LED strip install advice

[dcheatwood]

Just bought a led strip for under the awning. Wanted to see if some of you can help me avoid some mounting mistakes you may have made. Awning is 12'+. Strip is 16'.
I'm attaching pics of awning area and led components.
I have exterior lights near left end of awning and power to awning motor in rail on right end of awning. Where to tap 12v??🤔
All advice is appreciated.

[Dwilcox]

Power to awning motor is switched so that won't work unless lights on roller was an unused option. I tapped into power feeding the light in my pass through on my old sob trailer, new lights we just installed are 24 volt so have to plug them in at out side TV power.

[edgewant]

I had one these led strips attached to the bottom of my slide out awning. Unfortunately after about 1 yr the copper in the strip ate through the adhesive strip due to a galvanic reaction and damaged the aluminum cover on the awning. I'm now leary of replacing them. Will either have to replace or repaint the cover.


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2013 Berkshire 390RB-60
Toad: 2002 Jeep Wrangler

[Flybob]

The adhesive on those strips is not the highest quality. Save some aggravation later by using 3M auto trim tape to mount. Stick the strip to one side of the 3m tape and then stick the 3m tape to the trailer.
The controller should go inside.

[edgewant]

Not for me. I'm done with them 2 strips in one year and corrosion ain't worth it. Cheap stuff that leads to bigger problems.


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2013 Berkshire 390RB-60
Toad: 2002 Jeep Wrangler

[rsdata]

on my original lights on my Shamrock, the lights were installed in a plastic U channel, which was just a press fit, no adhesive involved for the LED strip, except for the U channel to the trailer. I would try to find that U channel at a Home Depot or online. I would tap 12 V on the inside and install the controller inside by the door, then string power wires above the U channel to either front or back. Many strips can be cut to length and are marked so on the back of the strip.

[dcheatwood]

Some good warnings and advice. I'm gonna research this a little more before starting.
I thought about the awning power being off unless activated after I posted. Duh. Controller inside, good idea. Thanks. 3M tape is good too.

[youroo]

Originally Posted by dcheatwood

Just bought a led strip for under the awning. Wanted to see if some of you can help me avoid some mounting mistakes you may have made. Awning is 12'+. Strip is 16'.
I'm attaching pics of awning area and led components.
I have exterior lights near left end of awning and power to awning motor in rail on right end of awning. Where to tap 12v??🤔
All advice is appreciated.

Gut the "Scare Light" on the left side between the speakers! Now you have a On/Off power source and a Dry place for the control! You will not miss the few " of lighting strip you cut off! And you sure will NOT miss the "Scare Light" under the Awning,can we say Super BUG Attraction! Youroo!!

[dcheatwood]

Thanks youroo. I had read that somewhere but couldn't find it again. And, since there is a white and yellow light on the left, I figured i could without one of them. I've been leaning that way but concerned about the exposed wire from led to scare light.
Yours look good.

[SimchaSabre]

I wired mine into the Amber "patio" light enclosure and used double faced sticky cable molding with a 90 elbow connector I found at Lowes.

Shop Mono-Systems, Inc. 0.5-in x 192-in White Cord Cover at Lowes.com


I also added a switch to the patio light enclosure so that I could power that down when I just want the LEDs on which in my case was easy to reach from the door.

I used RTV Silicone to help hold the LED strip and the cable molding. It's been on for 2 yrs and counting.

[bob caldwell]

You could also mount the RI controller in step well, and draw power off step light...If you had a RF controller, it'd mount anywhere, inside, and you wouldn't need a line of sight to activate functions....look at mini controllers on E-bay

[bob caldwell]

Also, they make an aluminum channel that one could attach to bottom of awning rail with small screws and caulk.....the channel also has a clear lense available that one can cut to shorter lengths to ease installation and removing when they burn out...no worry 'bout tape letting go and no mess to clean up in order to replace light strip....also available is an 18' extension cable to run up the inside of awning arm, following awning motor wires, and with a little massage, that same hole can be used to pass cord inside to controller..you could also tap into pass-thru 12 volt light circuit. The black power source in the pic can be discarded if you get a pig tail with the round plug to plug 12 volts in to controller, or just cut that plug off and use it....the inside portion of plug is the hot side and the outside is ground....can verify that with ohm meter. As I have also lights in awning roller, I used a second extension cable and there's available, a 2 into 1 y connector.

[dcheatwood]

Originally Posted by bob caldwell

Also, they make an aluminum channel that one could attach to bottom of awning rail with small screws and caulk.....the channel also has a clear lense available that one can cut to shorter lengths to ease installation and removing when they burn out...no worry 'bout tape letting go and no mess to clean up in order to replace light strip....also available is an 18' extension cable to run up the inside of awning arm, following awning motor wires, and with a little massage, that same hole can be used to pass cord inside to controller..you could also tap into pass-thru 12 volt light circuit. The black power source in the pic can be discarded if you get a pig tail with the round plug to plug 12 volts in to controller, or just cut that plug off and use it....the inside portion of plug is the hot side and the outside is ground....can verify that with ohm meter. As I have also lights in awning roller, I used a second extension cable and there's available, a 2 into 1 y connector.

Thanks Bob. The aluminum channel has my attention. I'll check that out.

[dcheatwood]

Originally Posted by SimchaSabre

I wired mine into the Amber "patio" light enclosure and used double faced sticky cable molding with a 90 elbow connector I found at Lowes.

Shop Mono-Systems, Inc. 0.5-in x 192-in White Cord Cover at Lowes.com


I also added a switch to the patio light enclosure so that I could power that down when I just want the LEDs on which in my case was easy to reach from the door.

I used RTV Silicone to help hold the LED strip and the cable molding. It's been on for 2 yrs and counting.

Attachment 113069 Attachment 113070

Interesting. I like the added power switch on the amber light.

[SimchaSabre]

I forgot the best part...I opened up the led control module and mounted it inside the patio light. Also mounted the IR sensor near the inside of the amber lens so you can operate the LEDs by pointing the remote at the light. I'll send a pic tomorrow.

[bob caldwell]

With RF, there's no pointing at anything...

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[SimchaSabre]

Here's a pic of the IR control module mounted in the patio light enclosure. I mounted the IR sensor on a short wooded standoff to position it close to the lens.

[dcheatwood]

Nice. Did not know the box could be removed. Thank you.

[Admiral_Roo2]

Originally Posted by dcheatwood

Just bought a led strip for under the awning. Wanted to see if some of you can help me avoid some mounting mistakes you may have made. Awning is 12'+. Strip is 16'.
I'm attaching pics of awning area and led components.
I have exterior lights near left end of awning and power to awning motor in rail on right end of awning. Where to tap 12v??🤔
All advice is appreciated.

I simply plug mine up to the exterior outlet and place the brain and power converter on top of the tires under the trailer tucked away nicely. Takes about 2 minutes with a ladder to plug the power in to the end of the strip with a little slack dialed in and a small piece of masking tape to hold that connection in place against gravity, wind etc. because the other posts are right about the stickum on the lights not being all that great. Also have had to do some re-glue maintenance in places even though the strip is tucked under the awning mount bracket. For me it's just too much headache to do a permanent wiring process for something that's prone to failure (already replaced the "brain" once) on a trailer that I know I will eventually sell / trade for something else. Haven't had any corrosion issues. Hope this helps.

[dcheatwood]

It does help admiralroo2.
I just found today that I have 12v in my curb side propane compartment, immediately behind the forward awning rail. That's where I will get power. Looking for double sided 3m tape or a clear wire track to run the LEDs in.