[VAC] Re: Compact Flourescent Bulbs

[Jim Dunmyer <jdunmyer@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Jim,
 The power supply ("ballast") is powered from the 12VDC system in the
trailer and operates a standard 120VAC fluorescent tube.

The older A/S trailers (before about 1965 or thereabouts) used
dual-voltage fixtures in some applications; there is both a 12-volt and
a 120-volt bulb in the same fixture. Later on, they went to straight
12-volt lighting (our 1968 was that way), with the UniVolt supplying the
juice when connected to shore power. If you have the straight 12-volt
system, you simply replace the old fixture with the new. I drilled the
fixture backplate to match the existing holes in the A/S (after removing
the tube, of course), then just connected them. Unlike the
incandescents, the new fixtures are polarity-sensitive, so make sure
that the '+' connection on the fixture is attached to the Black wire in
the ceiling.

If you never operate away from shore power, this is probably a
superfluous upgrade. However, if you often camp where you don't have
shore power, these lights will stretch your battery life by quite a bit.

                                     <<Jim>>