Trailer Mod - LED Awning Lights

A popular mod going around is the installation of LED Light Strip under the awning.  These relatively inexpensive item gives the camper a nice glow to it.

On the forums, pretty much everyone I see installing these had an electric awning.  I have a good old fashion manual awning.  They had a nice hole to run a wire through, I didn't.  I had to make my own hole, and that was the most nerve racking part of this mod.  If you can avoid making holes, that is the best way to go.

 

The dreaded hole in the camper.  I hope I know what I am doing...

 

The bushing.  I felt that this was the way to go.

 

I decided to cut the connectors off, since I was not going to drill a hole big enough for the connectors.  And they wouldn't go through the bushings either.

 

.Little help from my father, all wires soldered and each individual wire was heat shrinked, then the hole cord was heat shrinked. One nice thing about the Dometic LEDs is that the controller has terminal screws.  I wish this one did.

 

Don't forget to clean the surface for better sticking.

 

I was able to use nearly all of the LEDs.

 

A little test.

 

One more Test.

 .

 

A little silicone.  Goes on white, dries clear in 1 to 2 weeks...as what the package says.

 

I still don't have the finger smoothing down yet.  Hope that when it dries clear, it looks a little better.

I also put some silicone on the ends of the strip, as recommended by someone on one of the forums.

Trailer Mod - Bathroom Light Fan Switch

One thing a seasoned RVer knows, always shut the fan off before you flush.  There is a good chance that you will suck the beautiful smell out of you black tank and into the living area.  Well, with a 7 year old, who is the shortest in her class, that could be an issue.  Especially when the light and fan are on the same switch. 

So, I decided to take the switch apart and take the trim ring down off the fan and see how this is wired.  I was in luck.  the feed went to the fan, then down to the switch, back to the fan, then to the light.  Jiggled a few wires back and forth, and the wires move freely.  Great.  This former alarm tech should have no issues fishing a new wire so I can put the fan on a dedicated switch.

So, I went down to my friendly RV dealer and parts supplier, Rousseau's RV.  I picked up a double switch, which looked black with sunglasses on, but was actually brown.  Close enough.  Here is what I did to get everything all together.

 

Single Switch to control Lights and Fan.  Can you say penny pinching.

 

Pulled the trim ring down, and found out the feed (near the knob) came through the ceiling, then back into the wall, to the switch.  Then it came back out and to the splices.

 

So, I tied a good size #14 primary to the wires.  #14 should handle the 4 amp motor, being capable of handling 15 amps.

 

Pulled the wire through...  Retied it a few feet further down...

 

Then I pulled the factory wires back to the switch location.

 

Made my connections.  The dark blue was factory.  The light blues and yellow are mine.  I always use quality shrink wrap connectors with a 1000 watt heat gun to shrink them.  I feel they look a lot better.

 

Remade the splices, once again, shrink butt connectors.

 

Here is the new switch.  Not exactly the same, but this camper only has 2 switches.  This one, and one for the outside porch light.

 

One more look at the final product.