LED Replacement lights

Hi All,
Am changing over the fluorescent 18 watt 12v light units on my campervan to 7 watt 12v, can any one advise me on what connectors to use to join up the red/black wires from behind bulkhead to wires on new unit please.
Just in case there is there is moisture from temp changes through the year.

Thank you.

There seems to be quite a lot of variation from model to model. In some cases A/S used Lucar connectors, but I've also seen cases where the fitting is wired at the factory into a screw-terminal connector block (which I would not recommend).

The crudest way of connecting them in would be a crimped butt splice - but I don't like them because it's fairly easy to crimp them badly and end up with a bad joint.

I've always used Lucars with plastic insulating boots, because it makes it easier to remove the light to work on at a later date - and I always use the soldered type because that gives the best long-term reliability. However, even with occasional damp from condensation, the crimp-on type should be Ok too.

Bullet connectors are another option - I tend not to use them because they can be harder to solder than Lucars.

Lucar-type crimped connectors should be readily available from Halfords, or you can buy them online from places such as Vehicle Wiring Products - they will be cheaper at the latter, but the difference is not so much when you account for shipping...

If it's feasible, I would solder the wire ends together and insulate using heat shrink tubing.

Simple, reliable, damp proof and no "lumpy" bits to accommodate if space is limited.

Agreed - if space/access is tight then heatshrink is the way to go. The lucars with plastic interlocking boots are better overall, but it's quite common to have to open out the hole that the wire passes through if you use them, and that's not always easy to do. It sometimes helps to offset the two joins (one closer to the light than the other) if space is tight so that they don't have to sit side-by-side.

-mojo- wrote:It sometimes helps to offset the two joins (one closer to the light than the other) if space is tight so that they don't have to sit side-by-side.

Didn't think to mention that Mojo.

It's also much safer in case the heat shrink insulation is compromised. Each soldered joint will be adjacent to a length of unstripped wire, so double the insulation.

Thank you to all, Lucar type connectors is the way forward...great.