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  1. #41
    Seasoned Camper wstcoaster07's Avatar
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    I hate to ask what I hope is not a dumb question, but is there a reason why older posts I read about installing a dimmer reference pulling out lights to find the ground wire running to the awning, and these instructions simply involve wiring it in behind the convenience panel?
    I bought the dimmer below and was hoping I could just splice it in to the wires behind the convenience panel like Marty's video. Is this not the case since it is a different style dimmer?

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    2019 2800BH
    BlueOx Swaypro BXW1500
    2017 Expedition EL XLT w/heavy duty tow package w/ Michelin Defender LTX LT275/65/18

  2. #42
    Site Sponsor Cate&Rob's Avatar
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    wstcoaster07 - Until these latest dimmers, LED dimmers (like the one in your picture) worked by PWM (pulse width modulation) and required two input and two output wires to do this. I am not sure how the +wire only dimmers work .

    Rob
    Cate & Rob
    2015 Reflection 303RLS

  3. #43
    Seasoned Camper wstcoaster07's Avatar
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    Well son of a gun. I may end up just going the dial dimmer route then just because of how easy the install is. Not certain I want to start ripping out lights to find the correct ground wire dedicated to the awning LED.

    FWIW, I found this video on youtube about PWM and resistor style ones (like the ones for this mod). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zU2Oxyfi2Q4
    2019 2800BH
    BlueOx Swaypro BXW1500
    2017 Expedition EL XLT w/heavy duty tow package w/ Michelin Defender LTX LT275/65/18

  4. #44
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    I am concerned about the draw on the battery as they do not turn off only turn waaaay down

  5. #45
    Seasoned Camper wstcoaster07's Avatar
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    For those who are looking at doing the dimmer install, I went with the remote one and have good and bad news

    First, the bad: GD quality control on the wiring for the awning and awning LED was poor. The power comes out of the wall and all wiring is capped outside of the trailer and then wrapped in electrical tape. This leaves a hole to the elements that I believe should be filled with silicon or some other material.

    The good: This made wiring in the remote dimmer VERY easy. Since the red and black connections split of the ground and the positive outside of the trailer, I just had to un-bundle the wires by removing the electrical tape mess. Then, it was very easy to just cut the red & black wires going to the LED and splice in the remote dimmer. The hardest part was not ripping out the very flimsy thin wire while removing the insulation. After splicing in the wire I capped it off wire small wire caps and then re-wrapped the mess in electrical tape. I tucked it back in to the little nook of the awning that it was previously stuffed in to and all is good.

    Review for the remote dimmer: It is GREAT to have but I can not solve 1 problem. When I turn it off via the power button on the remote, it seems to be a huge pain to get it to turn on again. I can't narrow down the cause but I end up getting right up to the sensor and fiddling with it a little and eventually it works. At first I thought it was a loose connection but then I noticed something. If I just turn off the LED via the main LED switch inside, the remote works perfectly the next time I turn on the awning. In short, I have to turn the awning on and off from the main switch but then can use the dimmer all day long. If I turn it off via the remote, getting it to turn back on is finicky. In the end I don't mind this because our main goal with the dimmer was to be able to adjust the brightness without disturbing our 2 year old falling asleep inside. By the time we go in for the night and need to turn it all the way off he is passed out and we don't worry about him waking up. I do wish I could get it to work with 100% functionality though.

    Additional note: I think when I find the next free opportunity I may go up and remove the wire caps and just solder the wire together and wrap it with shrink wrap to make it cleaner. Not 100% sure it is worth the hassle though since it is no worse than the way GD did it. However, at the very least I plan to fill the hole that the wires come out of with silicone to protect it from the elements.
    2019 2800BH
    BlueOx Swaypro BXW1500
    2017 Expedition EL XLT w/heavy duty tow package w/ Michelin Defender LTX LT275/65/18

  6. #46
    Seasoned Camper wstcoaster07's Avatar
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    Click image for larger version. 

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    Hard to describe but the black bundle directly in the center of the awning is the bundle of wires that are capped off (looks almost identical as before I did the mod), and then the black electrical taped wiring splitting off of it towards the LED is the add on RF sensor.
    2019 2800BH
    BlueOx Swaypro BXW1500
    2017 Expedition EL XLT w/heavy duty tow package w/ Michelin Defender LTX LT275/65/18

  7. #47
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    Dimmers with lighted switches

    I finally got a chance to install 3 dimmers (one for the ceiling lights and one for each awning). I had previously installed lighted switches so I installed the dimmers down-stream from the switches:

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    FYI, I was going to drill holes in the middle of the panel for the dimmers but discovered that our panel was made with 3 extra cutouts, which were covered up by the GD decal:

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    So i just used the inserts from Marty (see beginning of this thread).

    The dimmer I used was the same as those discussed in the beginning of the thread, only with a black knob (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1).

    Each awning light was wired directly to the switch so it was trivial to separate them.
    Last edited by SmallBoxMaker; 06-19-2018 at 11:59 AM. Reason: Adding detail on awning wiring
    John & Cheryl
    Sold: 2017 Tiffin Allegro 31SA Motorhome
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  8. #48
    Setting Up Camp
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    I nominate this thread to be a sticky.

  9. #49
    Fireside Member Riley 1841's Avatar
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    I agree 100 percent.

  10. #50
    Seasoned Camper Thorvald's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by wstcoaster07 View Post
    I hate to ask what I hope is not a dumb question, but is there a reason why older posts I read about installing a dimmer reference pulling out lights to find the ground wire running to the awning, and these instructions simply involve wiring it in behind the convenience panel?
    I bought the dimmer below and was hoping I could just splice it in to the wires behind the convenience panel like Marty's video. Is this not the case since it is a different style dimmer?

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Capture.JPG 
Views:	506 
Size:	16.9 KB 
ID:	12962

    I just picked up the same one from Amazon.ca in a “two pack”. Was hoping to do my awning and my front nose lights. Unfortunately unlike what the instructions say it is not a 1 to 1 matched remote. The second remote controlled the first one as well.

    So I wired one into the awning like you did and it works great. I’ll keep the second as a spare. Love the funky extra disco modes (hence why I wanted it on the nose lights).

    Now keep in mind it was $11 CDN for two... total China special. So not surprised it didn’t have a channel selector lol.

    I’ll keep and eye out for a better quality model that allows for unique ID or freq.

    Cheers
    Tim
    2022 Momentum 25G (aka "Baby Mo")
    2020 Ram 3500 Laramie SRW | 6.7 HO Aisin | 6’4” bed | 3.73 gears | air suspension | 3694# Payload
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