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Old 06-22-2016, 06:54 AM   #1
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12V wiring LED Lights

26 DBH her. I have seen a post recently about adding LED lights in the storage compartments.

I am not very familiar with how the wires are run in the trailer.

I am trying to find out where I can tap into to power the lights.

How difficult it it to use the main circuit breaker system and fish a wire? My trailer has an insulated fabric underneath and cannot see actually where things are. There are some exposed wires underneath before they go into the wire loom and then into the trailer. Is there a wiring diagram anywhere?

ETA: Each light would have its own rocker switch inside the storage compartment.
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Old 06-22-2016, 07:15 AM   #2
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I added one to my last trailer. It was only the front pass through and the water pump and some other wires came in right there from the battery. I just spliced the hot wire from the battery and put an inline fuse in. I'm glad the new one came with lights...finding a wire can be a pain.
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Old 06-22-2016, 07:40 AM   #3
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Unfortunately there's not any type of wiring diagram available for these RV's.

Since your power panel is under the fridge, it may be a bit of work getting a new wire from it to the front pass-thru space. You may be able to fish a wire out the bottom under the panel and then back up through the bottom of the pass-thru space. It will probably require drilling holes in the floor, but they can be easily sealed back up after you're done.

You may also be able to find 12 volt power closer to the storage compartment and just tap into it and run into the compartment. If you're real lucky, there may even be wires in the compartment already that you could get power from.

If you don't want to bother running wires, they make all kinds of battery powered LED's that you could use. Some even have timers built in, so they'll turn themselves off if you leave them on.
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Old 06-22-2016, 02:43 PM   #4
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YMMV

Fishing wires...

I am adding a digital voltage/current monitor to my Rockwood 2604WS. Rather than put it above the control panel I thought I would put it in the entertainment cabinet. This is in about the middle of the trailer, has lots of wires in it already, has removable doors for access, and I know there is an open channel along the bottom rear of the commode area. I figured it should be easy to get a wire from there along with all the other wires that must run there up to the front DS storage compartment.

What I found is that most of the wires went into a hole in the floor and ran across the trailer. There were a few wires and water lines that went into a hole in the floor and ran forward only to come up out of the floor in the DS storage compartment. In between these wires and water lines literally ran *inside* the floor.

After removing the outside shower from the wall for better access, removing black spray in expanding foam from each end of run, and working an electrical fish tape in from each end several times I FINALLY got it all the way in the front and out the back. I was only able to get it through by rotating the fish tape as I moved it fore and aft.

So I ultimately did get my power/signal cable run for the electrical monitor. But if it were only a low current draw LED light... well I would have tapped into the power wire to the front slide controller right there in the compartment and been done with it.
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Old 06-22-2016, 03:42 PM   #5
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Run a tap wire from battery....
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Old 06-22-2016, 08:28 PM   #6
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I'm thinking of tapping into a hot wire underneath the trailer that comes from the battery, I can put the wires in wire loom and run it through some of the holes in the frame underneath. I HATE drilling holes blindly!

In the storage compartment in the slide there are wires already I suppose I could tap into for that compartment.
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Old 06-22-2016, 08:31 PM   #7
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Just remember, wires will be going in and out Everytime slide does....small gauge wires don't like that much...

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Old 06-22-2016, 08:32 PM   #8
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Are you thinking awning lights?

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Old 06-23-2016, 10:13 PM   #9
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I'm looking at a 12 LED white light strip in each compartment.

Something like this:
Outdoor light strip / for boats / Bimini top / LED - 01180 & 01181 - AAA WORLD-WIDE ENTERPRISES LTD.
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Old 06-23-2016, 10:42 PM   #10
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12volt type or 120

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Old 06-23-2016, 10:44 PM   #11
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12 volt...just need to find wires then

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Old 06-24-2016, 06:33 AM   #12
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Yep 12 volt. In case of a roadside emergency I can see in my compartments.

If I tap into the battery wire under the trailer can I safely run them in wire loom through the holes in the I beams? of course I would use grommets also and fuses.
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Old 06-24-2016, 08:52 AM   #13
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Sure

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Old 06-24-2016, 11:54 AM   #14
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If there is a switched light under the cabinet you're trying to illuminate, tap into its power, you're not dealing with a lot of wattage.
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