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REPLACEMENT END CAP LED LIGHT STRIPS FOR RVS
Many travel trailers and fifth wheels today include LED lighting on the end cap of the trailer; usually facing forward. These lights are often the first lights to fail in new trailers mainly because they're facing forward and subject to wind/rain damage. Boogey Lights hi-intensity surface mounted LED light strips are built tougher. They're also brighter. Our impressively bright surface mounted hi-intensity LED flexible strips are ideal for End Cap LED Light replacements found on many travel trailers today. We offer them in a variety of single color options which in most cases can be a direct replacement for factory installed lights using existing wiring. Simply remove the existing LED strip and replace it with a Boogey Lights LED strip. If you want to upgrade to a multi-color RGB light strip, we offer that option too although it does require the purchase of an LED controller. Also, the installation is more complex since it requires the installation of the LED controller into the circuit which usually requires cutting at least one access panel hole in the inside wall facing the end cap. It's usually the only way to gain access to the area behind the end cap.
Built with two ounce copper PCB, the brightest 5050 LEDs available and 1.2mm of genuine 3M® VHB double sided tape, these LED strips are super easy to install yet made tough for motor sports applications. They're available on either white or black PCB in varying lengths ranging from 3 LEDs (about 2 inches long) to 300 LEDs (16' long). The single color default configuration has a 12", two conductor (red + black) power lead hard wired to the end of the strip. This power lead connects to the existing end cap lighting circuit. The multi-color default configuration has a 10', four conductor power lead. The LED strips can be cut every 3 LEDs. If you want longer power leads, we offer additional power lead length options. RGB and Single color low profile LED strip width is 3/8" (10mm). Height is 1/8" (3mm). This product is not vehicle specific. It can be used on all types of campers in all types of configurations. Many campers only have one end cap light. Some have two. Some have three. Some have four. We've even seen some with five. As such, this product is sold PER ONE SINGLE LED STRIP. The price listed is for one single LED strip. If your RV has two end cap lights both the same length and you wish to replace both of them, you'll need to order TWO of this product.
For Single Color LEDs, we offer the ability to order the strip with either a 2 conductor or 4 conductor power lead wire. The default is 2 conductor (black and red). Why would you want 4 conductor power lead on a single color LED strip? Each LED has 3 diodes. In a single color LED, all 3 diodes are the same color. We normally will bridge the 12vdc power at the end of the strip such that all 3 diodes are connected to the red power lead conductor. If however you want to be able to control the power going to each of the 3 diodes, we will use 4 conductor power lead cable. This configuration is ideal for situations where you're using the single color LED strip and want to control the brightness of the strip by lighting one, two or all three diodes. Installation Note: If you decide you want a 4 conductor power lead and your existing installation only has a 2 conductor, you will need to make sure you have figured out how you're going to connect to the two to take advantage of this feature.
Make sure you order the correct length. Read the product configuration carefully. We list both the Number of LEDs and the LENGTH of the LED strip. Do not confuse the number of LEDs for the length. This product is considered a custom ordered product since it is cut to the length you specify. It may not be eligible to be returned - or if so, subject to additional fees and/or restrictions. Be sure to read our RETURN POLICY for details. NOTE: If needed, you can cut the LED strip every 3 LEDs. Details on HOW TO CUT your LED strip can be found here.
Optional Wireless Remote Control
A Boogey Lights® RGB controller is required to power the multi-color LED strips listed on this product; it's however optional for Single Color LEDs. While single color LEDs can simply be hardwired into an existing SPST OEM switch on a 12vdc circuit (replacing the existing LEDs that came from the factory), adding the optional wireless controller allows you to turn the lights on/off remotely via the included RF wireless remote or your Bluetooth enabled smartphone (and our free APP). The controller also gives you the ability to easily dim the lights (7 levels) as well as set presets. The four LED wireless controllers offered for this product configuration are all RF + Bluetooth enabled LED controllers. The main differences are the LED capacity (300, 900 or 1800) and the type of wireless remote (compact Key FOB or larger format M7 tv style remote). In addition, we also offer wired push-button controller options if that's of interest. Important Installation Note: If you're adding an LED controller of any kind to the installation, you will likely need to install at least one access panel in the wall facing the end cap to gain access to the area behind the end cap.
