LED Underlighting

[xaugievike]

Morning all - thought I'd share a little project I'd been working on for the last few days.

Over the past few years I've been using some bucket lights i made as soft underlighting for nights around the campfire.


They work very well. they're easy to make and quite inexpensive. They're especially useful when my group corals our rigs at various races as they serve to light up all the canopies we set up during the night time hours. However for family camping my daughter and other kids (and adults) have really liked them and asked lots of questions about how to make their own. Somewhere along the road I started changing the color (by rotating bulbs out) almost every night....which led to more passers by "just to see what color you picked tonight."

Well, inspiration struck me a week ago. My dad picked up this set and mounted them on his motorhome as an awning light.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Even though i like my bucket lights, using this system to underlight the rig appealed to me. less stuff to carry around, zero set up, and now i can change the color at a push of the button. here's what i did:

the strip is marked with "cut lines" along it's length. I didnt want to waste light illuminating the back side of my tires, so i thought i'd try to split the strip in front and behind the axles. to do that I cut at an indicated point, and soldered in some lengths of thin gauge wire


bench test:


next i tied the strip into the 12v system (the light kit comes with a 120 to 12v adapter - i just cut a length off the 12v side of the converter and wired it directly in) by tapping into a light fixture located in the front storage bay of my fiver and added a new switch.


the light strip comes with 3m adhesive. I attached it to the aluminum side skirting that wraps to my underbelly. I mounted it along the row of screws that secures the skirting to the frame....and though not really visible here, i used some thin metal "cable clamps" that i bent flat and then attached using those existing screws to mount up as secondary support (EDIT - Now shown in post 4).

[xaugievike]

and the payoff:

[TandE]

I like it. I was going to do the same thing to mine but haven't gotten around to it yet. Very nice install. What did you use to mount to the trailer? Just the double sided tape that was on the strips?

[xaugievike]

the adhesive is the primary method. but since i mounted along a row of screws, i hammered some cable clamps flat and mounted as shown to act as secondary support....if the adhesive lets go this should at least stop them from flopping around.

[TandE]

Good call. I will be doing this soon.

[mobile42]

Not to sound too sarcastic but them lights sure remind me of some of them "Lowriders" driving around downtown Albuquerque with those lights mounted in their inner fenderwells and underneath their cars . It don't make sense to me why they do that. I guess it beats moving them buckets around though! It's a great accomplishment when you can brighten up the ol RV.

[tanman32225]

It looks like a larger version of my golf cart.. Nice job...

[chain_dogg]

Looks great !

[FTWingRiders]

Looks great!! Now you've got me thinking...

I've added LEDs on my motorcycle, the key is to add a bead of clear silicone alongs the edge, and especially on the end if you cut it. Been using them for a couple of years, and never had them even come loose.

[Rick1300]

I have had these for a while and love them!! I will say that the green seems to attract more bugs for some reason then the other colors.

[PilotIndy]

I ordered the lights this past Monday and I am planning on doing this as one of the first mods to my new '13 Keystone Hideout. I pick up my trailer this Saturday from the dealership.

Having been out in a dark, dark state park campground.. This modification will be a great way to light up the area around the trailer and make it easier to pick it out from several other trailers.

Plus, any bugs attracted to the light, will be down low and not flying up around the bug light at the top of the door. Hopefully, keeping them out of the trailer when the door is opened and the wife from screaming at me to kill some intruding flying insect.

I will make a note to self.. Avoid the green...

On a serious note.. Any color seem to be better than others for not attracting those night time flying insects?

[x96mnn]

I like it, very nice!

[wbatto]

I like it very cool

[Lms]

I like the idea. Had seen the LED light under the awning, but not underneath. Looks good.

[Vet4jdc]

Ordered my LED light strip this week and hope to do the same thing!

[michol02]

Very nice, I'm experimenting with the bucket light idea. I put some small LED lights on the front of the Cougar, so us and friends can find the camp spot at night.

[cvizgo]

Great Mod. I'm looking to do the same thing. I think I've seen your rig before, do you do Nascar?

[S&Dfz331]

I had thought of doing this to the underbelly of mine but was afraid they would fly off going down the RD. I did put them in the awning real ran the wiring down the arm and a small extetion cord to the outside outlet. The kids loved them so much I have them going around the ceiling of thier bedroom at the house..

[cvizgo]

Thanks for the great idea!!!

[ohiocougar]

Thanks for the idea, DH has been asked to have this done for me by next spring