12 volt light fixture?

Hello, I'm brand new here. I had a look around and I've got to say that I've never been so confused about 12 volt stuff.

I grew up using a 12 volt solar cell to trickle charge 3 deep cycle batteries. My dad is a chemical engineer and he put the system together. It was enough to light our 3 room fishing camp for a few nights in a row and watch a little tv before you had to give the batteries a rest. It was really great not to have to fire up a noisy generator. We would sit on the porch and just enjoy the evenings. Ahhh, but all that ended with a hurricane in 1997. The whole camp went.

Just recently I got my own fishing camp here in Texas. I still hate the noise of a generator. I go out there to enjoy the peace and quiet, you know what I'm talking about? Well anyway I've been trying to replicate the setup we had at the old camp. I got 3 batteries, a nice big solar panel with a charge controller. I use old lamps that I've gotten for free. I pop the plug off, add battery clips and use 12 volt incandescent 50 watt bulbs from the auto parts store. Everything works just fine, but I know it can be a lot better. I also like using a fan for the hot months upcoming. I've got a little 150 watt inverter to run a 20 inch box fan and everything works great. I even run the little black and white tv off of the system.

Problem is, in the summer months with using a fan, I really need some more efficient lights to keep from cycling the batteries too deep. I'd like to go fluorescent and I did try the spiral fluorescent screw in 12 volt bulbs to replace the incandescents, but they only lasted about 3 months. I was pretty upset about that given their price, but they really were a lot more efficient. Talk about junk though. I only got about 12 nights out of them.

I'm looking for advice about what to get. I wouldn't mind getting a few of the fluorescent 12 volt fixtures, but I'm very confused about which way to go. Should I try the screw in bulbs again? If so, where can I get some quality ones? Should I go with fixtures that use regular fluorescent bulbs but run off of 12 volt? I know I could just get regular ones and run them off an inverter, but that kind of leads to less efficiency, plus I'd rather not have to buy another inverter.

If anyone has any advice, I'd sure appreciate it. But before you type, please know this. I am a history teacher and a coach, not an engineer like my dad. I finally just found out that PVC is a fancy way to say solar cell. Please don't use any acronyms or abbreviations that a regular guy like me won't understand. And finally, also being a teacher, I have to be very price conscious. Nothing too fancy. It's a fishing camp, not a home. Many thanks in advance, Sandy