Need help with dimmer switch

[1carguy]

I've got a Jayco Eagle HT 30.5MBOK 5th wheel that has about 7-8 ceiling lights. They are way too bright so I want to install a dimmer switch. The new dimmer switch looks very similar except it has a slide dimmer next to the ON-Off rocker switch. When I pulled out the original switch I determined that the red wire with white stripe is hot. It is looped with a connector that is spliced into the wire that plugs into the back of the switch (see pics). It's 12v hot all the time. The black wire goes to the lights and is powered when the rocker switch is turned on. The new switch has 3 wires and the instructions to hook this up is not at all what they describe the wiring in the instructions that came with the new switch. I'm stumped....It seems that the light circuit is powered up and the rocker switch completes and interrupts the circuit but the dimmer is set up for a different wiring system. Any 12V gurus out there that can give me some help?
the first 2 pics are the original switch, the last 2 are the new switch.

[JimD]

I am guessing that your lights are LEDs. Not all LEDs can be dimmed. If you look on Amazon for LED bulbs for your home you will see some are regular and some can be dimmed. I assume RV lights will be pretty much the same.

[bruceg]

Hook your red wire with the white stripe to the red wire on the switch. Hook your black wire to the white wire on the switch. Hook the black wire on the new switch to a chassis ground. According to the diagram on the back of your new switch.

[JFlightRisk]

Your new switch is for LED lights, but as JimD said, not all LEDs are dimmable. Maybe yours are, maybe not.

The red wire/white stripe looks like a loop, because it probably continues on and powers something else. Not a problem. It's like a ScotchLok, but made to attach to a spade terminal.

Unplug the red/white wire, remove the blue connector, cut and strip it where the blue connector was. Then butt connect those two ends to the red wire on the dimmer switch.

Then remove the blue connector from the black wire, and butt connect it to the white wire on the dimmer switch.

The black wire on the dimmer switch is now up to your detective work. It MUST be attached to a solid ground. That may require some more same-gauge wire to reach such a point.

There you have it.

[tslarson]

I found that with the dimmer I installed (PWM style) that the ground needs to be connected to the the actual wire coming from the lights. You just can't connect it to any ground wire.

[JFlightRisk]

Originally Posted by tslarson

I found that with the dimmer I installed (PWM style) that the ground needs to be connected to the the actual wire coming from the lights. You just can't connect it to any ground wire.

Good point!

[1carguy]

Thank you guys! it works! My main electrical panel is just a couple for feet from the switch so I ran a jumper wire from the black wire on the new switch to the main neg lug in the panel it worked perfectly. My next challenge will be fishing a wire down the wall to the electrical panel to hook up the ground.

Question: I see a lot of white wires, are these ground wires? If so can't I just tie into one of these for the ground instead of fishing a wire to the electrical panel?

[JFlightRisk]

Yes, white wires are grounds, and I'd try it and see if the lights still all dim from your new switch. If they all work properly, you should be all set.

Our TT had regular bulb lamps, so I'm in a bit of uncharted waters with LEDs, but not the logical wiring of a dimmer. We're both learning from this. Keep us posted.

[JimD]

Excellent to hear you got it to work. Is there any flickering with the LEDs? I wanted to look into dimming when I first got my Greyhawk but never did. Too bad Jayco put all lights on the same switch. It would have been great to have every other light on separate banks. You do get a sun tan when all are on.

[1carguy]

OK, job done, dimmer switch installed and works perfectly. I found a white wire in the wall where the switch mounts and it tested as a ground wire. All I did was tie into it and the system works as designed. No fishing wires down the wall. No flickering lights when dimmed. DW is very happy. Two of these lights are in the hallway and I wish they were on a separate switch...but that's a project for another day. Thanks for the help.

[JFlightRisk]

Originally Posted by 1carguy

OK, job done, dimmer switch installed and works perfectly. I found a white wire in the wall where the switch mounts and it tested as a ground wire. All I did was tie into it and the system works as designed. No fishing wires down the wall. No flickering lights when dimmed. DW is very happy. Two of these lights are in the hallway and I wish they were on a separate switch...but that's a project for another day. Thanks for the help.

Thanks for the update. Glad to hear it worked out so well!

[JimD]

Where did you get the high side dimmer?

[JaytheDJ]

Thanks for the reminder! I have been waiting for these dimmers to be back in stock on Amazon so I could install some myself! Just ordered a couple, one for the main lights and one for the dinette.
Glad you had success, I'll be installing mine this weekend.

[1carguy]

I got it from Amazon, less than $30

[Vicr]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1


These are really nice LED Dimmers. I have them allover my coach.

[daveobieone]

I have two of them (the small round knob ones) in my Eagle HT. One in the living room and one for the bedroom. Both work very well, and dim down to almost nothing.

When I'm on batteries only, they will rarely show some flicker at low brightness. Just as slight touch to the knob and that goes away. I do not have a separate ground running to them. That might be the reason why. I've only noticed this a couple of times. Not enough to bother me.

Dave O.

[Rayco]

What year is your MBOK? Our 2019 (built Aug or Sep 2018) has a dimmer switch on the lights in the main area but not in the master bedroom, and those LEDs are BRIGHT! The dimmable switch in the main living area is different from yours - when you place a finger over a tiny light on the switch it dims then raises the lights - you just take your finger off the switch at the level you want. I've been wondering if the LEDs in the bedroom are dimmable LEDs, in which case I would just go with a switch like the one in the main area. Good info in this thread - may help me do the change.

[havnfun]

Rayco- We have those same dimmers in our Eagle HT, in the main living area and over the table. But bedroom lights also have no dimmer like yours and would love to put a similar dimmer in there if they are dimmable LEDs. Please let me know what you find out and if it works, where will you get your matching dimmable switch? Thanks.

Happy RVing,
Jeff

[daveobieone]

The little square dimmers with the round knobs work just great for the (way to bright) puck-style ceiling lights in our 2017 Eagle HT.
Dave O.