Exterior Light Added LED Strip light with Pictures

[NewToUs]

We upgraded the outside light as we found that prepping food or arriving or packing up in the dark, the outside light was just not practical. My dear handy husband came up with an idea to add an extra switch on the orange outside light. This way we can have the original light working together with the strip light, which lights up the whole camp ground so bright it can be. But then we can also flip the little switch outside and have only the orange light on for a more romantic soft light. This was one of our best mods. It eliminated us bringing along the Coleman light we previously used outside to prep food by.

[Kylesmith3021]

whats the connector that goes in outside light to connect to led strip light

[NewToUs]

I believe it had some glue to the back of it and its self adhesive and has been on for a year now almost. So holding up very well.

[allen8106]

How did you get the light strip to stick to the wall permanently?

[kerrlakeRoo]

In Defense of what Roy was saying, I too live in Va, but have also lived in many other states. Virginia says, and I'll bet many other states do as well that any exterior clearance light or fog light which is installed must work. It doesnt have to be a part of the vehicles original equipment, if it is physically on the vehicle (and yes they inspect trailers too) it must work when the vehicles lights are on. It appears that the mod had used a type of light that is frequently used as a clearance light which could be construed as needing to come on when the trailer was hitched to the truck and the truck lights were on.
If the light were of a type that was not considered a clearance light it would not pose a problem either way.
I think it was a little misunderstanding on what he was trying to say.

[TNGW1500SE]

RoyB wrote:
Our problem here in Virginia is that we have Annual Inspection required at the State DOT Inspection stations. They love to fail your inspection and make you remove the items in front of them before they will issue your inspection sticker... Our OFF-ROAD JEEPS suffered big time with all the external lighting you can find to add to them... Use too you could add socks over them but not in todays world...

The biggest craze today is the neat looking LED PANEL that go behind the front grill.... Some get away it but most don't...

Google image

Just saying - Didn't mean to start up a mess - I will delete my post if you all like... I got shot down recently posting about DOT rules and enforcement on not having a working battery on board when it comes to Break-AWAY Switch actions... Guess I am the only one on here that follows the rules hehe...

By the way NewToUs - I added exterior lights to my awning as well and changed out my outside porch light to one of those motion detector LED SL-1000 lights...

Roy Ken

Don't delete anything. Everybody adds something.

In Tennessee we don't have any inspections.

PS: WE SHOULD! People will drive anything!

[NewToUs]

Thank you everyone especially BarneyS for helping me find my way here with uploading the pics correctly. I have fixed my original post now and pics are showing up lovely.

[BarneyS]

NewToUs wrote:
Can someone please tell me why my pictures is not showing up please? I am new to posting pics here, but I did previously managed to get my pictures to be right on the page. Now it seems you have to click on the link to open them, which I dont like. I feel so discouraged now to share our mods. The uploading of pics is now not working for me. Please help.

Take a look at this thread for a simple, easy way to post pictures on our forums. All you do is:

1. Upload your picture to this site.

2. Copy the resulting URL and paste it into your post without making any alterations to it. NO additions or subtractions!

3. Your picture will then appear in your post and be properly sized for use in the forums.

So simple even a caveman could do it! :W
Barney

[ChuckV1]

Boy I guess some of the semi's out west here really don't want to come back to Virginia, they have LED marker lights outlining the top and bottom of the trailers and trucks (truckers call the chicken lights). Some are so bight it lights up the HWY all around them, looks pretty but I'll bet it is a full time job keeping them all lit even thought LED's last allot longer the the old marker lights.

We have LED lights in a V shape on the nose of our 5th wheel that can be lit, as well within our awning roller once the awning is unrolled ...

Safe travels

[Blacklane]

I love this mod. It addresses two of my personal values for camping:

1. Get Outside: It is so much more enjoyable to cook and eat outside than in a tiny RV. This allows you to do that much more. Very few RVs are really set-up for activities outside the RV.

2. Don't be afraid of the dark: You retained the ability to darken your camp area so you can enjoy a fire or the stars on a dark night. Walking around most campgrounds is like walking in a city: bright white lights that stay on all night.

Let the haters hate. The DOT doesn't care about lights that are not used while on the road

[RoyB]

Our problem here in Virginia is that we have Annual Inspection required at the State DOT Inspection stations. They love to fail your inspection and make you remove the items in front of them before they will issue your inspection sticker... Our OFF-ROAD JEEPS suffered big time with all the external lighting you can find to add to them... Use too you could add socks over them but not in todays world...

The biggest craze today is the neat looking LED PANEL that go behind the front grill.... Some get away it but most don't...

Google image

Just saying - Didn't mean to start up a mess - I will delete my post if you all like... I got shot down recently posting about DOT rules and enforcement on not having a working battery on board when it comes to Break-AWAY Switch actions... Guess I am the only one on here that follows the rules hehe...

By the way NewToUs - I added exterior lights to my awning as well and changed out my outside porch light to one of those motion detector LED SL-1000 lights...

Roy Ken

[TNGW1500SE]

RoyB wrote:
.........I was wanting to add back-up lights to one of my trailers and finally went to the DMV to talk about what I was wanting to do...........

There's your problem. Never ask! Just do it. Everything is illegal. I added 55 watt fog lights to the back of my boat trailer so I could see backing down the boat ramp. They came on in reverse. I'm sure they were illegal but I never got pulled over for them. As long as they're off who's going to care?

[spoon059]

RoyB wrote:
Adding lights to trailers always make one wonder if what you are doing is legal in the eyes of the state DOT office.

Fairly certain the DOT has nothing to say about lights that aren't designed to be on whilst traveling down the road. Check your patio lights on your camper, let us know if they are DOT approved...

[Ralph_Cramden]

RoyB wrote:
Adding lights to trailers always make one wonder if what you are doing is legal in the eyes of the state DOT office. They have the general approved plan for the required SAFETY LIGHTS

Generally added lights to the sides of trailers will not be frown on by DOT.

One must be very conscious when adding unapproved lights and fixtures on the front and rear of the trailers... These are things that might accidentally get turned on and cause safety problems when be driven or pulled down public roadways... Hopefully the annual state inspections catch the problem areas before anything bad happens.

I was wanting to add back-up lights to one of my trailers and finally went to the DMV to talk about what I was wanting to do and it would have been very much illegal in their eyes. Glad I asked before putting money into the mod project...

Just saying....

Roy Ken

The RV manufacturers do not worry about it when they add awning lighting, convenience lighting at hitch and dump valve areas, and the annoying decorative lighting on front caps and under skirting. If the added lights are not tied into the running or other indicator lights and illuminated while the vehicle is in motion a local DMV or LEO can pound salt. The arrangement of minuimum required lighting is dictated by the Feds by the way. (NHTSA)

[RoyB]

Adding lights to trailers always make one wonder if what you are doing is legal in the eyes of the state DOT office. They have the general approved plan for the required SAFETY LIGHTS

Generally added lights to the sides of trailers will not be frown on by DOT.

One must be very conscious when adding unapproved lights and fixtures on the front and rear of the trailers... These are things that might accidentally get turned on and cause safety problems when be driven or pulled down public roadways... Hopefully the annual state inspections catch the problem areas before anything bad happens.

I was wanting to add back-up lights to one of my trailers and finally went to the DMV to talk about what I was wanting to do and it would have been very much illegal in their eyes. Glad I asked before putting money into the mod project...

Just saying....

Roy Ken