installing those LED strip lights under the awning

[joelyn]

on our 21 TT. anyone install these and if so where did u pick up the 12 volt power to make them work and look good?
thanks

[Doug33]

Last week in Delaware, two of my neighbors had these LED lights under their awning, and left them on all night long. Fortunately, their TTs were facing away from me. Otherwise I would have felt like I was in the midway of a local County Fair. They were obnoxiously bright.

[APT]

2012Coleman wrote:

So you are saying to cut the wire where indicated here?

Yes, somewhere between the "brick" (120V AC to 12V DC adapter) and the white controller. Long enough for some slack, but the more wire the more that has to be cleanly stored/hidden. There are sets available from Amazon without the AC-DC adapter - controller and strip only, but you need that round conenctor and $8 is just as reasonable as Radio Shack. Use a meter before you cut that wire in order to determine which is 12V and which is ground.

Will the remote sensor also work if you put it inside the porch light fixture? also, what is the plug that is coming from the center of the spool for?

I drilled a hole in the top of my porch light housing to run the 4-lead wire and antenna out. Once all hooked up and functioning, I sealed the hole up. So yes, the remote works on mine. The antenna wire is tied up in your picture.

...the porch light would be on whenever the LEDs were on - which would not be so good.

Right. I can't imagine you'd still need the porch light, except as a backup in case something were to happen with the LED strip.

You seem to have a good understanding. If you have ever worked with automotive stereos or lighting, I doubt you'll have a problem with this project. My TT is currently @ storage, or I'd snap a few pictures.

[2012Coleman]

APT wrote:
I also have a porch light near one end of my awning. So I spliced that wire and hide the controller in there. This kit would work well. You don't need the AC adapter, but you do need the female plug from it. I just cut that end off and connected to my 12V porch light.

So you are saying to cut the wire where indicated here?


Will the remote sensor also work if you put it inside the porch light fixture? also, what is the plug that is coming from the center of the spool for?


The remote has on/off buttons so it seems this would work for me as I could turn the LEDs off while having the porch light on, but this would also mean the porch light would be on whenever the LEDs were on - which would not be so good.

[APT]

You wont' need the porch light if you get an RGB 300+ LED strip. You can have white, orange, blur, purple, yellow, pink, etc, all plenty bright or not so much. If you do want the porch light also, then you'll want a separate switch for them instead and using the existing wiring doesn't make as much sense.

[Majja13]

Even if you pulled the complete light socket off to get to the wires it ould only take 2 wire nuts to splice it into the light and that way you do not loose the use of the porch light.

[shar3890]

Our refigerator is on the awning side of our trailer. We put all the wires, and the controller inside the compartment and just plugged into the outlet. We let the electric eye exposed through one of the vents. Crazy simple !! No drilling or re-wiring.

[2012Coleman]

joelyn wrote:

toaobigal wrote:
A 1141 bulb is the same socket as a 1156, they're interchangeable.

thanks. so this should fit if anyone looking for one.........

1156/1141



correct me if i am wrong
thanks

Thanks - was hoping this gizmo let you keep the porch light bulb. Maybe splicing is the way to go if you still want the porch light.

Please don't rant about porch lights. We only leave it on if necessary - we plan on returning after dark and the area is not sufficiently lit.

[joelyn]

toaobigal wrote:
A 1141 bulb is the same socket as a 1156, they're interchangeable.

thanks. so this should fit if anyone looking for one.........

1156/1141



correct me if i am wrong
thanks

[myrvhasnotv]

Thanks

[toaobigal]

A 1141 bulb is the same socket as a 1156, they're interchangeable.

[APT]

As far as brightness goes, I have seen several of the OEM white strips. They are just on/off. Mine has 3 color RGB, which let me pick several shades of the rainbow, and dimming controlled via remote.

For the white only OEM setups, you can get a potentiometer or PWM dimmer for under $10,, like this one.

[myrvhasnotv]

I have the led under the awning and I have to say it's too bright. Maybe when it ages and yellows a little it will be nicer. I think just under the skirting might be a better place. It would look like a street rod but the indirect light would be nice and the bugs would be away from the door. We used our old rope lights last trip per the wife's request.

[joelyn]

toaobigal wrote:
The light bulb in the porch light is a 1156, I ordered some 1156 socket adaptors from ebay. It's basically a socket with 2 wires sticking out of it. My LED module is small enough to fit inside the porch light, all you have to do is grind a little groove on the lens so the wire can come out. I can't get the link with my Ipad, but on youtube, the video for LED strip for rv is from FPV DEE.

my porch bulb is a 1141 and i have checked ebay as well as amozon but only found this one which is a different size............

adaptor

anyone have a site for this adapter but for a 1141 bulb? seems like the best way to go with the install

[toaobigal]

The light bulb in the porch light is a 1156, I ordered some 1156 socket adaptors from ebay. It's basically a socket with 2 wires sticking out of it. My LED module is small enough to fit inside the porch light, all you have to do is grind a little groove on the lens so the wire can come out. I can't get the link with my Ipad, but on youtube, the video for LED strip for rv is from FPV DEE.

[pyro383]

here is how I did mine
http://forums.woodalls.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/27723120/gotomsg/27744842.cfm#27744842