Last weekend I left the porch light on for a couple of hours while I was up visiting at my friends' house, so I could find my way back in the dark, and the bulb burned out. I swapped in a new bulb - same thing the next night, it burned out within 90 minutes. Is there a problem with the wiring/current, or are they simply not designed to be left on for more than an hour?
I have no idea how to troubleshoot this. Any help would be appreciated!
Joan
I had a similar problem and changed it out with an LED bulb. I tend to run it all night and it has lasted all this season and still going strong.
I talked to Kent at Scamp Trailers today. He said there have been a number of reports of these lights burning out in the last few months, and he thinks they got a batch of bad bulbs from somewhere, so he's going to send me a couple new ones. We'll see how it goes. Meanwhile, I do have some LEDs on standby. I don't like them much, because in spite of their being advertised to give out a warm white light, they're actually that cold blue-white.
Anyway. Just thought I'd update anyone following this thread.
Joan
I changed all of my interior bulbs and some of my exterior bulbs to inexpensive LED bulbs that I bought online. I chose warm white LED bulbs rather than cool white.. I also changed the clear porch light lens on the Scamp to amber so as not to attract flying insects. The amber lens is pretty inexpensive also. The LED's produce little heat and draw much less amperage. I would suggest this change to everyone.
SG
Sort of an OLD update: I received a couple new bulbs from Evelands, but they're the wrong kind: they're what you'd put in a fixture over the galley, not the porch. AND they're incandescent. Weird how Scamp can have misunderstood the issue. Anyway, problem can be marked as "not solved," so far. I strongly suspect it's to do with the heat generated by the OEM incandescent bulb. But if so, *why continue to use that technology??!!!?* Grrrr.
I have a couple spare LEDs that I can put into those exterior fixtures. We'll see if they last. Tthere will be no real test possible until about May 2017: This is the Northland, after all.
Three big reasons I have found to burn out lightbulbs are 1) over voltage due to charging, 2) Bad connection causing unstable voltage, 3) bulb made in CHINA. GOOD LEDs may last better.
Just an update: As of this spring, there's no solution for my Scamp's porch light burn-out problem other than to switch to LED's. Scamp folks think it's a heat problem, as I have also suspected. I hear that at some point (when exactly wasn't clear) they're changing the fixtures on new Scamps.
By the way, I haven't found an LED bulb that fits in those fixtures, or in the (optional) reading lights, that isn't a substantially harsher, whiter light, even though they are marketed as "warm." Nor have I found a source that cites a temperature, and suspect the temp of these lights is around 3500K or more. The "warm" ones that fit in all the standard fixtures over the galley really are a more comfortable color; wish I could find something like that. So if anyone knows a brand that fits the bill and a site where they can be ordered, please share. Thank you!
The last time I purchased LED Bulbs. I purchased from LightInTheBox.com. They had several 12v bulbs that listed Color Temperature in the Detailed Descriptions. The Bulbs I purchased were "Warm White" ( around 2900k). When I received the bulbs they did, in fact, seem to be true "Warm White", while not as yellow as a 2700k incandescent bulb, they were warm nonetheless Warm White (closer to 3000k).
LED Bulb descriptions are better now than they were a couple of years ago when describing the light output/color from the LED bulbs.
Interestingly, I am currently making new custom fixtures for my camper using the new bulbs I purchased. They will not resemble any other RV light fixture.
As Always,
Happy Scamping !!!
Here's the link to LED with color equal (almost) to standard Scamp lamp. Amazon product. Grv T10 921 194 24-3528 SMD LED Bulb lamp Super Bright Warm White AC/DC 12V -28V Pack of 10. Pack of 10 is more than enough, and we found one LED that didn't work. So spares are good.
Scamp provided us with LED for the adjustable 13' bed reading lights although they are white light. I think the base of those reading lights are the same as exterior lights(?).
bill & valerie 2016 13' 2017 Kia Sorento EX V6, AWD