Definitely need some sun glasses 🕶 under those leds Top job did have a chuckle when you blow the fuse. Much Improvement when coming home from the pub on the night time.
Just one thought Shaun - the power source you connected into - is it the derived from the crank battery ? Or the leisure battery ? If the courtesy lights on the Cali are like the regular T5 it will be the crank one. Careful you dont accidentally leave it on all night. In my own T5 , I fed the awning light (+) from the leisure battery via a fuse and used the existing (-) to return to chassis. cant flatten the crank batt that way !
Installed it like described, everything worked fine, but I was not able to start the engine this morning. Can´t be that the controller emptied the battery ?
Brilliant video. We have bought the same light for our bus on the back of the video. Am I correct in thinking the lead enters the van over the top of the seal for the rear doors? I'm yet to fit it but, I was looking to see where I was going to drill. Not something I look forward to. Cheers. Mal.
Only just watched this (poor mobile reception in a campsite in Pembrokeshire). Have to say, I was biting my fingernails to the bone, waiting for the inevitable spark, whilst watching you strip the wires! 😬 Great mod; my only worry is that the receiver box is always ‘ON’ (has to be so that it responds to the remote). Admittedly, it’s an extremely small current drain but I have a phobia about not being able to physically switch anything off in the van. I’d have fitted a switch to the supply side. 🙂
Nice stealthy install, but I'd ALWAYS connect the wiring to the light and not mess with the van's wiring loom. You can replace a light if you want to remove the mod in future, but you can't un-cut the factory wiring loom...
Hi Jim. Ryan here from Campervantastic. Sorry to hear you've had issues with this. If you purchased from us could you send us an email and we'll try to fix this for you :) Sales@campervantastic.com
I’m assuming that you fitted the light to the canopy edge and not the fixed edge on the camper, how did you find stowing the cable, does it foul anywhere? Would like to do similar with the new motorhome, a timely blog. Cheers you two (and bump)
No it’s fitted to the fixed edge so that you don’t have to stow the rest of the cable. It’s only for taking the dog out at night or lighting the way back to the camper.
How about the British weather. Is it risky in the rain? The led strip must get really wet and is the van completely water tight with the cable running out there?
The LED strip is designed to be outdoors and the seal is still perfectly in place on the tailgate of the California. Will report back if it leaks or fails due to the weather 👍
Welcome to the world of VW electrics. I suspect you was searching the manual for the fuse location. Search again because VW deem everyone incapable of finding and changing a fuse. They don't list them anywere on the vehicle or in the manual. They just show the main location of the fuse box and thats it. Don't mess with the electrics unless you know where the fuse is, it is a royal pain finding them.
Hi peeps, we use one similar but it comes in a weather proof sleeve. And we clip it onto the awning. We found the sticky backing ones come off in the heat in Aus. Have a look there great. Can also put it anywhere like in an awning etc www.bcf.com.au/p/xtm-flexible-led-strip-light/561122.html
Apparently, Dounreay only gave a brief shudder, 12 wind "farms" blew their turbines (there's a silver lining to every cloud) and the wood chip station is still out. Sean did have it on mains via stepdown? Normally don't laugh at misfortune but it was just waiting...:-)))
SHAWN, when I saw the LED STRIP, I had to laugh, as I have a replacement kitchen light that has 2 48 “ strips bloody bright , It replaced several 4 -48 “ fluorescent tubes ! There is NOTHING like a BRIGHT KICHEN LIGHT , regards to your wife & Bentley,,, Cherio🏴🇬🇧🏴🏴🇺🇸
Guys leaving out the most complicated pass in the ass bit is quite misleading to buy this product. You didn’t show going past the rear door seal which is an absolute nightmare and from what I can work out does not seal the water channel properly anymore
Wee Broon Van I had the same thought. Here in Australia there always seem to be bugs at night so I use a solid non-flexible LED strip light with a magnet built into the back of it. I can put the light on the car wherever there is metal for it to “hold” onto. It has both white and orange LEDs and you switch to whichever is appropriate. If no bugs around and you want maximum light then use the white light but if sitting around relaxing I switch to the orange LEDs and the bugs aren’t attracted to the light - well not as many bugs. Currently I use the light on my SUV but will use it on my California Beach when it arrives next February. The solid strips come in a few different lengths and you can plug a couple of them together so I should be able to put one at the back and one under the awning. I only set it up when I arrive to camp, it’s not permanently installed like Shaun’s light is.
Not sure I like the exposed terminals when you connected to the control box, also just a pointer your not supposed to use electrical tape it should be the fabric tape that the car/van manufacturers use.
That’s a pretty smart idea! Cool that it fits in your keys as well 😁
What an illuminating idea ! 💡😁
Definitely need some sun glasses 🕶 under those leds
Top job did have a chuckle when you blow the fuse.
Much Improvement when coming home from the pub on the night time.
They are very helpful. We had ours on whilst we sat under the awning at the weekend. So glad we got one on ours 😊
I’ve been using one of those dimmer boxes for a few years now, there great I use mine for the internal lights
hi where did you buy the seat covers?? they are beautiful!
Great idea! Looks so cool!
Just one thought Shaun - the power source you connected into - is it the derived from the crank battery ? Or the leisure battery ? If the courtesy lights on the Cali are like the regular T5 it will be the crank one. Careful you dont accidentally leave it on all night. In my own T5 , I fed the awning light (+) from the leisure battery via a fuse and used the existing (-) to return to chassis. cant flatten the crank batt that way !
Those interior lights I connected to are fed from the Leisure battery 👍
@@ABusAndBeyond - all good then!
yep everthing behind the B pillar on the Cali is connected to the leisure batteries . Fuse number and location would be helpful as well. Good video!
