No more chasing snacks in the dark!

[Snackchaser]

I’ve awoken wifey more than a few times; noisily groping around in the dark looking for a tasty midnight snack.  So it occurred to me, why not install automatic pantry lights. . . ones that won’t light up the whole trailer?  In a previous post, “Lighting the Abyss automatically,” I similarly installed closet lights that turn on when the door is opened and wifey loved it.  So here was a perfect opportunity to use the leftover LEDs and switches from the Amazon 4-packs.

This is an easy modification, except that there wasn’t a hot wire in that location.  Well actually there is a hot wire for the radio, but I wanted one that’s on the master switch that shuts all the lights off at once.  So I’ve done the hard part by figuring out how to get a hot wire from the master switch to the lights.

I’m not allowed to make any visible holes or have exposed wiring, so I fished the wires from the rear street-side overhead cabinet - behind the pantry - and into the space behind the radio.  There are wire channels in the overhead cabinets under the mats and Oliver conveniently moulded a wire channel in the back of the pantry to join them together.  It’s easy to snake a fish-rod through the channel to pull a new hot and ground wire through.  I’ve found that a $12 Amazon fiberglass sectional fish rod works great for fishing wires in the Oliver because you can add sections as you push it through.  It’s a good idea to pull a string through with the wires incase there’s a need to add more wires in the future.

Once the wires are fished though, they can be spliced to the under cabinet touch light.  The lights wiring is covered by black duct tape under the mat, and there is enough room to tuck a butt splice in the slot.   However, I personally preferred splicing into the lighting circuit in the attic where there is more room.  This requires a clamp-on amp probe to find the lighting circuit while turning the lights on and off.  Be mindful that the master switch wire is there too and it will also show current, and don’t ask me how I know!

1/2 sheet metal screws work well to attach the LED light bars, or use good double stick tape.  There is an air gap between the inside and outside walls of the pantry, and screw holes can be drilled through the inside wall in the same way as Oliver did for the shelf mounts.  Just be careful not to drill all the way through the outside layer.  I put two LED bars end-to-end on the right side of the pantry where they can’t be seen.  A piece of 1” aluminum angle was screwed to the upper left corner to mount the cabinet light switch, and the wires were sheathed and secured with cable clamps behind the door frame.

Bon Appetit!

Cheers, Geoff

[Ronbrink]

I went the easy route and installed LED closet lights; rechargeable, dimmable, motion sensor and wireless. Larger ones in the pantry and under the curbside bed, smaller in the battery bay and dinette seat hatches. Easy mount with a magnetic strip and long battery life. 

 

[Jason Foster]

We typically don't eat anything past about 6 pm, but cool idea.

[Bill and Nancy]

Nice job! I was lazy and found some battery operated stick on LED lights that are motion sensitive. The seem to work great and you just stick them on for us lazy folks. We put one in the pantry, the closet and the basement next to the access between the beds. I also stuck one that you touch to turn on above the main switch panel. I always hated at night I cant see the black witches without a flash light.  Now I just touch the light and it comes on so I can see the switches. So far it's been 2 seasons without needing new batteries. An inexpensive solution that takes no time to or skill to install, just peal and stick.

Bill

 

[Patriot]

1 hour ago, Bill and Nancy said:

Nice job! I was lazy and found some battery operated stick on LED lights that are motion sensitive. The seem to work great and you just stick them on for us lazy folks. We put one in the pantry, the closet and the basement next to the access between the beds. I also stuck one that you touch to turn on above the main switch panel. I always hated at night I cant see the black witches without a flash light.  Now I just touch the light and it comes on so I can see the switches. So far it's been 2 seasons without needing new batteries. An inexpensive solution that takes no time to or skill to install, just peal and stick.

Bill

 

Bill, 

Care to post up a link to your peal & stick lights?

 

[jd1923]

17 hours ago, Jason Foster said:

We typically don't eat anything past about 6 pm, but cool idea.

Jason, that’s the healthy way to be! Wish I could do the same. Lucky for me when it’s not after 9 PM. I used to be a huge midnight snack guy in my younger years.

[dewdev]

@Bill and Nancy Where did you get the battery operated stick on LED lights that are motion sensitive?

Thanks

[Bill and Nancy]

I'll check with Nancy she buys the stuff I just get the honey do list. I'll go out in the trailer now and get some pictures and find out where we got them and re post shortly

 

Bill

 

[topgun2]

THIS looks like it is the puppy.

