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04-24-2015, 11:58 AM
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#1
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Senior Member
Fleetwood Owners Club Freightliner Owners Club
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: East Texas
Posts: 2,269
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Need LED Light Strip for Step Well
As you can see in the below photo, I have a short light strip along one side of one of my entry steps. I’d like to replace them with brighter LED’s that I can wrap around the top of the entire step well. After doing some internet shopping I am on LED overload - there are TONS of light strips out there. I need something that can be cut to length and I want something that and has a good white color temp as opposed to a blue. Can anyone recommend one they’ve personally used?
Also, the current light strip is in a plastic tube. That tube is stapled to the carpet. None of the cut-to-length LED strips I’ve looked at come in plastic tubes. Any suggestions on the best way to mount a new strip to the carpeting?
Thanks!
Craig
__________________
2005 Fleetwood Providence 39J CAT C7 350, MP-8 Power Module
My wife does all the driving - I just hold the wheel...
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04-24-2015, 12:57 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Gulf Streamers Club
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Cincinnati
Posts: 19,925
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Light color is measured in Kelvins, a temperature scale used in science. What we call 'white' light depends on your eyes. Incandescent bulbs are about ~2600 K.
When picking an LED, check it's color by the Kelvin scale.
These LEDs are about 3000 K, I think they're close to 'white.'
Amazon.com: HitLights Warm White SMD3528 LED Light Strip - 300 LEDs, 16.4 Ft Roll, Cut to length - 3000K, 82 Lumens / 1.5 Watts per foot, Requires 12V DC: Musical Instruments
You could buy plastic tubing at a local home improvement center and pull the light strip into the tubing. Most LED strips I find already in plastic tubing is 120 v, not 12 v.
Amazon has lots of choices, so does Ebay.
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Bob & Donna
'98 Gulf Stream Sun Voyager DP being pushed by a '00 Beetle TDI
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04-24-2015, 06:15 PM
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#3
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: West Palm Beach, FL. USA
Posts: 27,563
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Mount the self-adhesive led strips to a skinny molding and tack in place. Screen molding is a convenient size.
Screen molding at Home Depot
Just about any of the adhesive strips can be cut to length - they even have factory markings every inch or tow for safe cut points.
__________________
Gary Brinck
Former owner of 2004 American Tradition and several other RVs
Home is West Palm Beach, FL
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04-24-2015, 07:13 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: North America somewhere
Posts: 30,655
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Menards sells the cut-to-length LED strip light in both 12V and 120VAC versions. Some models even come with a remote. Match that to Bob's suggestion of encasing it in a clear plastic tube from a hardware store, and you have what you want.
__________________
2000 Winnebago Ultimate Freedom USQ40JD , ISC 8.3 Cummins 350, Spartan MM Chassis. USA IN 1SG 11B5MX,Infantry retired;Good Sam Life member,FMCA. " My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country. John F. Kennedy
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04-24-2015, 10:35 PM
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#5
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"Formerly Diplomat Don"
Newmar Owners Club
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Moorpark, Ca.
Posts: 23,931
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Here is a simple fix. Walmart, in their automotive section, sells two strips of LED lights, 12" long. They're 12 volt and have 3M tape on one side. They're about $10. I used them under my steps, outside and they worked great. They're pretty bright, so one strip should be enough.
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Don & Mary
2019 Newmar Dutch Star 4018 (Freightliner)
2019 Ford Raptor
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04-26-2015, 09:07 AM
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#6
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: West Palm Beach, FL. USA
Posts: 27,563
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You can't stick the adhesive strips to carpet. Well, you can but they fall off soon. Thus the need for a mounting tube or strip.
The alternative is a rigid strip of a suitable length. They are often available in variopus lengths and colors, so you can hunt for something that suits. Walmart, KMart, auto parts stores, etc, have them.
Here is a nice 20" rigid strip if you can use that length. It is very bright - I have one mounted as an under-cabinet light in the galley work area.
__________________
Gary Brinck
Former owner of 2004 American Tradition and several other RVs
Home is West Palm Beach, FL
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04-26-2015, 09:10 AM
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#7
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Senior Member
Winnebago Owners Club
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: FTer Class of 2015 Origin: Evergreen, Colorado
Posts: 1,565
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This is what you need. Awesome lights! Mount to a small wood lath screwed under the lip. \ken
Amazon.com: Maxxima (MLS-1827) Cool White 18" LED Self-Adhesive Strip Light: Automotive
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Ken, Deb, & Gadget (WIT Club, FMCA, SKP, and grateful volunteers with Habitat for Humanity and SOWERs), traveling in a well-behaved 2005 Winnebago Vectra 40FD w/1100w solar, some gee-golly-whizbang, and a TRAILERED 2015 Cherokee TrailHawk toad.
