LED lights. On Awning Tube or under roof???

I mounted mine right under the awning , and wired it thru the wall above the amber light

Ours is on the roller, which makes it completely useless for us. Since our power awning can't really be deployed during significant rain (I can't change the pitch), the only time we use it is during the daytime for shade. I'd LOVE to have one on the sidewall, but then again we usually sit in the dark at night and enjoy the stars.

I had a set on the roller and got tired of setting up the power and taking it down when the awning came in and out for different reasons.
Our latest set is mounted to the rail the awning connects to on the 5er. This way I can use them with the awning in, shown below, as well as when the awning is all the way out. They are hardwired to the camper so I can run them an any time.

You KZ owners with working LED strips are lucky; very happy with our trailer in general but the light strip was replaced once on warranty and isn't fully working again (off warranty now).

Sorry for hijacking the thread.

flguppie wrote:
Our KZ came with the light strip already mounted and wired in the roll-up tube. This has both pros and cons.....l

We also have the LEDs in the roller in our KZ. We really like it except that it seems too bright at night, especially compared to other RVs nearby. No problem finding our site when walking back to it in the dark! We aim the strip up the awning fabric so it provides more of an indirect lighting effect. With the LED strip in the roller, if anyone is walking towards your TT, you won't get direct glare from the LEDS which you would if they were mounted on the sidewall.

What I don't like is the cool white color of the LEDs which creates a rather cold atmosphere and our light grey exterior makes it seem even colder. I dislike (as in hate) any cool white lamps. When I run out of mods to do, I will look at replacing our LED strip with warm white. If we're just hangin' out around the campfire, we turn the awning lights off and have a set of grape lights hanging off the awning.

If retrofitting LEDs, I don't think there is much of a choice other than mounting on the sidewall.

I wouldn't suggest under the roof, no one would see it there.

I would put it on the sidewall below the awning tube.

I put a strip on my awning tube and rolled it up. No major problems in 3 years, but I had to run my power wires and controller each time I set up. Lights in the rain was also a problem or careful wire running. So I just took that set off and put a strip right under the awning on the TT side. I had a porch light I never used that I used to power and hide the controller. Now I always have the power, awning in or out, rain or moonlight. And I can still use the remote to control it.

If you are using 12V DC power, then this is all you need, along with the round connector and two wires.

Our KZ came with the light strip already mounted and wired in the roll-up tube. This has both pros and cons.....l

Con....We usually sit under the awning with our backs to the TT. The lights on the tube when rolled out are like looking at headlights. You have to roll it further in or out to adjust this (see pro below). If they were on the TT they would be behind us.

Pro....With the power awning I can roll it out all the way and a little beyond so that the light strip points outward. This lights out beyond the awning. Or, I can roll the tube in a little and the lights reflect off the awning and no longer blind us.

Pro....nothing to take down as they are mounted and hard wired through the tube and arm to the tt.

It's nice, but we usually sit out in the dark, around a fire or just use the yellow light on the tt.

Brooder lamp clamped up under the awning on the side arm. Can't see it from the outside. It lights up the entire under awning with a nice white light. AND is directionally adjustable for how you want to light the area.

Plugs into side of RV. Easy take down in seconds if needed to roll up awning in bad weather. 8 years and counting IMHO the best way to light up the RV.

Our new one has the lighting against the wall under the awning. The benefit of this is that it lights up the wall and the underneath of the awning, which ends up giving you more light. If it was out on the roller you'd lose a lot of the ambient light. I also feel like if you did it on the roller tube, it'd have to be one that you put up every trip and take it down before rolling it in.