Clear Coating or Smoke Tinted Coating
We offer the option of SMOKE TINTED COATING for our Black Multi-Color PCB LED strips instead of the standard clear coating on our END CAP LED Light kits. The smoke tinted LED strip (see photo above) has a nicer daylight look when mounted in plain sight. Some customers prefer this look on their RVs as it blends better particularly with darker color paint schemes. This is a cosmetic option only for LED strips that are mounted where they can be seen in the daylight. It is important to note that this smoke tinted coating does reduce the brightness of the LEDs by about 20%. Boogey Lights LED strips are already incredibly bright so most folks don't mind the reduction in brightness but it is something to be aware of. If you want the absolute brightest END CAP LIGHT strip, go with the default clear coat selection. If you want the LED strip to blend in better with your RV's paint scheme during the daytime (and the installation to look a little more finished) and you're OK with a little less light, the tinted coating might be better.
Single Color Replacement
You'll need to take a measurement of the LED strip you wish to replace. They're typically 24" to 36". Measure the existing LED strip on the RV now. In some cases you might be able to go a little longer. Each LED strip will need to be mounted to a smooth, mostly straight continuous surface. When taking that measurement be sure to allocate 1 to 2 inches from the end of the LED strip for the power lead wire coming off the LED strip. You can look at the close-up daylight photo of a Boogey Lights LED strip on this product page mounted on the end cap of a Grand Design travel trailer to see what we're referring to. Since the single color LED strip is replacing the existing strip on the RV now, the default 12" power lead is more than enough.
Multi-Color Upgrade
You'll need two measurements for each LED strip you wish to replace: 1) the length of each LED strip, 2) the length of the power lead you want attached to the LED strip. The default configuration for the power leads in multi-color is 10' which should work for more installations but we offer the ability to increase that length if needed. Each LED strip will need to be mounted to a smooth, mostly straight continuous surface. The power lead needs to be long enough to reach the LED controller which for multi-color installs is typically inside the end cap area or near that area where 12vdc power is avaialble.
Once you have these measurements, you can place your order. For each LED strip and power lead combination you'll need to add one End Cap LED light strip product to your cart with those specifications. If you have any questions, give us a call and one of our product specialists can assist you with this process. Make sure you have some 3M Adhesion Primer, since it is NOT included with this strip.
Understanding LED Color Temperature
3M® Adhesion Promoter is NOT included with this single strip. You can add 3M ADHESION PRIMER to your order OR additional promoter can be purchased separately on our website in one-half, one, two or four ounce bottles. A 1/2 ounce bottle will typically be sufficient for 2 LED strips of 48" or less.
Sealed, Flexible Strips
The LEDs are completely sealed against the elements. They are heat resistant, waterproof and easily cleaned for maintenance free operation. The soft, gel-like strips provide maximum flexibility and a clean and sleek appearance. Their low profile design makes them virtually invisible when placed on the bottom of your tank and their wide viewing angle floods your bike with light. For information on installing our light strips including where to cut the strips if needed, please see our Installation Instructions Page.
Note: All Boogey Lights® LED strips are COMMON CATHODE LEDS. They share a common ground and will only work with positively switched controllers. Most LED strips on the market today are COMMON ANODE because the controller technology used to power them is less expensive to manufacture. However they're not nearly as bright and are an overall inferior design when compared with COMMON CATHODE LEDs.
Installation
Note: It's simply not possible to provide detailed instructions for all installation scenarios. This information is intended to be used as a guide. You may need to vary your installation based on your RV configuration.
What You'll Need
- Rubbing alcohol, 3M Adhesion Primer, Clean rags
- Lexel, Butyl Putty or similar sealant.
- Cutting pliers, Wire Strippers, Heat gun (or hair dryer).
- Plastic putty knife or similar edged tool used to gently help remove existing OEM led light strip.