Looks great i used them in my camper.
Bought. Can't wait to fit it.
What’s it like after a while in the wet and rain ?
Installed it like described, everything worked fine, but I was not able to start the engine this morning. Can´t be that the controller emptied the battery ?
I think you could have got some piggy back connectors save having to cut off the connetors that were on the unit
Brilliant video. We have bought the same light for our bus on the back of the video. Am I correct in thinking the lead enters the van over the top of the seal for the rear doors? I'm yet to fit it but, I was looking to see where I was going to drill. Not something I look forward to. Cheers. Mal.
There’s no drilling required. We just let the cable go over the top of the seal and then in under the trim at the back.
@@ABusAndBeyond Thanks guys.
@@ABusAndBeyond I saw that in the video, but doesn't that mean that water can get past the seal where the wire is?
Only just watched this (poor mobile reception in a campsite in Pembrokeshire). Have to say, I was biting my fingernails to the bone, waiting for the inevitable spark, whilst watching you strip the wires! 😬
Great mod; my only worry is that the receiver box is always ‘ON’ (has to be so that it responds to the remote). Admittedly, it’s an extremely small current drain but I have a phobia about not being able to physically switch anything off in the van. I’d have fitted a switch to the supply side. 🙂
Could you send me the link for the led lighting kit please
Did thew strip stay stuck on after a few months of hot and cold weather?
I assume the strip is waterproof?
Love that, thanks for sharing 👍
You’re welcome. Thanks for watching
Nice stealthy install, but I'd ALWAYS connect the wiring to the light and not mess with the van's wiring loom. You can replace a light if you want to remove the mod in future, but you can't un-cut the factory wiring loom...
I had one but it would turn on randomly whilst sat on driveway !!
Hi Jim. Ryan here from Campervantastic. Sorry to hear you've had issues with this. If you purchased from us could you send us an email and we'll try to fix this for you :) Sales@campervantastic.com
I’m assuming that you fitted the light to the canopy edge and not the fixed edge on the camper, how did you find stowing the cable, does it foul anywhere? Would like to do similar with the new motorhome, a timely blog. Cheers you two (and bump)
No it’s fitted to the fixed edge so that you don’t have to stow the rest of the cable. It’s only for taking the dog out at night or lighting the way back to the camper.
So amazing guys. How can I donate?
Wow you could light up a sporting field with those lights
How about the British weather. Is it risky in the rain? The led strip must get really wet and is the van completely water tight with the cable running out there?
The LED strip is designed to be outdoors and the seal is still perfectly in place on the tailgate of the California. Will report back if it leaks or fails due to the weather 👍
You can buy diffuser strip - alu channel with plastic front and end caps online if water ingress is a concern
Cool. Thanks.
Thanks for taking the time! Also for showing what could go wrong and how to solve it.
Welcome to the world of VW electrics. I suspect you was searching the manual for the fuse location. Search again because VW deem everyone incapable of finding and changing a fuse. They don't list them anywere on the vehicle or in the manual. They just show the main location of the fuse box and thats it. Don't mess with the electrics unless you know where the fuse is, it is a royal pain finding them.
Hopefully the LED strip will unstick and fall off before the extra load on the electrics has a chance to do any real harm.
2 Scotch clips would of saved you cutting the wires and been so much quicker.
And no risk of blowing fuse 😂
Hi peeps, we use one similar but it comes in a weather proof sleeve. And we clip it onto the awning. We found the sticky backing ones come off in the heat in Aus. Have a look there great. Can also put it anywhere like in an awning etc www.bcf.com.au/p/xtm-flexible-led-strip-light/561122.html
Apparently, Dounreay only gave a brief shudder, 12 wind "farms" blew their turbines (there's a silver lining to every cloud) and the wood chip station is still out. Sean did have it on mains via stepdown? Normally don't laugh at misfortune but it was just waiting...:-)))
SHAWN, when I saw the LED STRIP, I had to laugh, as I have a replacement kitchen light that has 2 48 “ strips bloody bright , It replaced several 4 -48 “ fluorescent tubes ! There is NOTHING like a BRIGHT KICHEN LIGHT , regards to your wife & Bentley,,, Cherio🏴🇬🇧🏴🏴🇺🇸
Guys leaving out the most complicated pass in the ass bit is quite misleading to buy this product. You didn’t show going past the rear door seal which is an absolute nightmare and from what I can work out does not seal the water channel properly anymore
Looks cool but I expect it would attract flying bugs to your door or just use when awning is out.
Wee Broon Van I had the same thought. Here in Australia there always seem to be bugs at night so I use a solid non-flexible LED strip light with a magnet built into the back of it. I can put the light on the car wherever there is metal for it to “hold” onto. It has both white and orange LEDs and you switch to whichever is appropriate. If no bugs around and you want maximum light then use the white light but if sitting around relaxing I switch to the orange LEDs and the bugs aren’t attracted to the light - well not as many bugs. Currently I use the light on my SUV but will use it on my California Beach when it arrives next February. The solid strips come in a few different lengths and you can plug a couple of them together so I should be able to put one at the back and one under the awning. I only set it up when I arrive to camp, it’s not permanently installed like Shaun’s light is.
@@dakashades Magnets, like it, east to detach and move around.
Hint? With almost anything, try it too see if it works before installing...
😊👍
Because you cut the wire, does this mean that your warranty will be invalid. Because you aren’t a auto electrician? Looks very smart though.
Not sure I like the exposed terminals when you connected to the control box, also just a pointer your not supposed to use electrical tape it should be the fabric tape that the car/van manufacturers use.