Adding cabinet lighting

[Ronn]

I think "being pretty" effect is the main reason some are considering ambient lighting in them.

[Vermilye]

Originally Posted by EdColorado

Our newly built 21' has the glass inserts.

I was never planning on installing lights inside the cabinets just pointing out the opaque nature of the glass.

Given how opaque the glass is , I can't see lighting installed inside the cabinets as being effective at doing much of anything other than maybe being pretty.

Interior cabinet lighting is useful if you are trying to find something inside after dark. I've added switched LED strips to all of my upper cabinets & found them useful.

[EdColorado]

For someone like me with minimal electrical skills, I use these inside dark cabinets, for nightlights in the hall area, bath, in the front storage box, inside each of the outside access doors, etc.
I open a door or walk past and they come on then go off by themselves.

Different ways to solve similar issues.

Ed



https://www.amazon.com/Upgraded-Non-...%2C170&sr=8-10

[arniesea]

Originally Posted by Ronn

I have a 5.0 on order and planning to install a WeBoost in the area above the microwave or refrigerator.

I also have a 5.0 on order and am installing a WeBoost. Not sure which model you are getting but I bought the RV65 kit. That kit has a rather large interior antenna. Fortunately I live 3 hours from Chilliwack so I was able to bring it with me for final build sheet signing. I was glad I did as about the only place that antenna fits nicely (in my opinion) is on the upper cabinet face just inside the door, facing to the rear of the trailer. This antenna is connected to the amplifier via a CoAx cable. I'm mounting the amplifier above the dinette on the passenger side. Since that run would cross the doorway, I paid the $$ to have ETI run the coax from the rear cabinet, above the galley, across the door to the overhead cabinet above the stairs.

Bottom line, I wasn't too worried about the 12V power as those wires are pretty small. But I did want the thicker coax cable concealed, particularly across the doorway.

If you are getting the 4-GX model of WeBoost the smaller interior antenna won't be an issue. If you are getting the RV65, you may want to think about where the interior antenna will go.

[Ronn]

Originally Posted by arniesea

I also have a 5.0 on order and am installing a WeBoost. Not sure which model you are getting but I bought the RV65 kit. That kit has a rather large interior antenna. Fortunately I live 3 hours from Chilliwack so I was able to bring it with me for final build sheet signing. I was glad I did as about the only place that antenna fits nicely (in my opinion) is on the upper cabinet face just inside the door, facing to the rear of the trailer. This antenna is connected to the amplifier via a CoAx cable. I'm mounting the amplifier above the dinette on the passenger side. Since that run would cross the doorway, I paid the $$ to have ETI run the coax from the rear cabinet, above the galley, across the door to the overhead cabinet above the stairs.

Bottom line, I wasn't too worried about the 12V power as those wires are pretty small. But I did want the thicker coax cable concealed, particularly across the doorway.

If you are getting the 4-GX model of WeBoost the smaller interior antenna won't be an issue. If you are getting the RV65, you may want to think about where the interior antenna will go.

Hi Arnie, I see this is your second Escape, I am wondering if you had a WeBoost in the 19?
I am looking at the 4G-X RV. What have others with a 5.0 done as far as placing their outside and inside antennas? I am thinking of mounting the outside antenna near the peak on the passenger side and running the wire in through the refrigerator vent. I would then place the booster in the cabinet above the microwave. This issue I see is that this units inside antenna is meant to sit on a counter top, due to possible oscillation and inside coverage I'd like to keep the inside antenna near the refrigerator. Anyone have ideas for the mounting of the inside antenna so it doesn't look like it was stuck there? Could it be inside the upper microwave cabinet and work as well?

[Rossue]

Had Escape pre wire for stereo and never did use the wire for that purpose, however came in handy when doing cabinet lights on the upper cabinets on the street side over the bed. Then for the front upper used the captain's light for power. Elsewhere in kitchen and dinette tapped into the surface mount lights.

[jxoco]

Originally Posted by Vermilye

Interior cabinet lighting is useful if you are trying to find something inside after dark. I've added switched LED strips to all of my upper cabinets & found them useful.

I've also added strip leds to the upper cabinets, the under seat compartments and the under sink cupboards. Not to be pretty. To find things.
The under seat compartments had 12v wiring already.
The under sink was a drilled hole into the under seat right beside it.
The upper cabinets was a drilled hole upwards and at an angle from the factory installed lamp on the bottom of the compartment.

I use tiny leaf switches so each door as it opens turns on the led strip within that compartment.
I bought led lights on a roll and cut off the amount for each compartment.
The glue on the back of the led strip would not hold and I found that a staple from a staple gun would span the led strip and solve that problem.
I used Lee valley micro switches (that came with connectors and screws) at first but I found some similarly small switches on Amazon ( but I had to solder and find very small screws).

[Vermilye]

Originally Posted by jxoco

I've also added strip leds to the upper cabinets, the under seat compartments and the under sink cupboards. Not to be pretty. To find things.
The under seat compartments had 12v wiring already.
The under sink was a drilled hole into the under seat right beside it.
The upper cabinets was a drilled hole upwards and at an angle from the factory installed lamp on the bottom of the compartment.

I use tiny leaf switches so each door as it opens turns on the led strip within that compartment.
I bought led lights on a roll and cut off the amount for each compartment.
The glue on the back of the led strip would not hold and I found that a staple from a staple gun would span the led strip and solve that problem.
I used Lee valley micro switches (that came with connectors and screws) at first but I found some similarly small switches on Amazon ( but I had to solder and find very small screws).

Something to consider - If you dry camp in cold weather (or, for that matter, run your AC at night in hot weather when hooked up), consider a way to switch off the cabinet lighting when the doors are open. I often leave the upper cabinet doors open on cold nights to help keep the contents from getting too cold. I use manual switches for the cabinet lighting so they don't have to stay on when the doors are open.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by jxoco

I use tiny leaf switches so each door as it opens turns on the led strip within that compartment.

Originally Posted by Vermilye

Something to consider - If you dry camp in cold weather (or, for that matter, run your AC at night in hot weather when hooked up), consider a way to switch off the cabinet lighting when the doors are open.

Good idea. One master switch (one switch controls the power to all of the lighting on door switches) is the most straightforward solution, although that means separating cabinet lighting from other devices on the same circuit.

[themarkofak]

How difficult was it to tap into the captain's light and surface mount lights?

[cpaharley2008]

If you can remove the light, then you can have access to the power to the light. Over the years Escape has gone from wire connectors to permanent crimps so until you open yours, it is an unknown. Similarly for 120v outlets, the early ones were easy to replace and add on, but now they use a sealed unit that needs special tools.

[Rossue]

Not hard for me, just a little time consuming with soldering and using shrink wrap on connections.

Got these from Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=uxcell+10...ref=nb_sb_noss

4.4 out of 5 stars 40 Reviews
SUPAREE 12V 40 LEDs Van Interior Light Kits LED

[Mike Lewis]

Originally Posted by Rossue

Had Escape pre wire for stereo and never did use the wire for that purpose, however came in handy when doing cabinet lights on the upper cabinets on the street side over the bed. Then for the front upper used the captain's light for power. Elsewhere in kitchen and dinette tapped into the surface mount lights.

Ross--
My 2014 Escape 21 was also pre-wired for stereo. I found the speaker wires but I haven't found the 12V drop for the stereo unit. Where was yours located? Thanks.