LED Underglow Lights

31Bullet

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Alright, another wild question for y'all. I would like to add some underglow lights to the trailer. One of my favorite features of our trailer are the front cap light strips. I'd like to wire my LED underglow into the same switch.

Has anyone done this? Is there anything I should know?

Thank you!
 
I used LED trailer marker lights mounted behind the side skirting, 5/side. Not too bright.
 
Yeah - you'll irritate the 'ell out of people if they are too bright.

I agree with the above quote. When camping I'm one of those people that get annoyed by those who insist on lighting up their campsite like a carnival ground.
Sitting around the campfire at night is most enjoyable when one can look up and enjoy the night sky without being distracted by LED lights :facepalm:.

Please, keep them off at night and enjoy the light from the campfire, otherwise it's not camping it's sleeping in a parking lot :hide:.
 
It’s more so for spotting the trailer in the desert and/or keeping critters from going underneath.
 
It’s more so for spotting the trailer in the desert and/or keeping critters from going underneath.

Lights under the trailer will not keep critters away. In fact, it might attract them.

As far as seeing your camper in the desert at night, if you are NOT surrounded by artificial light, your eyes are actually very sensitive after dark. In darkness, the moon and the stars light up the ground so much, you can see for miles. In an area with no artificial light, your camper will stand out like a soar thumb being a geometric shape that is not natural to the surrounding environment.

But, turn on one light anywhere, and your night vision is completely blinded. You can't see anything but that one light.

I am so thankful we live in the country where it's dark and the surrounding lights across the fields are the only lights around. At night, it's awesome looking across the fields, even in the dark I can see the coyotes running across the fields.

For most of 2024 we've been parked at the Audubon State Historic Site near St. Francisville, Louisiana. We are the only camper on the Plantation as I'm a volunteer and this campsite is reserved for a state sponsored Volunteer. Being located away from "everything" and surrounded by thick trees, and no road or traffic or people or lights (except the glow of the security light inside the plantation house) and a street light in the parking lot, it's 100% dark on about 95% of the park property. Night walks with the dogs without a flashlight is unbelievably awesome! Any sliver of a moon and the place lights up like daylight!

So, if you REALLY want to see things in the dark, keep the artificial lights away and use your own night vision. I think you'll be amazed at your own human ability. But ... finding a true dark place is very rare. That's why I love the park I'm at right now.

If you are alone in the desert, then you should know what I'm talking about.
 
Our Raptor came with some blue led lights at each leveler underneath and some blue strips on the front cap. Half the led lights on the strips out front are already burnt. Probably in the minority but I like them and when we're plugged in to shore they stay on 24/7. When we're not plugged in they are generally not switched on.
I like them and use them. I've had many positive comments on them and never had anyone tell me they were too bright and bothered them.
:popcorn:
 
Alright, another wild question for y'all. I would like to add some underglow lights to the trailer. One of my favorite features of our trailer are the front cap light strips. I'd like to wire my LED underglow into the same switch.

Has anyone done this? Is there anything I should know?

Thank you!

To answer you first question and my personal feelings aside; I have "accent" lighting and will never use them at night because I think it is highly annoying to those around me, (my Brother plugs a jumper into his 7-way cord and lights up the entire camper's marker lights night and day), the switch that controls your existing exterior lighting should be able to adequately support the additional load of underglow lighting provided that the combined draw does not exceed the wire rating and fuse capacity.

You would need to measure the draw of the existing lighting, then add that number to the draw of the proposed lighting and then determine what size wire feeds them (and anything else on the same wire/fuse like the awning light, hitch light, etc.). Again, not my cup of tea, but you won't be camping anywhere near me anyway, so have at it!
 
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Lights under a trailer will attract insects. Insects are food for larger reptiles. Lizards and such are food for snakes and small mammals. Small mammals are food for larger mammals. Turning on lights under a trailer in the desert won't keep "crawly things" away.

That said, if you're looking for a means to find your trailer after dark, when parked "out there somewhere", maybe just take an old flasher unit from around the 2000 car era, bend the contact pins and plug it into the 7 way plug on your trailer tongue. That will activate the running lights and tail lights on the trailer and as they flash, you can easily see your trailer from a mile or more away as you try to locate it while sitting on your ATV on an adjacent rise above the desert floor....

