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dkrug · 07-21-2014, 09:15 AM

My husband made a jumper cable for the running lights. He used flattened rivets on the ends.They are far less intrusive than most lights in a campground. We have never left them on past about 10 pm.
I happen to like them.
I made window darkening shades for the bedroom because so many campgrounds have security lights and people leave other lights on all night.

m.hony · 07-21-2014, 09:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HowieE

Not sure where the idea of turning on the parking lights came from but I must say as far as disrespect for your fellow campers goes it is one step short of dumping your sewage on the ground.

It might have a place on Time Square but not in the woods.

I totally disagree.

Skater · 07-22-2014, 12:16 PM

It's a great way to illuminate the campsite without overdoing it, I've found. If I don't have the awning lights out, the only light we have outside at all is our step light (we don't have an overdoor or scare light like most Airstreams). It's just bright enough with the running lights on that we don't walk into the picnic table or the camper itself when it's very dark. I'm glad I wired up the switch inside to turn ours on; we use it frequently.

camper · 07-22-2014, 08:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Inland RV Center, In

Easy to do. You can make your own, by using a jumper wire between the charge line and the clearance light circuit terminals.

If you take the cover off the connector, those two wires would be the large blue wire, and the green wire.

Andy

Andy:
I just replaced my old metal 7 blade RV trailer plug for the newer Black plastic
7 Blade plug on the trailer.The old plug was corroded and the lights were not working.When I took it apart I noticed the yellow wire was taped up and not being used.So I wired the new plug with the color code on the new plug all left the yellow as it was in the old plug.All the running lights,turn signals work now. But I noticed the yellow wire now is HOT and it was not before and now I don't have brakes as I did before.Dis I wire it wrong in some place different to cause this?:

BillB44 · 07-26-2014, 08:57 AM

Sorry, I just don't get the need to light up the woods with running lights past 9 or 10PM. Quiet time should also be dark time. Stars, campfires, flashlights ought to be plenty. The whole idea is to get out of the city and closer to nature, right?

m.hony · 07-26-2014, 12:06 PM

It isn't any brighter than all those other light sources you mentioned. It isn't as bright as a scare light or rope lights or tiki torches. It ain't about need. It's about fun. I have still never heard anyone say they were offended by my running lights.

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J. Morgan · 07-26-2014, 12:13 PM

Fwiw, I haven't seen anyone post to this thread that says they burn their lights past ten, but even if they did I doubt it could bug me.

Sometimes the smallest actions become a huge points of contention.

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wahoonc · 07-26-2014, 12:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BillB44

Sorry, I just don't get the need to light up the woods with running lights past 9 or 10PM. Quiet time should also be dark time. Stars, campfires, flashlights ought to be plenty. The whole idea is to get out of the city and closer to nature, right?

Maybe?

I live in the middle of nature and camp to get away from the workload at home and work. Running lights on a camper are pretty innocuous compared to a lot of other things I see and hear in campgrounds.

Aaron

minke · 07-26-2014, 12:45 PM

To someone whose hobby is astronomy lights are a form of pollution. The ISS (International Space Station) is only visible naked-eye near dawn or near dusk.

J. Morgan · 07-26-2014, 01:01 PM

It seems to me that a person who went camping for the benefit of astronomy would probably want to camp in a place conductive to that end, and not insist that the 99% who are camping for other reasons bend to their expectations.

Perhaps there are campgrounds dedicated exclusively for star gazing?

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m.hony · 07-26-2014, 01:33 PM

I don't generally turn on the running lights at dawn.

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m.hony · 07-26-2014, 01:36 PM

Why would you want to see the ISS?
How many times have you seen it already?
If my running lights are preventing you from seeing it, walk on down the road a piece.
My running lights are no more preventing you from seeing the ISS than someones scare light, lantern, rope lights, tiki torches, campfire, etc.

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SteveH · 07-26-2014, 01:46 PM

I used to turn on the running lights because I liked it, and want to. Then one night at about bed-thirty, a neighbor in the park knocked on the door and told me my lights were on.

