of manufacturing and the precision of the placement of the LED chips, thus the light sources. Note that at AGM Vision, the best available technology is always used, namely fourth generation CSPs…

Finally, AGM Vision is equipped with 2 lumen spheres, the large one for powerful main headlight bulbs and the small one to measure other signaling bulbs.

Once calibrated, they allow precise measurement of the total amount of light emitted by a bulb and to obtain a complete analysis sheet via the dedicated LightSource software.

Let us not forget the actual electrical consumption of all these models where AGM Vision was able to measure some so-called 55 W halogen bulbs at more than 75 W while LEDs consume 4 to 5 times less!

Note here that a 14W LED will offer the same luminous intensity as a classic 55 W h7 halogen with a very clear gain in whiteness and a slight decrease in fuel consumption. This is why so many new cars use them given the strong CO2 constraints linked to fuel appetite.

Another advantage of these LEDs, instant ignition ideal for headlights and a much longer lifespan of 2000 to 4000 hours compared to 1000 to 1500 in xenon and less than 1000 in halogen.

All these measurements are synthesized by the Pro LightSource software. It allows comparison of any technologies or bulb models in order to choose the most efficient, meeting the use desired by the customer, for the road and for competition. Be aware that more than a hundred competing models are tested before being able to offer an optimal solution in terms of lighting, reliability and compatibility.

The advanced electronic monitoring of the latest multiplexed cars sometimes requires adding a small anti-error module to avoid displaying a false alert on the dashboard and acoustic interference in the audio system.

All this expertise is the result of a titanic work carried out, even on weekends, by the two passionate brothers, founders of AGM Vision. All this without reaching stratospheric budgets! For this, AGM Vision groups its orders with a major American brand before launching manufacturing in China, the undisputed world leader in the field.

Thanks to numerous technical trainings and many investments in professional optical measuring machines, AGM Vision is recognized among the best experts in the field. From halogen to the latest LEDs, including xenons that arrived in cars more than 30 years ago, the AGM Vision catalog also covers classic cars with their typical yellow color up to the 80s.

Called VINTAGE and GOLD XP, these LED ranges improve period lighting. Economical in electricity, they are recommended for historic collector vehicles very often equipped with only a low-power dynamo until the early 70s.

Other sectors optimized by AGM Vision, heavy goods vehicles (24V), off-road, agricultural tractors and competition not to mention very powerful construction site lighting. They can benefit from additional headlights and LED bars designed according to the specifications resulting from the measurements.

Our selection of LED lighting for motorhomes

To summarize, here is a selection from the AGM Vision range, if you want good lighting for your motorhome carrier.

Front lighting (low beam, high beam, front fog lights):

• High range: Millenium 2 measured with 6 times more luminous intensity, equipped with an icy white 8000 K but not bluish unlike xenon and without UV harmful to the retina as well as to the optics!
• Premium Titanium XS range with 4 times more luminous intensity in pure white 6000 K.
• Intermediate Ventirad XS range with an excellent power/precision compromise with 2 to 3 times more luminous intensity in pure white 6000 K.
• Specific Ultra Slim range, designed to be installed when available space is limited, all without sacrificing power.
• Smart range designed for front fog lights or unfavorable conditions such as dirt, water, sand, which is why this range is preferred for front fog lights.

Additional lighting, LED bar, LED strip, LED headlight (proximity, long range, etc.):

• 1-row LED bar: Slim SP and Reflecta S5 range for bumper integration.
• 2-row LED bar: Dual SPX range for maximum power.
• 1-row LED bar: Flood range, with wide lighting, very useful for reversing lights and for proximity lighting.
• Additional LED headlights: LED headlight for proximity lighting, long range, high power LED headlight, etc.

Note that the website currently offers no less than 12 tutorials based on the experience of our two experts who can also install their products in their premises, if necessary.

Examples of LED lighting for Fiat Ducato and Ford Transit

To obtain all the available references for Fiat Ducato since 1989, Ford Transit since 1991 or Custom not to mention Iveco (Since Daily 1 from 1978!), select your carrier model in the "Car" section on the AGM Vision website homepage. For the dominant example of the Ducato X250-290 platform carrier from 2006 to 2020, all 18 bulb references are available in LED version, including for the interior of the cabin and, on request, the complete backlighting of the dashboard! Tested on a Fiat Ducato Florium Baxter, the h7 LED Millenium 2 for low and high beam provide a range of more than 500 m! A spectacular gain in active safety also thanks to a bright white color, but pleasant because without ultraviolet.

Side, indicators, should the relay be replaced on Fiat Ducato and Ford Transit?

Thanks to the LED range: Ultra, Ventirad or Supreme, there is no need to replace the indicator relay. These LED bulbs are available in the following models: PY21W BAU15S, T20-W21W, T15-W16W and also: HPC24WY, PCY16W, PH24WY, PSY19W, PSY24W, PWY24W, PY24W, etc. These are Plug & Play LED bulbs designed with an integrated and calibrated resistor to avoid fast flashing, as you may have noticed when installing an unsuitable LED.

Text based on the article written by a scientific journalist and former INSA engineer for the website Esprit Camping-Car.