Otherwise, if there are other people camping near you (that aren't on your ATV team), leaving lights on (so you don't get lost) is akin to leaving a barking dog, a screaming kid or a blaring radio on for you to "enjoy at their expense"....

Try the flasher on pins 3 and 4 (the two next to the keyway)
 

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Thanks John
I was trying to remember what the numbers were I could jump so I could check my lights without having to unlock gates, back the truck in close enough to plug in and go thru all that rigmarole.
;)
 
I do this at times but with just a 5amp fuse for a little night glow. I rarely turn the front cap litghts on as they are too bright.
 
I mostly hate those motion spot lights some people have. Every time some thing or someone goes by their spot light ruins the local environment and shines in the neighbor windows.
As for the accent lighting, it really depends. If we're in a remote area dry camping I definitely do not want to see any lights...maybe the step lights.
In some of the big rv parks it doesn't matter much as they're usually lit up with street lighting and lots of rv's with lights on, so it doesn't change much and you just fit in.
 
Accent Lighting

My rig came with three accent lights on each side, behind the skirting. Very tame, not too bright, but just not enough. I added two more lights on each side (small LEDs, same color as stock) and wired them to the existing lights so all are controlled with the same switch. I recommend a separate switch for the under-carriage lights, keeping the control separate from the cap lights. The cap lights get obnoxious after dark but the under-carriage lights are much more subtle and if not too bright, can be left on without intruding on your neighbors dark space, or worse yet, in thier windows during quiet hours.
 
I mostly hate those motion spot lights some people have. Every time some thing or someone goes by their spot light ruins the local environment

We recently stayed at an older KOA where the sites were so close that my awning was literally 6” from the smaller Class A next to us. Every time we opened our door, their motion lights (which were essentially under our awning) would light up and blind us. It was so annoying!
 
My rig came with three accent lights on each side, behind the skirting. Very tame, not too bright, but just not enough. I added two more lights on each side (small LEDs, same color as stock) and wired them to the existing lights so all are controlled with the same switch. I recommend a separate switch for the under-carriage lights, keeping the control separate from the cap lights. The cap lights get obnoxious after dark but the under-carriage lights are much more subtle and if not too bright, can be left on without intruding on your neighbors dark space, or worse yet, in thier windows during quiet hours.

Yea I like the under skirting lights they put on the raptor. One little soft blue LED bulb at all 6 levelers. Just a nice soft glow in the evenings. They are connected to the front cap lights though and I don't care for that. When I have time.....:whistling: I'll search out the wires and hook in another switch to separate them.
 
This just came to mind; my Cougar has the front cap lights, but also has a separate switch that turns on the single light by the dump valve outlet. I am curious if one could simply tap into that light/circuit to power any “underglow” lighting if they were so inclined?

I am warming to the idea of some discreet lighting around the leveling jacks as opposed to a full blown underglow.
 
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No PackRats

Forget the lights and get a couple of Rodent repellent devices. I use two of them, and I had no rodent problem for the month that I was in the AZ desert last winter. Ultrasonic sound, and tiny white and green periodic strobes that are barely noticeable. I leave them on 24/7 while it is in storage too and have yet to replace the batteries. The Amazon general store has them. Loraffe brand.
 
This just came to mind; my Cougar has the front cap lights, but also has a separate switch that turns on the single light by the dump valve outlet. I am curious if one could simply tap into that light/circuit to power any “underglow” lighting if they were so inclined?

I am warming to the idea of some discreet lighting around the leveling jacks as opposed to a full blown underglow.

I don't know why not. If you can check the switch to see where it's rated?
LED lights don't draw much per say and you could join the cool club with nice lights at your levelers! :cool:
 
Forget the lights and get a couple of Rodent repellent devices. I use two of them, and I had no rodent problem for the month that I was in the AZ desert last winter. Ultrasonic sound, and tiny white and green periodic strobes that are barely noticeable. I leave them on 24/7 while it is in storage too and have yet to replace the batteries. The Amazon general store has them. Loraffe brand.

Can't beat em. I keep one under the hood of the truck and has done a fine job keeping the mice and pack rats out.
 

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