LED Lights on 2017 Ventana

[NealC]

I've been wanting to add light to my Ventana for some time which later I realized the security light does a good job and solves some of that problem but the cool factor still has me wanting LED's. I was going to have Newmar do this the end of Nov when I was there but they couldn't get the LED's they wanted which sadly the cluebird landed on my shoulder too late not thinking to check Amazon but it all is for a reason and that reason is I learned of much better LED's than the Carefree ones Newmar was going to install from rewilla in this great post. Short story - boogey lights - they are high quality and I can't wait to install them. So much better than Carefree.

In the end I'd like to have them on both sides of the coach, the driver's side simply because there's no light over there (no security lights) and the passenger side under the awning - for obvious reasons, it's cool and adds great light. I don't particularly care for color, white is fine, but the boogey lights have it all and controlled by smartphone via bluetooth and/or remote. They offer many versions, check them out.

So now the dilemma is where to install the lights. I have a carefree awning which rolls/spins the end as it extends/retracts so I don't think mounting them on the end is going to work and with that where does the cord go when extending/retracting?

I'm thinking below the awning tube at the top and this would be ideal. I could run the power cable down the awning tube which runs right along my half bath which is where the fuse box is and power options. The only problem here as you can see in the picture is the kitchen (PS side) slide essentially butts right up to the awning and may block the lights. I will try removing the slant in the awning and see if that helps the situation. That would be the easiest install option I believe.

The other option is under the slide topper tube on the kitchen slide. The problem then is where do I run the cable for power? How do I get inside and where do I go? I did buy the 12v to 110 converter so I can either tap into a 12V line or plug into a 110 outlet. If I can get into the slide in the best location I can just plug into an outlet in the televator bay. The slide is essentially a solid box with no cables running under it that I'm aware of so I'd have to drill in and I'm not sure where i.e. can I run down the inside edge or will it interfere with the seal? I'm thinking I could run down and drill in towards the bottom to shoot into the televator bay.

Any opinions or anyone already done this can share what you did?

Thanks!!

[blackhawkscp]

Hope you find a solution. I wanted them install at the dealer form my Ventana LE , they told me Newmar said they couldn’t be installed due to the design of the awning. I wanted them on the awning over the kitchen area. I am giving some thought to possibly putting some under the rig but not hard wired in. May not do it at all. If you get a solution please post it. Good luck

[Contender]

Also interested in this for the function, esp. in a new camping area, as well as the look, but have also read that they will keep vermin from under the coach and in the engine in remote areas while drawing minimal power. Interested to hear how your project goes as I would like to add this to my DS 2018 when it arrives in June!

[C.Martin]

I think you would have to come into a cabinet...close to the wall...try to fish it vertically down inside the wall...come out down there and plug into the tv outlet. The problem is that big box of insulation in the cabinet...it would be nice to not have a huge tag end of wire visible outside before entering the coach.

On the other end of that SO...I think there is an outlet for the Induction cooktop and maybe one for the subwoofer.

We're starting with underglow on the Kitchen SO...then going around the bottom of the coach...on a separate controller...like Ricks latest project. Eventually...I'd like to put another strip on the BR SO...but I would have to figure out how to route wires to the basement...that way I can run the Living room + Bed Room on one controller.

[NealC]

For the passenger side there are plenty of outlets to tap into if not using 12v:

1) Televator Bay
2) Microwave outlet
3) Outlet behind kitchen sink on wall which is where the external TV fishes up to
4) Bedroom slide has power in both ends of the bed "night stands".

Last night parking in the dark I could have really used a LED light on the drivers side full length! That may be project #2 after this one is done. Imagine calling up the app on your phone and turning on bright white as pseudo dock lights.

I'm still not sure how to "tap into" these boxes aka slides. Drink first or after?

[NealC]

For driver's side LED lighting, full length I presume, I'm thinking I could drop the wire into the aft basement area where the 110 outlet is for engine heater.

