Rope light fetish?

[Protagonist]

I have rope lights inside my Airstream (factory-installed on Interstates), so I don't need them outside.

Outside, I want just enough light to see my way without stumbling over tree roots and such, which illumination is usually provided in an elegant manner by an old-fashioned brass hurricane lantern that runs on lamp oil.

[SteveH]

Originally Posted by mpsgolf

I hang them because I LIKE them. And they're nice when you sit outside. A little light without being too much. Maybe Ithose who like lights should complain about the light from all the campfires which are much brighter.

I don't mind the light from a camp fire, but I do mind the smoke, and the problem is if the wind if right, you can't get away from it. I gets inside your camper and stinks the whole thing up.

[BassCan]

Okay folks my husband asked why we had our outside lights( i.e. rope lights) on as we return to our camper after dark.
I pointed to the snake that was coiled up at the foot of our door just at the stairs. And I said that is why. He couldn't believe the timing. No argument there.

[Airlovr]

Originally Posted by BassCan

Okay folks my husband asked why we had our outside lights( i.e. rope lights) on as we return to our camper after dark.
I pointed to the snake that was coiled up at the foot of our door just at the stairs. And I said that is why. He couldn't believe the timing. No argument there.

Yikes!!!!!


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The Mini Bar

[CRH]

I am not offended by anyone's exterior lights. I close my curtains and eyes, then sleep just fine. I also don't mind smoke. I really never thought I would read about people complaining about campfires in campgrounds, but this isn't the first place for that either. I don't care if a little woodsmoke gets in the trailer. A faint whiff of it when the trailer is laid up during the dead of winter brings back good memories.

[rmkrum]

Unless, like in my case, wife is allergic to woodsmoke. She can only tolerate a little for a short time. That gets tricky to handle, as she also loves campfires....


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[McDave]

It's been a quiet week in Lake Woebegon. The talk at the Sidetrack Tap has been full of speculation about why Pastor Ingqvist would hang a chain of rope lights over the rectory porch in the middle of October. They just sort of sprung up there without any explanation. He had a perfectly good porch light already, and a string of rope lights really seems like gilding the lily to a lot of people.....


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[Zybane]

Originally Posted by McDave

Here in the west, having wiring and/or hoses eaten by rodents while people are backpacking with their cars left parked for a week or more in remote lots happens often enough to be a concern. Most people just leave their cars anyway and hope for the best. Haven't heard that lights help, and not sure that it is something that only happens at night anyway. Would be difficult to rig timers/batteries to run the lights under a vehicle during extended absences. My best plan is to use my wife's old car rather than my new truck. Would be less hassle to replace chewed wires and/or the car if stolen, and she doesn't seem to mind.


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Oh don't get me wrong, I know rodents eating wires is a real problem. I'm just saying a bright rope light on the ground on all night I doubt is any real answer.

Originally Posted by mayco

We pulled into a campground a few weeks ago well after dark. It literally looked like a carnival was in town. It really struck me pulling in and seeing all the lights. I personally dont care for it but to each his/her own. Not quite sure why folks want to bring the lights of the city out into the woods.

This! Exactly my point.

Originally Posted by McDave

It's been a quiet week in Lake Woebegon. The talk at the Sidetrack Tap has been full of speculation about why Pastor Ingqvist would hang a chain of rope lights over the rectory porch in the middle of October. They just sort of sprung up there without any explanation. He had a perfectly good porch light already, and a string of rope lights really seems like gilding the lily to a lot of people.....

I think this is a "this guy has one so I need one" fad. Just like the one-upsman-ship that goes on in neighborhoods over who has the best Christmas lights. At least that lasts only a month. Carnival lit up RV's seem to be around all year.

Light pollution is a very real thing:

http://darksky.org/light-pollution/

[VaTravelers]

I went camping for the first time and was intrigued by the group next to us. They had rope lights around the perimeter of their site. I thought it was a Hale Bop or close encounters group.

[Janet H]

Last year we camped in an especially dark place and walking back at night to my trailer the rope lights were blinding. I understand why they might bother folks. based on that I replaced them with a strand of dark-ish blue lights that are about half as bright and they get turned off now when quiet hours kick in.

[Zybane]

Originally Posted by Janet H

Last year we camped in an especially dark place and walking back at night to my trailer the rope lights were blinding. I understand why they might bother folks. based on that I replaced them with a strand of dark-ish blue lights that are about half as bright and they get turned off now when quiet hours kick in.

We thank you.

[DaveFL]

Originally Posted by BassCan

Okay folks my husband asked why we had our outside lights( i.e. rope lights) on as we return to our camper after dark.
....

DW asked the same, but she didn't know I had installed a timer in the exterior outlet, rope light makes a nice soft light under the awning, on at dark and off by 11.

[Romulus]

We put up string lights along the awning because the 2 exterior AS lites we have are obnoxiously bright. Hubby also installed a switch so that we can turn on running lites at nite. We turn everything off when we turn in.

We are looking to purchase more string lites to define our space. Not to blind the neighbors. This year EVERY place we went people kept walking between our car and the AS, our table/chairs and the door to our AS. None of these folks were interested in the AS mind you, they were just rude and wanted to cut through our spot. Having 2 Mastiffs didn't deter them in the least. We're hoping that stringing lites on plant stakes will do the job. Here's Hubby and the pups at a lovely place where kids knew few boundaries.

[Rich Jenkins]

Rope lights, eh? Must look nto this.

No, seriously, I don't mind lights. At a campground, we kind of go with the flow. If someone likes rope lights, more power to 'em.

I did notice, someone said you could plug something into the trailer umbilical to turn on the running lights?

Is that a DIY or a part I can buy or what?

[kb0zke]

"I did notice, someone said you could plug something into the trailer umbilical to turn on the running lights?

Is that a DIY or a part I can buy or what?" When we were campground hosting at Stockton SP I saw a fifth wheel parked with the running lights on - no truck around. Eventually I saw someone there and asked. He said that he made a plug to provide power to the lights.

[Zybane]

Oh geez, yet another way for people to be annoying. Why on Earth would you want trailer running lights on all the time, as it serves no practical purpose other than "look at me".

[Adventure.AS]

Originally Posted by Llando88

I did notice, someone said you could plug something into the trailer umbilical to turn on the running lights?

Is that a DIY or a part I can buy or what?

You don't need to make a plug as this is easy to do with a 15amp fuse as a jumper across the top two pins on your seven pin umbilical cord (#1 to #7).

Here is a photo of the Airstreams at Urban Air this September in MI.

[Rich Jenkins]

Originally Posted by Adventure.AS

You don't need to make a plug as this is easy to do with a 15amp fuse as a jumper across the top two pins on your seven pin umbilical cord (#1 to #7).



Here is a photo of the Airstreams at Urban Air this September in MI.



Attachment 275827

Gotcha...#1 to #7. 15A sounds like quite a bit...I have a 2016 30' FC, would you think the LED running lights would draw that much current?

Thanks for the tip!

[Rich Jenkins]

Originally Posted by Zybane

Oh geez, yet another way for people to be annoying. Why on Earth would you want trailer running lights on all the time, as it serves no practical purpose other than "look at me".

Well, bless your heart.

[Adventure.AS]

Originally Posted by Llando88

Gotcha...#1 to #7. 15A sounds like quite a bit...I have a 2016 30' FC, would you think the LED running lights would draw that much current?

Thanks for the tip!

You don't need 15amp fuse, I usually have a few spares around and it helps to protect the circuit. You could, actually, just use some insulated wire to make the jumper.