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04-26-2015, 09:43 AM
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#8
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Senior Member
Country Coach Owners Club
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Northern California
Posts: 5,850
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I put a strip of led lights from amazon (from the roll of leds I used in our fluorescent light fixtures in the MH) into a clear plastic tube from the hardware store.
About $10 invested for the three MH fixtures and the home deck step railing.
Hangs outside under a deck step railing.
Been good for about 5 months so far. Never gets hot.
__________________
Dean
1995 38' CC Magna #5280 **** Sold after 21 years of enjoyment.
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04-26-2015, 10:10 AM
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#9
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Senior Member
Gulf Streamers Club
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Cincinnati
Posts: 19,925
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Gary RVRoamer
You can't stick the adhesive strips to carpet. Well, you can but they fall off soon. Thus the need for a mounting tube or strip.
The alternative is a rigid strip of a suitable length. They are often available in variopus lengths and colors, so you can hunt for something that suits. Walmart, KMart, auto parts stores, etc, have them.
Here is a nice 20" rigid strip if you can use that length. It is very bright - I have one mounted as an under-cabinet light in the galley work area.
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$40 for 20 inches??? That's 50 cents an inch. Seems a bit steep when 5 m (16.4 feet) is only $12 on Amazon.
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Bob & Donna
'98 Gulf Stream Sun Voyager DP being pushed by a '00 Beetle TDI
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04-27-2015, 12:32 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Out there, somewhere
Posts: 9,900
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BFlinn181
$40 for 20 inches??? That's 50 cents an inch. Seems a bit steep when 5 m (16.4 feet) is only $12 on Amazon.
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Yep,
Sure seems a bit on the high side of cost to me too. What you see below is about $12.00 from Amazon. The ones on the upper portion of the steps are 3528 LED light strip specs and, the ones along side/under the coach passenger side and, under the bottom front lip of the steps, are 5630 LED specs. MUCH BRIGHTER!
Scott
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2004 ITASCA HORIZON 36GD, 2011 GMC Sierra 1500 4x4 Toad '20 Honda NC750X DCT
Retired-29.5 yrs, SDFD, Ham - KI6OND
Me, Karla and the Heidi character, (mini Schnauzer)!
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05-09-2015, 02:05 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Fleetwood Owners Club Freightliner Owners Club
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: East Texas
Posts: 2,269
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I completed my little LED project today. I decided to take Don's advice, so I took the easy path and bought a twin pack of adhesive back LED strips at Walmart. At $20, they were a little more expensive than I had hoped for, but I had some free time today and I just wanted to git 'er done. The LED's are very bright so I decided to use only one strip. I'm sure I'll find a use for the other strip somewhere else in the MH! 😃
I found some scrap stained moulding in my garage that was perfect for mounting the strip. I cut it to length, countersunk the mounting screws and screwed it into the step well after drilling pilot holes. The whole project took me less than an hour, and I'm happy with the results.
Thanks for the help guys!
Craig
__________________
2005 Fleetwood Providence 39J CAT C7 350, MP-8 Power Module
My wife does all the driving - I just hold the wheel...
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05-09-2015, 06:50 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Country Coach Owners Club
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Northern California
Posts: 5,850
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Thanks for posting the result.
Great Idea for install.
__________________
Dean
1995 38' CC Magna #5280 **** Sold after 21 years of enjoyment.
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05-09-2015, 09:23 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Fleetwood Owners Club Freightliner Owners Club
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: East Texas
Posts: 2,269
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Need LED Light Strip for Step Well
Quote:
Originally Posted by deandec
Thanks for posting the result.
Great Idea for install.
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My pleasure.
I just checked the LED's now that it's nighttime. Holy cow they're bright! Almost too bright. They not only light up the step well, but the dash too, LOL! Since they come on with the patio light, I'm hoping they don't become distracting while watching TV at night. Time will tell...
__________________
2005 Fleetwood Providence 39J CAT C7 350, MP-8 Power Module
My wife does all the driving - I just hold the wheel...
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05-10-2015, 09:46 AM
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#14
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Senior Member
Country Coach Owners Club
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Northern California
Posts: 5,850
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I agree, it does not take a long strip to get some subtle lighting help.
I am searching for a switch mounting point to make the light useful and not intrusive.
Then the step light could be left on without the patio light on whether we were in the rig or away from the rig.
My current step light is tied into the electric exterior step switch and as a result is usually turned off when parked.
__________________
Dean
1995 38' CC Magna #5280 **** Sold after 21 years of enjoyment.
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