Dimming LED strips in a camper: what works and what doesn't

Updated 9 October 2026Lighty

Single-colour, multi-colour, RGB and RGBWW strips with shared colour channels can be dimmed smoothly in a camper. Addressable pixel strips such as WS2812 cannot, because they need a completely different kind of control.

Why many dimmers in campers disappoint

Most simple dimmers give up at around 20%. Below that the light jumps to off or flickers visibly. Yet that is exactly the range that matters most in a camper: the soft light in the evening, the night light that wakes nobody up.

That is why Lighty dims smoothly from 0.1 to 100%, colour-true all the way down and evenly to the eye. It also makes a sunrise simulation possible, where the light rises gently out of the dark over several minutes.

No whining, no flicker on video

Dimmed light is created by switching very fast. If that switching frequency is too low, you hear a whine and the camera shows stripes in the picture. Lighty works at 19.5kHz, above what humans can hear. For pets there is practically no audible noise. The control is flicker-free up to 240fps, so there are no stripes in photos or videos.

Which strips work

  • Single-colour white strips, including COB
  • Tunable white, from warm white to daylight white
  • RGB and RGBWW with shared colour channels
  • Spots and individual lights

Addressable pixel strips such as WS2812, where every LED is controlled individually, are not supported.

How much can I connect?

What counts is not the length but the current. Lighty handles 20A in total. A COB strip with 14W per metre draws about 1.2A per metre at 12V. Two strips of 3m each come to roughly 7A and fit easily. Several strips may also share one channel.

It works the same at 12V and 24V, the input range is 9 to 36V.

Related questions

What can I control with Lighty?

Lighty controls all the lighting in your camper over 5 independent channels. Everything is possible, from a single white strip to full RGBWW lighting with colour plus warm and cool white. Or you connect up to five individual lights, such as kitchen, bathroom, bed left, bed right and outdoor light, each on its own. You set colour, colour temperature, brightness and entire light scenes just as you like.

Does Lighty work on 12V and 24V?

Yes, both without any changes. Lighty works in the range from 9 to 36V, so it is just as much at home in a 12V panel van as in a 24V motorhome.

Do I need a SmartKnob for Lighty to work?

Not necessarily. From firmware 0.4.7, a new Lighty responds to its push buttons straight away, without any setup. With Lighty Extension, each of the five push buttons switches its own channel. A short press switches, press and hold dims. With just one push button and no Lighty Extension, you switch channel 2. Even if your SmartKnob ever fails, your push buttons keep switching and dimming. The SmartKnob adds colours, white light (warm white and cool white as one light), scenes, the dashboard, automations, the wireless push buttons and the double tap for all lights.

How is Lighty connected, and what is in the box?

Connection is deliberately kept simple: power and light channels go into high-quality Phoenix lever terminals, almost tool-free, safe and reusable. You wire the push button to the supplied pluggable spring terminal connector and then simply plug it in. In the box you will find Lighty, four mounting screws and the pluggable spring terminal connector for the push button.

Which LED strips work with Lighty?

Lighty controls single-colour and multi-colour LED strips with shared colour channels, meaning normal single-colour strips as well as RGB, RGBW and RGBWW strips. Addressable pixel strips (such as WS2812), where every LED is controlled individually, are deliberately not supported. Lighty is not designed for them.

How many metres of LED strip can I connect?

What counts is not the length but the current: Lighty handles 20A in total. For example, a COB strip with 14W per metre draws about 1.2A per metre at 12V. Two strips of 3m each come to roughly 7A and fit easily. Several strips may also share one channel.

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