Answer
Sep 24, 2021 - 01:30 PM
Because your question is multi-faceted, involving both single color and multi-color direct replacement LED strips (along with using the OEM wall switch), we need to break up the answer into two parts: single color option and multi-color option.
SCENARIO 1: Replacing a Single Color Awning Light LED strip with a Boogey Lights® Single Color Awning Light LED Strip.
Boogey Lights® SINGLE COLOR LED light strips can be a direct replacement for most factory installed LED awning lights. There are however some things to consider based on personal preference.
Without Wireless Remote Control:
If purchased without the remote control, the Boogey Lights® single color LED light strip can be used as a direct OEM replacement for most existing awning light strips installed by RV manufacturers. The Boogey Lights® single color LED strip has a positive and a negative wire that connect to 12vdc power. In most cases you can use the existing awning light wiring (and wall switch) already in place. Remove the old LED strip, install the Boogey Lights® strip where the old LED strip used to be and connect the power lead coming from the Boogey Lights strip to the existing 12vdc power leads that were used for the old LED light strip. The existing wall switch will turn on/off the LED light. Note that in this scenario the LED light cannot be dimmed. The light is either on or off.
PROS: Faster, easier to install. As close to plug-n-play as you'll find short of ordering the exact same LED light that came with your RV from the factory (if available).
CONS: The light cannot be dimmed (unless you install an LED compatible dimmer switch). It's either on or off. There are no wireless remote control capabilities.
With Wireless Remote Control:
If you wish to use the wireless remote control (there are distinct advantages to doing so) you can still use the Boogey Lights® LED strip as a direct replacement however you'll need to find a location to mount the LED control box where it will be protected from the elements. In this scenario the controller power (12vdc) is connected to the existing awning light power lead coming from the inside wall switch. The LED controller is inline between the wall switch power and the LED light strip. When the wall switch is on, 12vdc power is provided to the LED controller. At that point you can use the wireless RF remote control to operate the awning light (on/off, dimming, flashing and speed control). Of course anytime you turn off the wall switch power, doing so will also turn off the awning light.
PROS: The light can be remote controlled using the included RF wireless remote which offers dimming, flashing, speed control and on/off capabilities.
CONS: Takes longer to install because the LED controller needs to be mounted in the circuit. Not all installation scenarios will have room for the LED controller to be conveniently mounted.
SCENARIO 2: Replacing a Single Color Awning Light LED strip with a Boogey Lights® Multi-Color Awning Light LED Strip.
Boogey Lights® MULTI-COLOR RGB LED awning light kits aren't in most cases a direct replacement for a factory installed LED awning light. The reason is because most factory installed LED awning lights are single color - not multi-color. A multi-color RGB awning light requires an LED controller (the "brains") to operate the LED strip, create/mix the various colors and wirelessly control the available lighting features. Whereas a single color LED light only needs 12vdc power (12v+, 12v-) to turn it on or off. So if you're looking for a direct replacement for a single color factory installed awning light and you only want to display one color, buy the Boogey Lights Single Color awning light LED strip. That said, there are some options to incorporate your existing single color factory installed on/off wall switch to control your Boogey Lights multi-color LED awning light. Read on if you're interested in learning more ...
Installing a Boogey Lights Multi-Color RGB LED Awning Light Strip Using Existing Factory Installed Single Color Wiring and Wall Switch
If you've looked at or downloaded our installation instructions for our multi-color awning light kit you probably noticed we recommend wiring the LED controller directly to a fused, 12vdc power source either inside the RV or to the house batteries. For 5th wheel and travel trailers its often easier to wire directly to the house batteries. With motor homes it's often easier to connect to a 12vdc power source inside the RV itself. If inside the RV, the LED controller is typically mounted in a cabinet, closet or other hidden area. In this scenario the existing factory installed awning light power cable and wall switch typically aren't used, but it doesn't have to be that way. There are a couple of options to incorporate the existing factory installed switch with your Boogey Lights RGB (multi-color) LED light.
OPTION 1: The first option is to use the existing factory installed on/off wall switch to toggle power on/off to the Boogey Lights LED controller. In this scenario the LED controller power (12vdc) is connected to the existing awning light power lead coming from the factory installed wall switch. The LED controller is inline between the wall switch power and the LED light strip which is mounted on the RV under the awning. When the wall switch is on, 12vdc power is provided to the Boogey Lights LED control box. At that point you can use the Boogey Lights wireless RF remote control (or bluetooth smartphone APP) to operate the awning light (on/off, dimming, flashing, speed control, change colors, etc). Of course anytime you turn off the wall switch power, doing so will also turn off the awning light. So to turn on the LED controller, you first have to turn on the wall switch and then use your wireless remote (RF or Bluetooth) to operate the Boogey Lights RGB awning light. This configuration also assumes the 12vdc circuit the factory installed switch is connected is sufficiently sized to handle the amperage of the Boogey Lights awning light strip you're installing. In our view, while this configuration will usually work, it's clumsy. Not ideal. We believe there's a better option to incorporate the existing factory installed wall switch with RGB lights which brings us to the second option.
OPTION 2: The second option is to use the existing factory installed wall switch to turn on/off a BRIGHT WHITE light using the Boogey Lights RGB LED strip -- just like the factory installed awning light used to do. Then, using the Boogey Lights wireless remote (RF or Bluetooth) you can access all of the other colors and features (e.g. dimming, flashing, color rotation, speed control, programming mode, etc.). In our view this is the best of both worlds. You can keep the functionality of the existing factory installed wall switch to turn on/off a bright white light under the awning while also having the functionality and advanced features of a multi-color awning light complete with wireless RF and bluetooth control. The configuration involves using a set of relays. If you're interested in configuring your Boogey Lights RGB awning light this way, we offer this
Regardless of which installation technique you use, the vast majority of LED light strips installed on RV's today are 10mm wide. So the Boogey Lights® LED strip will usually fit where the old LED strip used to be width wise. Because the Boogey Lights® LED strip is thicker than standard LED strips, if the existing LED strip is enclosed in a channel of some type you will need to verify how much room you have height wise. Boogey Lights® LED strip is 3mm (1/8") high. As for the length, the Boogey Lights® LED strip is 16' long which is typical of most every 12vdc LED light strip available today. It can be cut if your awning is shorter. If your awning is longer, most customers will simply center the 16' LED strip.
One final comment on the above options . . . there is technically a THIRD OPTION which involves using our RGBWW LED strip instead of the RGB LE strip. The RGBWW LED strip is wider (12mm vs 10mm) so it's not a direct replacement. Also, there is additional wiring that needs to be done to support it. For more information on that option, check out our
Mounting On The Awning Roller
Boogey Lights® LED strips are designed to be mounted immediately underneath the awning, affixed to the side of the RV or on the awning housing which is attached to the side of the RV. Some older awning styles have the LED strip mounted at the end of the awning on the awning roller. We do not recommend using Boogey Lights® for this type of installation as doing so will create a power lead fail-point as they roll and unroll for each use. The copper wire will eventually break and/or the stress placed at the point where the power lead attaches to the LED strip will force a failure of the LED strip. Mounting the LED light strip directly on the awning roller also means the light can only be used when the awning is fully extended. While we know some customers have used Boogey Lights® this way, our warranty does not cover this type of installation since we know it will eventually fail..