Now if I turn them on, I make sure they are off before I go in for the evening.

minke · 07-26-2014, 03:29 PM

My, my!! I sure didn't see this defensiveness coming! First, astronomy hasn't been a hobby of mine for about 50 years. Yet somehow I can sympathize with someone who might want to see the sky. I guess it's more difficult than I thought.

Why would I like to see the ISS? Just amazing. I feel that it isn't any of my business why someone wants to eat a hamburger, or why they want to be a vegan.

Is viewing the ISS amazing the first time only?

The unasked implicit question is do I object to running lights. The answer is no I don't. I do know that it isn't quite the same as an auto sales lot. I didn't mention it because I didn't think it was the slightest bit interesting. I merely wanted to point out that sometimes there are special considerations and I made an example of one.

J. Morgan · 07-26-2014, 03:41 PM

The thing about special considerations is that everyone has em. The guy who wants to burn his lights and the guy who wants to look at the space station, but only one is saying that the other may not do something.

Frankly I don't care that people burn their lights or not, but I do care about liberty. It is a matter of principle.

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BillB44 · 07-27-2014, 01:46 PM

This is cool, we got a nice discussion going. I totally get the idea of having a little electro-bling on the 'Stream and agree it's less glaring than the tick-tacky tiki torches and other neon nasties. In my experience so far, most Airstreamers don't go in for that stuff. All I'm saying is, there comes a point when it's time to chill and kickback and not have a bunch of red lights glowing in the campground for no real reason other than showing off. As a North Idahoan, I care about liberty too, JM, but the tricky part happens when one person's liberty steps on another's. To me, this is sorta like smoking: Anyone should be able to smoke all they want, but not if, where and when someone else has to breath that smoke.
But I seem to be outnumbered here; sounds like I'm the only who has a problem with late night running lights so I'll shut up now. Until someone camps next to me with 'em. :-)

minke · 07-27-2014, 03:40 PM

I don't yet have and have never had an RV and have no experience in RV parks. That said, I'd like to re-express myself using a different venue.

Lets say I scheduled re-roofing my house and just before the work and horrid noise begins my next door neighbor gets seriously ill and doesn't sleep at night. It is really unfortunate, but I can't afford to pay the roofers to sit on their hands and my neighbor suffers. I'd wish for a different outcome but it isn't going to happen. On the other hand if I were to want to tune my unmuffled racing motorcycle (which I don't actually have) when my neighbor was ill as before, I would of course defer it or go somewhere else. That is not liberty. It is consideration. If someone asked me to turn off my running lights because it harmed their night vision or interfered with their communing with the spirit world (whatever that might mean) I'd be glad to help.

I'd be glad to drop this and I don't mean that in the spirit of “I got my last shot in, too bad about you”. I must also say that upon rereading what I wrote that I didn't like my tone. I have no excuse for that.

airdreamers · 07-27-2014, 03:48 PM

This would make an interesting conversation around a campfire. So many differing views on one subject. I guess I am not sure but I get the feeling of some hostility against the people out there because they want to put their running lights on because they like it. I guess it will be OK if everybody likes it. Is that ever going to happen? I say live and let live, it is not like dumping your black tank in their driveway.

J. Morgan · 07-27-2014, 03:56 PM

I will agree that good neighbors can and should accommodate one another to one degree or another, and I do and will. There is a line where people complain to complain, in this regard I really don't accommodate much.

You know that guy who blocks the left lane of the interstate for fifteen miles for no reason whatsoever except that he can?

I don't go out of my way much to accommodate this guys eccentricities.

enived2 · 07-27-2014, 04:38 PM

We went to our first TCT outing last week. It was great! We used the "camperlite" in the evening, unplugged before we went in for the night. We had more people come up and ask us where we got it, and they wanted to get one for their camper. We did not hear a single complaint. I think the scare lights, and awning lights are much brighter.