Bill

[Mike and Carol]

18 hours ago, Jason Foster said:

We typically don't eat anything past about 6 pm, but cool idea.

That’s us, usually done with evening meal by 5 and don’t eat again until 10ish the next morning.

[Bill and Nancy]

21 minutes ago, dewdev said:

@Bill and Nancy Where did you get the battery operated stick on LED lights that are motion sensitive?

Thanks

This should be the link for the motion sensitive strip lights. Im not sure where I got the puck light but they have them on amazon but they come in packages of 3 or more. I think I may have got  it at Lowes or Home depot.  I think I attached the link and the photo file correctly I wanted to put titles on them but I cant seem to do it. The motion lights have a metal strip that sticks with sticky tape to the trailer. Then the light stick with magnets to the strip with rare earth magnets. So it makes it easy to take them down to put in batteries.

 

Hope this helps

Bill

IMG_0029.HEICIMG_0029.HEICIMG_0029.HEICIMG_0030.HEICIMG_0031.HEICIMG_0032.HEIC

 

 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C9Q3DVH3 ref_=icdp_ba_mweb_mb_pd_bap_m_grid_rp_0_20_pr_gf&clientRefMarker=pd_bap_m_grid_rp_0_20_pr_gf&heartsTeamIdentifier=buyagain&heartsViewId=FAVORITE_REORDERS&psc=1

[Bill and Nancy]

I did something wrong because the photos dont show unless you click on them.

[Jason Foster]

On 1/5/2025 at 4:31 PM, jd1923 said:

 I used to be a huge midnight snack guy in my younger years.

Same.  But the things I did when I was young don't like me as much as they used to.

[Jason Foster]

On 1/5/2025 at 5:30 PM, Mike and Carol said:

That’s us, usually done with evening meal by 5 and don’t eat again until 10ish the next morning.

About 8 the next morning for us but close enough.

[Jason Foster]

On 12/26/2024 at 9:39 PM, Snackchaser said:

I’ve awoken wifey more than a few times; noisily groping around in the dark looking for a tasty midnight snack.  So it occurred to me, why not install automatic pantry lights. . . ones that won’t light up the whole trailer?  In a previous post, “Lighting the Abyss automatically,” I similarly installed closet lights that turn on when the door is opened and wifey loved it.  So here was a perfect opportunity to use the leftover LEDs and switches from the Amazon 4-packs.

This is an easy modification, except that there wasn’t a hot wire in that location.  Well actually there is a hot wire for the radio, but I wanted one that’s on the master switch that shuts all the lights off at once.  So I’ve done the hard part by figuring out how to get a hot wire from the master switch to the lights.

I’m not allowed to make any visible holes or have exposed wiring, so I fished the wires from the rear street-side overhead cabinet - behind the pantry - and into the space behind the radio.  There are wire channels in the overhead cabinets under the mats and Oliver conveniently moulded a wire channel in the back of the pantry to join them together.  It’s easy to snake a fish-rod through the channel to pull a new hot and ground wire through.  I’ve found that a $12 Amazon fiberglass sectional fish rod works great for fishing wires in the Oliver because you can add sections as you push it through.  It’s a good idea to pull a string through with the wires incase there’s a need to add more wires in the future.

Once the wires are fished though, they can be spliced to the under cabinet touch light.  The lights wiring is covered by black duct tape under the mat, and there is enough room to tuck a butt splice in the slot.   However, I personally preferred splicing into the lighting circuit in the attic where there is more room.  This requires a clamp-on amp probe to find the lighting circuit while turning the lights on and off.  Be mindful that the master switch wire is there too and it will also show current, and don’t ask me how I know!

1/2 sheet metal screws work well to attach the LED light bars, or use good double stick tape.  There is an air gap between the inside and outside walls of the pantry, and screw holes can be drilled through the inside wall in the same way as Oliver did for the shelf mounts.  Just be careful not to drill all the way through the outside layer.  I put two LED bars end-to-end on the right side of the pantry where they can’t be seen.  A piece of 1” aluminum angle was screwed to the upper left corner to mount the cabinet light switch, and the wires were sheathed and secured with cable clamps behind the door frame.

Bon Appetit!

Cheers, Geoff

By the way, for a person who goes by the nickname Snackchaser, your cabinets are curiously devoid of snacks....

[Snackchaser]

16 minutes ago, Jason Foster said:

By the way, for a person who goes by the nickname Snackchaser, your cabinets are curiously devoid of snacks....

Yes, the snacks are missing!!!  Wifey has been notified and I can neither confirm or deny any involvement in their disappearance!