![]() The offering pages says 5m, 300 LEDs, 12v, 60 watt. The circumference of the hatch edge is just over 15', so I went all around in a continuous run, cutting less than a foot off the end of the roll.ĭoing some rough math on the light strip. But it works, it's been opened and closed many times without impairment (so far). And too the relocation of the strip to the metal base of the hatch puts it very close to striking the locking hoops of the hatch. But when the hatch is closed these areas are being pressed firmly so they ought to stay stuck. ![]() So it's puckered / bunched up as it turns those corners. But that's another day.Īnd either location for mounting the strip led to some corner turns that were too tight of a radius, compromising how the strip is mounted. Later I'll make preps to pierce the void of that pillar so there is room to both route the wiring inside it and have the switch where I'd like to have it. I was pressed for time and in the middle of the install when I found there wasn't room to put the switch where I wanted, so I improvised. And put the switch on the rear pillar where I really wanted it. I already see better ways to affix things that won't interfere with the weather seal. Like most of my fiddling around, this turns out to be a 'Mk1' install. It's now 'sealing' right over the LED strip. And upon further inspection the only other place to attach the strip in the area I'd planned so it would light the rear under the open hatch turned out to me the metal of the hatch itself but right where the main gasket seals. But even wiped with acetone the vinyl was too 'greasy' for the 3M PSA to stick properly. I'd intended to affix the lights to the inner face of the hatch on the vinyl paneling. Got that all fixed and then set about mounting the lights and hit another obstruction. And since I was working 'hot' I of course shorted some loose connectors and burned the fuse. I used some speaker wire that was similar to the thin size of the LED strip and it was a bit too thin for the guillotine connector and had some power failures I had to diagnose. Had a bit of a fiddly mess there, using spade type crimp on connectors and the guillotine-type splice connectors. The latter is on its own circuit, which is also always hot. Piggy-backed on its power as that circuit has a 20A and includes the power port on the back of the center console and the 2 in the dash adjacent to the cig lighter. Pulled some of the rear cargo area trim to get the passenger side panel free enough to install a switch in it near the factory 'power port' 12v receptacle. So I kinda got my LED light strip installed. There are even more inexpensive variants available, but they ship direct from China, 2-3 weeks instead of 2-3 days. These are the ones I got, fulfilled by Amazon, counted towards the 'free shipping' tally. ![]() Some quick light experiments, using my battery charger as a power source, set at 2amps The strip appears to be backed with a 3M pressure sensitive adhesive strip. Just have to get out there and fiddle with things and find the method that works. But that would aim the LEDs out to the side rather than towards the ground. However the hatch seal area does have a curved radius of sorts. Although the layer is pliable, it's pretty thick. This clear coating is going to complicate my intended install, I'd intended to pinch the flat strip together to 'turn' the corners of hatch. The strip will run roughly 13' around three sides of the hatch. I intend to tap that line and feed power to a switch which I'll install somewhere on that right rear pillar, running the wire up near the top corner of the hatch and bridging the gap to the hatch edge itself, where the LED strip will start. There's already a always-hot power line in the rear corner of the cargo area, by the hatch, powering a 12v lighter-style socket. My intended use for this strip is to trim the inner edge of the rear hatch of the suburban, so it acts as a ceiling light when the hatch is open.
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