- Ladder (or similar) so you can reach the End Cap LED strips on the front of your RV
SINGLE COLOR vs MULTI-COLOR
The vast majority of END CAP LED light installs are single color. This is because every factory installed End Cap LED light strip we know of is single color. Replacing a single color LED light strip using the existing factory installed wiring and wall switch is by far the easiest to do. Typical single color installation time is 1.5 to 2 hours to do both End Cap LED strips. Multi-color LED strip install is more complicated because you need to install an LED controller between the LED strip and the 12vdc power source. Doing so almost always requires that you install at least one (sometimes two) access panel holes in the interior wall just behind the End Cap. This allows access to the back side of the End Cap where you can run the extra wires needed for multi-color LED (4 instead of 2) and then route those wires down to the battery box or storage area where you can mount the LED controller and connect it to 12vdc power. Typical multi-color LED strip install is 5 to 6 hours.
SINGLE COLOR INSTALLATION PROCESS (Photos are provided at the bottom of page.)
- Remove the existing END CAP LED light strip from the face of the End Cap. We typically do one at a time, start to finish. Most OEM strips will peel off fairly easily. You may need some rubbing alcohol and/or a plastic putty knife to clean the surface completely. Just be careful not to scratch the RV's painted surface.
- The hole where the power lead wires of the existing LED light strip come out of the end cap is usually filled with a sealant of some type when it comes from the factory. You'll need to remove some of this sealant – at least enough of it to allow the power lead wires coming out of the end cap to move freely. You can usually insert a round screw driver or similar tool into the hole to widen it. Just be careful not to damage the power leads that come out of that hole; you need them!
- Carefully pull the extra power lead wire of the existing End Cap LED light strip from behind the End Cap out so you have some wire to work with. There's usually 3 or 4 inches you can pull out. Tape these wires to the end cap so they won't fall back into the End Cap when you cut them in the next step.
- Cut the existing power lead wires (should be 2 of them – usually a red and black wire) that attach to the existing End Cap LED light strip. Cut as close to the end of the existing LED strip as possible. You want to maximize the amount of existing power lead wire you have to work with.
- Strip one-half inch of the insulation away on the existing power lead wires that come out of the end cap. Do the same for the power lead wires coming from the Boogey Lights replacement LED strip.
- Slide a 2 or 3" piece of supplied heat shrink tubing over both the black and red power leads coming out of the Boogey Lights led strip. Push the heat shrink up to the LEDs as far as it will go and then using a heat gun, secure the heat shrink in that position. The goal here is to completely cover the immediate two or three inches of exposed power lead wire connected to the Boogey Lights LED strip with heat shrink.
- Slide a 1 to 2" piece of supplied heat shrink tubing over just the black Boogey Lights power lead. Twist the black Boogey Lights power lead together with the black existing OEM power lead coming out of the End Cap. You're going to want to make sure these wires are tightly twisted. Then, slide the heat shrink over the twisted bare wire connection and secure the heat shrink in that position with a heat gun. Make sure the twisted bare wire is fully covered with heat shrink.
- Repeat the above process for the red Boogey Lights power lead and existing red OEM power lead.
NOTE: We know folks may be tempted to use electrical tape to cover these wires but we urge you to use the supplied heat shrink because the heat shrink has an adhesive glue backing which will make the seal around the twisted wires water tight. - With the Boogey Lights LED strip now attached to the existing OEM wires going into the end cap, it's time to test the light before affixing it to the RV end cap. The light should work. If not, check your connections and/or switch/power source before proceeding.
- Push as much of the extra power lead wire back into the end cap as you can. You're going to want to position the Boogey Lights LED strip on the end cap surface where the previous OEM strip used to be. You don't want any extra power lead wire hanging from the end cap.
- Before you attach the Boogey Lights LED strip to the end cap you need to first clean the surface with rubbing alcohol. Next, apply 3M Adhesion Primer to the area where the strip will be placed. This is a critical step. Do not skip it. 3M Adhesion Primer must be used if you want your LED light strip to stay stuck.
- Starting at the end where the power lead feeds into the end cap, carefully peal the backing tape from the LED strip and gently position the LED strip against the RV surface. You'll need to do this for the entire length of the LED strip. Note that you only get one try at this. The instant the LED strip makes contact with a properly prepared surface it will bond to the surface; it cannot be moved without damaging the LED strip.
- Use Lexel or similar sealant to fill the hole where the power lead goes into the end cap. This is important as you do not want water to intrude into that front end cap.
- Repeat the above steps for the second End Cap LED Light strip.