[reubenray]

I plan on installing LED lights under my motorhome on the passenger side first. I will get my power from the outlets in the compartment that is in front of the pegboard compartment. On my previous Tiffin I installed these https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1. I had a 12v cigarette plug in in the front compartment for power. This time I will need to convert the 12v power to 110 power.

I also put some to these same lights under my awning cap and I tapped into my scare light. On my 4037 the scare light is not accessible.

[C.Martin]

Originally Posted by NealC

For driver's side LED lighting, full length I presume, I'm thinking I could drop the wire into the aft basement area where the 110 outlet is for engine heater.

I am going to use 12v in the basement... No converter necessary. Easy enough to put a fuse in an unused slot on the distribution buses located behind the cord reel. Then fish the wire over to the bay in front of pegboard. That’s where I’d like to mount the controller...with the AGS, wireless awning control, Dometic Control, etc... You can even choose Hot Battery Bus, or Switched (salesman switch) Battery Bus. Or as Newmar refers to them Constant Battery Power and Disconnect Battery Power.

If you mount it on the block Heater outlet...and you’re on 30a shorepower...it may go dark everytime the mgmt. system starts to load shed. Block Heater is the first item on the chopping block.

My ideal goal...would be to have both controllers in that bay running off of “disconnect battery power”. One for under SO...the other for the under belly lights...each on separate controls. I just have to figure a way to get from each of the slideout down into the basement... I think the panel on the far right side of the kitchen slideout might work, that’s where the drain hoses articulate. The bedroom so may be near the center. i’ll Have to pull the plastic panel underneath to see if I find wire routing...but it might just come up thru the floor near the middle of the bed. The bed just kinda moves back and forth over it.

[NealC]

Good thoughts Charlie. I'm still "thinking out loud" sorting through this. I have boogey fever and dropped another big purchase yesterday for more LED's. My goal is LED's top right and left of the coach (not sure if I'll do under kitchen slide) and under glow. FYI, call if you do reorders for more boogey lights, they'll give 10% discount for returning customer orders. I ordered the channels and diffusers. I'll use separate bluetooth controllers for under glow (super controller supporting 600 LED's i.e. two strips) and bluetooth controller for left and right sides of the coach (upper lines). I'm still "terrified" on how and where I'll get the wires into the coach and find the way to 12v. The under glow I'm thinking of connecting exactly where you described, either in the bay forward of the pegboard where AGS is or the cord reel. Good options. Good feedback on using the block heater outlet. I could also find the way into the closet where the overhead 12v light is left rear of coach. Options options...thinking in progress.

[NealC]

When I'm done I'm probably going to need fuzzy dice from the rear view mirror (need to add rear view mirror) and shocks that make the front end bounce up and down at the stop light!

[C.Martin]

I'm "fixin' to" add my first strip...underglow Kitchen SO. I found the waterfall (flexible wiring tray) under the sink...this will make it easy to route the wire along with the existing pairs down into the basement. It exits in the AGS control bay...right where I wanted to go. Guess I'll have some extra wire leftover....

I'm using a green wire to fish the Boogey Light cable into the slideout tray.

[rewillia]

Not hijacking but, had some surplus LED lighting strip left over from my recent DIY installation and used some of it today (3' section) to add some additional lighting to my wet bay compartment. Tied it into the existing (and small) switched dome light Newmar places in the upper left hand corner and now have plenty of light. 20 minute job using otherwise wasted material.

[NealC]

Ooooh. Great idea. I noticed the other night no lights in pegboard or wet bay!!

Any problems wiring up a cut off end of the lights?

[NealC]

I may need LED therapy after this is all said and done. It seems LED's solve a lot of problems with lighting...you know those crazy bright lights over the bed? What if a strip of LED's were put along the back edge above the bed? That would give a nice low light effect sufficient (dimmable) for reading.

Heck, I may even have the replace the sliding door that closes the bedroom from the living space with beads before this is all done! Does Amazon sell incents?