LED Strip Lighting and Battery Charger for Interior of 18-Foot Enclosed Trailer

Question:

Im looking to run interior LED lighting in my enclosed trailer. I dont think I want to hook it up to my truck so it keeps a charge - since I dont want to have any potential issues with my truck battery. Id rather mount a battery Deep Cycle marine battery? in the trailer and put it on a charger for when I want to use the trailer. I assume the occasional turning on the lights will be fine - it would just be to get stuff in and out of the trailer and I wont be leaving lights on for any extended period of time. And if they are LED lights, they should not draw much current ? How long would a battery last in terms of using LED? I think Id like to run wiring from the battery to a switch, then wiring to the two sides of the trailer. It needs to be enough light, preferably led strip lighting all the way down each interior side - the trailer is 18 feet long. Can you help me out and tell which products to order? Thank you

asked by: Al

Expert Reply:

The LED strip light I suggest based on your trailer length is the Optronics 17-foot weatherproof model # UCL90CB. This light strip comes on a reel and has a peel-and-stick 3M adhesive backing for easy installation. You can see this item in the linked video. The strip can even be cut to length.

Multiple strips can be linked together using parts # A90P1B and # A90PB which will make it easy to link lights strips on each side of the trailer as well as on the ceiling. I do recommend using a strip on the ceiling since an overhead light source will tend to be less distracting when you're inside the trailer. You can use power toggle switch # PK34212

A deep-cycle battery will be ideal for powering LED lights inside your 18-foot enclosed trailer. Deep-cycle batteries typically have a lifespan of 200-charge cycles. As an example, a 100Ah Group 27 battery will last quite a while if it is powering only highly-efficient LED lighting. This battery typically lasts 2 whole days when powering an RV full of lights and other typical devices. You will probably be just fine with a 75-Ah deep-cycle battery. Three strips all on continuously should give you several days of continuous light between charges.

Deep-cycle batteries are best charged as soon as possible after they have been depleted. You do not want to store a depleted deep-cycle battery for too long before re-charging it. I recommend an AC-powered charger like the CTEK MULTI US 7002 # CTEK56353. This particular charger will maintain up to a 120Ah battery and charge one up to a 75Ah rating. I own a CTEK charger like this and it has served me well in 5 years of continuous 24/7/365 use on car, motorcycle and lawn mower batteries.