Rv Awning Led Strip Lights project

I installed a 16.5' cheap ($20) strip from Amazon under my awning 3 years ago. Use it all the time, wired through a dimmer that gives me full brightness control. Absolutely love it! No issues, no failures, still going strong. Mine is 5500K color temp, which is pure white; look very similar to the one in the awning pics by FIRE UP. I'm not a fan of the blueish "cool white" (like FIRE UP's undercarriage & step) nor the yellowish "warm white" (like incandescents).

To each their own, but I walked through the campground the other day and y'all look funny under that bright white light under the awning, almost like the tint under a black light. Nothing looks natural. I'm all for the LED nose art, but that white light ain't for me.

Soldering iron threw the awning :E. ROTFLMAO

Ivylog wrote:
I've had good luck will all of my cheap Ebal LEDs except for the strip light ones. After less than a year of limited use too many of the leds have stopped working. I add a 5M strip under my awning and 1/3rd have stoped working. I hope you have better luck with yours than I have.

Ivylog,
I'm certainly not proud of what I paid for the strip I've installed just under my awning 'cause all in all, AFTER the initial kit my son got me for fathers day three years ago, I added another $87.00 worth of sections to the initial kit which, made the total length about 14'-16' long. The initial kit was about $110 or so at my sons RV service center in San Diego but, he got it for much less due to being an employee.

But, the point is, I installed that whole system about 3.5 years ago and, it's still working flawlessly. And, I can dim it way down to the point it's barely visible or, it will go bright enough to very easily read a book at midnight (if one would choose to do so) sitting not even directly underneath it. Now, I don't know if paying more, gets you a better actual LED system, be it a strip or, bulb or what?

There's been countless arguments/discussions on here and other RV forums about LEDs and, how much folks have paid for theirs, from here or from China or where ever. At present, the ones you see under the awning are the most expensive I'd ever seen. But, the ones you see under the coach and, under the step, are somewhat cheap-Os, purchased from Amazon. They weren't from China, as I was lead to believe, but from some place here in the U.S. They too have been on for quite some time but, not as long as the under-awning ones.
Scott

P.S. By the way, in the picture with the steps, you're not looking directly at the LED strip. You're looking at the reflection of it, 'cause it's upside down, mounted on the underside of the door sill lip, to light up the top step.

I've had good luck will all of my cheap Ebal LEDs except for the strip light ones. After less than a year of limited use too many of the leds have stopped working. I add a 5M strip under my awning and 1/3rd have stoped working. I hope you have better luck with yours than I have.

Since you seem to have a similar Vista to ours, I thought you might like to see my additions...
http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/28908867.cfm
http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/28903810.cfm
http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/28908836.cfm
http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/28901905.cfm

Well Sir,
Not bad, not bad at all. I did the same thing, about 3 years ago on our '04 Itasca Horizon. Yep, I too wanted better lighting under that awning. Well, before I knew about LED lighting strips, for Fathers day, my son got me a "kit" (marketed by Dometic) for LED lighting for under awning. It came with a 36" strip and, some 120VAC and 12VDC power wiring. Long story short, I added three more sections to that original one and, powered everything up with 12VDC.

It (the kit) came with a remote that, also has buttons to dim and brighten it. The project took me the better part of a day and, like yours, it's a welcome addition. And, if you like that, then maybe you'll like two of my other LED projects. I did an "Under body" strip light and, an "under step" LED strip.

Now, it's not so bright that you need sunglasses at night but, those two added lighting sections, sure make for safer placement on steps and, also a more subtle arrangement of lighting, based on your wants and desires, in the evening.

And, none of it will disturb fellow campers. All are controlled independently of each other. Fun projects and, serve a great purpose.
Scott

I love your well organized work shop , it looks just like my garage.
Siggy