Power Awning/LED lights

[SVichera]

I want to install LED lights along the trailer under the awning. Does anyone know where the wire that provides power to the awning is run into the inside of the trailer? I would like to avoid drilling any holes. Has anyone installed LED lights before? My trailer is a 3220bh. Thanks

[B&T]

Originally Posted by SVichera

I want to install LED lights along the trailer under the awning. Does anyone know where the wire that provides power to the awning is run into the inside of the trailer? I would like to avoid drilling any holes. Has anyone installed LED lights before? My trailer is a 3220bh. Thanks

Don't know about the awning power but:

I installed two multicolor sets with controller, one on awning roller and the other on the side under the awning. I avoided drilling holes by routing the wires from the controller to the lights through the awning arm. Used a white plastic wiring channel to get the wires from the bottom of the awning arm to underneath the TT where I found some existing wire entry holes going up to the converter. Mounted the light controller on the back on the filler panel under the converter with the IR remote control sensor coming out at the top edge. Tapped into an existing 12v line for the controller in that area.

[f6bits]

If it's like mine, the wire runs down the bracket that mounts the awning to the side of your trailer. Somewhere near the bottom, it enters the trailer wall and then to my control center. This being the case, I couldn't route power that way and ended up just drilling through the wall into my control center.

[SVichera]

F6bits,
Do you have a photo showing where you drilled?

[f6bits]

This is from my thread on the installation:
http://www.keystonerv.org/forums/sho...7&postcount=20

[diugo]

IMHO the easiest place to drill is into the space directly below the fridge vent. It is then a piece of cake to fish the wire down to the terminal block where the fridge gets its 12VDC power. If you don't want to mount the controller outside, this option also lets you install it in the fridge compartment, with the IR sensor sticking out through the service door.

The only drawback is that you have to center tap a single strip. Alternatively, you can run two separate shorter strips fore and aft.

[f6bits]

The center connection idea isn't so bad. The new spools I got are wired at both ends. Cut the spool in the middle and you have two shorter pre-wired strips.

[SVichera]

would you need two control boxes then if you cut the strip in the middle?

[diugo]

They make controllers with dual connectors that can run two strips simultaneously. These things are amazingly cheap on eBay---just search for "LED strip controller".

But if you're handy with a soldering iron, you can solder a small, discreet cable directly to the back of the strip in the middle, so it's not even visible---the strip completely covers the hole. Then solder the bulky connector to the other end of the cable in the fridge service compartment. Or simply skip the connector issue altogether and just solder the cable directly to the controller.

I like the RGB strips myself, because of all the cool colors and effects you can create. But RGB requires four wires instead of just two, so keep that in mind.

[diugo]

The more I think about this, the more I like the idea of running the wire down the plastic raceway next to the awning power cable. Cut the connector off in the middle of the ribbon, and splice on a 7-foot cable inside the raceway where it's out of sight.

Then run the cable down to another hole into the trailer basement, again totally hidden. Once inside, reattach the connector, mount the ugly controller on the inside, find 12VDC, and you're golden. You could drill an external hole for the IR sensor, or just open the basement door when you want to turn on/off the awning light.

With the hole into the fridge vent space, if you center-tap a single strip, it may be hard to ensure its waterproofing. If you go with the two-strip plan, the strips will be of different lengths, the hole will be obvious, and it may be hard to maintain the LED spacing around the hole. All will make the install look amateurish.

Three things to look out for. First, the transparent waterproof plastic may yellow with age. Second, pay attention to the LED density. A 5m strip with 300 LEDs is twice as bright as a 5m strip with only 150 LEDs. Finally, if you go with an RGB strip, the 44-key remote (and controller) is much more versatile and useful than the 24-key version.