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RV Installation Options and FAQs

INSTALLATION OPTIONS, FREQUENTLY-ASKED-QUESTIONS

Installing Boogey Lights® LED lighting products is relatively straight forward. With some basic 12vdc power knowledge, they're not difficult to install. Probably 60% of our customers do the installations themselves. The other 40% have the installation done by someone else. Typical installation time for a standard awning kit is about 90 minutes. The standard Under-Glow kit is about 120 minutes.

For those who are interested, all of our installation manuals are available for download anytime directly from our website. Some customers find it helpful to review these materials before purchasing so they know what's involved. Here's a link to our AWNING LIGHT KIT install manual . Here's a link to our UNDER-GLOW LIGHT KIT install manual .

For those who do not wish to do the installation themselves, there are options. First, check our list of authorized Boogey Lights dealers. Many of these dealers do installations. A number of them offer mobile service too. Second, if you have a favorite RV dealer, ask them to do the installation. We've yet to find an RV dealer who is not willing to do the installation. RV dealers typically charge by the hour -- usually in the $75-$150 an hour depending the market. Third, most any auto accessory shop can do the installation. There is nothing special about these installations.

If you're going to do a DIY install, here are some things to keep in mind:

  • WE STRONGLY SUGGEST BENCH TESTING YOUR LIGHTS AND CONTROLLER BEFORE MOUNTING!  We cannot emphasize this enough.  Probably 98% of all calls we receive from customers are about problems or issues that could have easily been avoided had the customer taken the extra 15 minutes to bench test their lighting setup before installation.  Not only does bench testing give you an opportunity to understand the configuration, it also will flush out any problems or misunderstanding about the product and use before mounting.  
  • Make sure you know where your electrical connection will be. We recommend the house batteries. Most RVs (motor-home, travel trailer or fifth wheel) have their house batteries somewhere on the side of the RV for easy access. If not, locate where your house batteries are first. The controller should be mounted in this area too.
  • Decide how you are going to route and connect the power lead coming from your LED light strip to the power source. In the case of an awning light, many RV awnings have a vertical mounting bar that is already affixed to the side of the RV. If so, you can usually run the power lead cable coming from the LED light strip inside that mounting bar. Most professional installers will drill a small hole in the RV and connect to 12vdc inside the RV usually inside a cabinet, behind a refrigerator or some similar location on the other side of the wall. While some RV owners cringe at the thought of drilling a hole in their rig, when done properly its a simple matter. Another option is to use some flexible Wire Trak™ raceway to hide the power lead cable. The Wire Trak™ raceway uses the same 3M tape technology our Boogey Lights do so it's easy to affix the raceway to the side of your RV. If you're replacing a factory installed awning light, you might be able to use the existing hole. Under-Glow wiring is usually easier since gaining access to the house batteries from the bottom of the rig is typically very simple. Regardless, make sure you know where you're going to get the power from and how you're going to route the power lead wires in advance. For those that don't have 12vdc power easily accessible, we also offer a 120vac to 12vdc converter.
  • The only way to ensure the LED light strip stays stuck to the side of your RV (or bottom for an Under-Glow kit) is to make sure you prepare the surface in accordance with the directions. Every LED light kit we sell includes 3M promoter (aka "primer"). It's absolutely critical the surface be prepared using this special 3M promoter and that you follow the directions provided with every light kit. In the case of installing our Under-Glow kit, you'll need a smooth flat surface on which to mount the LED strips. Some RVs have enclosed bottoms which make it relatively easy to affix the strip to the bottom of the RV. Some however aren't enclosed. In this situation there are a number of options. Many customers will purchase some flat aluminum flashing and mount the LED strips to the aluminum flashing. Then, affix the aluminum flashing to the bottom of their rig using screws, wire ties or any other method to hold the aluminum flashing up against the bottom of the RV. We also offer an aluminum channel that can be used too. Even has an optional diffuser which can cover the LED strip if desired.
  • If you need to cut the LED strip, make sure you do it before affixing to your RV. Our LED strips can be cut every 3 LEDs and are clearly marked.
  • We have had customers install the awning light to the end of the awning on the roller instead of to the side of the RV/Camper. The challenge with this installation scenario is running the power lead back to the RV. There are a couple of options, one of which is to use one of our quick-disconnect connectors but of course you have to disconnect/reconnect the power cord every-time you want to use it. The other is to snake the power lead wire through the seam on the side of the awning material.
  • For additional FAQs on how to install your Boogey Lights, here's a link to our FAQs for RVs, Motor-homes and Camper Installs.
  • When in doubt, call our technical support team! We're the experts. We've done this thousands of times. We know what works.