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Old 01-27-2022, 12:44 AM   #21
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Originally Posted by Snks View Post
No there is only one switch to turn on the lights. I guess I could try wiring a dimmer to see if it works. But some switch’s are wired on the negative side to turn the lights on. So I will have to check my wiring. I’m not sure if the grand design is negative side or positive wired in the video.
I may be speaking out of turn because I don't have your model RV, BUT do you have a Firefly motherboard where you can control all your lights and it shows other info for your RV? I have a 2019 Hurricane 29M and I have that device/motherboard on my wall and there is a dimmer mechanism there that allows me to dim or increase the light brilliance. Just wondering if your RV might have the same thing.

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Old 01-27-2022, 12:54 AM   #22
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I may be speaking out of turn because I don't have your model RV, BUT do you have a Firefly motherboard where you can control all your lights and it shows other info for your RV? I have a 2019 Hurricane 29M and I have that device/motherboard on my wall and there is a dimmer mechanism there that allows me to dim or increase the light brilliance. Just wondering if your RV might have the same thing.
No I don’t it’s just a simple switch. I wish it came with one.
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Old 01-27-2022, 08:32 PM   #23
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Please post if you figure this out. I spent some time trying to retrofit my thor vegas 24.1 2018 lights with a 12V dimmer but i could never find the ground wire to the lights that i wanted to dim. I figure that wire is hidden somewhere in a large wire loom that i could never figure out.
Anyways- i dont think its possible to dim 12V LED without access to the + and ground side.
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Old 01-27-2022, 10:02 PM   #24
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Originally Posted by gte534j View Post
Please post if you figure this out. I spent some time trying to retrofit my thor vegas 24.1 2018 lights with a 12V dimmer but i could never find the ground wire to the lights that i wanted to dim. I figure that wire is hidden somewhere in a large wire loom that i could never figure out.
Anyways- i dont think its possible to dim 12V LED without access to the + and ground side.
No you can’t do it off the ground that I can see. You would have to find the incoming wires to the lights. They could be in a cabinet going to the ceiling near the switch or at the lights.
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Old 01-27-2022, 10:06 PM   #25
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No you can’t do it off the ground that I can see. You would have to find the incoming wires to the lights. They could be in a cabinet going to the ceiling near the switch or at the lights.
I was not quite clear- i think you need to find the + and - leads going into the LED wiring to connect to the LED dimmer. A reguar switch just disconnects the + lead and does not care about the - lead. The LED dimmer needs both and you can not just ground the LED dimmer (i tried that and it did not work).
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Old 01-27-2022, 10:07 PM   #26
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So I have not found the wires to the lights. I tried a dimmer that didn’t work and the switch on the dimmer only shut off the one overhead light. ����

But I did find some other of the same color wires going in the other cabinet.
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Old 01-28-2022, 03:39 PM   #27
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The main living overhead LED’s in my 2020 Thor outlaw are too bright and I’m looking to add a dimmer control.

The switch only has a wire in and out so I am thinking one is a 12v hot and the other is going to the light. In the YouTube below the owner connected a three wire dimmer to a similar two wire switch. They also sell a small switch cover plate that adapts the dimmer to fit the switch plate. Though I’m not sure that would fit a Thor panel.
Has anyone done this on a Thor.


Yes I have installed dimmer switches in my Thor. The problem I had is to locate the neutral wire for the ceiling lights. The 12 volt DC dimmer needs the neutral wire for the dimmer to work. I never located a common white neutral wire for all of the main ceiling lighting. I was able to find the neutrals to add dimmer switches to the dinette, bedroom, and over the kitchen sink. I use 12 volt DC motion sensors and LED strip lighting inside the pantry, closets, and under bathroom sink. When we do go dim, we turn off the main ceiling lights. I wish manufactures would run the lighting white neutral wire with the black hot wire to each switch.
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Old 01-28-2022, 04:11 PM   #28
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Yes I have installed dimmer switches in my Thor. The problem I had is to locate the neutral wire for the ceiling lights. The 12 volt DC dimmer needs the neutral wire for the dimmer to work. I never located a common white neutral wire for all of the main ceiling lighting. I was able to find the neutrals to add dimmer switches to the dinette, bedroom, and over the kitchen sink. I use 12 volt DC motion sensors and LED strip lighting inside the pantry, closets, and under bathroom sink. When we do go dim, we turn off the main ceiling lights. I wish manufactures would run the lighting white neutral wire with the black hot wire to each switch.
No such thing as a "neutral wire" in DC wiring. You have positive and negative wires with the negative commonly tied to ground in vehicles.
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Old 01-28-2022, 04:35 PM   #29
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No such thing as a "neutral wire" in DC wiring. You have positive and negative wires with the negative commonly tied to ground in vehicles.
I stand corrected. Both positive and negative wires from the lighting circuit must be wired to the Direct Current Dimmer Switch. There are some wireless dimmer receivers that you could install on each fixture if the manufacture installer tied the lights' negative wire to the chassis ground.
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Old 01-29-2022, 08:53 PM   #30
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Just to add to the confusion or to maybe dis-confuse, this guy goes thru the different DC dimmer offerings.
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Old 01-30-2022, 06:44 AM   #31
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Further insights to wiring configurations:
RV Dimmer Wiring Options.
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Old 01-30-2022, 12:20 PM   #32
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Given the Tuscany has 9 different choices of lighting in the living area i cannot imagine a need for a dimable lamp

Interesting following along

In the SB kitchen the under counlights are dimable LED’s so there you go

Just depends on perceived need
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Old 01-30-2022, 06:49 PM   #33
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Further insights to wiring configurations:
RV Dimmer Wiring Options.
Thanks for posting this link. I did not know there were high or low side dimmers. Just ordered the high side dimmer I need for my main ceiling lights. Be sure to read the details before ordering when using amazon.
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Old 01-30-2022, 06:54 PM   #34
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Old 01-30-2022, 06:58 PM   #35
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The dimmers are handy at night when you can't wrap your RV with mosquito netting.
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Old 01-31-2022, 02:54 PM   #36
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For those willing to read a little, here's a deep dive into how an LED dimmer works - which applies specifically to RV LED lights powered from 12v DC. This explains the difference between "high side" and "low side" dimmers, and when to use one or the other - depending on whether you have the circuit ground available.

Also explained is HOW the dimmer uses an Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) and Pulsed Width Modulation (PWM) duty cycles to switch the LED on and of, creating the illusion of dimming. Happy reading!

Building the RV Super Dimmer..
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