Outside camping lights

SidecarFlip wrote:

DutchmenSport wrote:
We were at Quakertown State Recreation Area (Indiana), near Liberty, Indiana. We arrived on a Thursday evening and we were practically, the only camper there. It was so dark at night, you couldn't even see your hand in front of your face. It was marvelous! Friday night the week-enders started coming in and then this happened (photos below). We were parked clear on the other side of the campground and had no neighbors. These lights were so bright, I could easily read a newspaper by this light at my camper.

Next day I made an attempt to look at the camper with the blue lights. Looked like they put aftermarket blue lights across the nose cap of their camper. Yea, from where they sit under the awning, they'd never see the light. But good-grief for the rest of the campground. It was absolute awful. And they left the dang things on all night.

Eventually that white (gosh-dang awful horrible unbelievable, brightest thing I'd ever seen in ANY campground) light was finally turned off. But that blue one.... bright as a search light on the top of a light house, never went off.

Yea, I was horribly disappointed, especially after the marvelous dark the night before:





If you are the owner of the camper that has these blue lights, your blue lights do not impress me. Instead, they irritate me and wish you would turn them off when you go inside!

I am OK having lights on from my neighbors when everyone is still outside after dark, kids are playing, and things going on. But gosh dang-it, when you go inside, turn the things off!

Being the 'take the bull by the horns' person I am, I would have waited until about 3 am and went over and turned them off myself, on a permanent basis. Why I always camp disbursed or in a pull off / turn out. I basically don't like inconsiderate idiots.

I like your style Mr. Sidecar!

Dutchmen Sport, your complaint is well founded. People infringing on my space is also upsetting. I will never bother you, I expect the same in return. Turn off your idiot lights. I would like to look at the evening skies. Much more rewarding then being bombarded with your horrible light display.

Lakeside

Mr.Beebo wrote:
Leaving porch/scare lights on all night isn't a deterrent to crime any more than posting a "no guns allowed" in a business keeps out the armed robbers.
If it makes you feel better, good for you, but lighting up your camp site is an advertisement. If they can't see at midnight what they saw at noon you will likely hear them bumping around and be alerted. Just sayin...

It's not a matter of the thieves being able to see the stuff; they've already scoped it out in the daylight, and a small flashlight will prevent them from "bumping around". The porchlight simply means that they will be in plain view to anyone in the area when they are trying to steal stuff rather than being hidden under the cover of darkness. Scarelights, on the other hand, are just way over the top, IMHO. How much of an effect the porchlight will have is debatable, granted, but it WILL deter crime. Just as streetlights deter crime; thieves/criminals don't like being lit up.

We camped with Dad a few years ago, we had only been out a few times in our new to us trailer. I was up using the head at 3am using head and noticed light on in Dad's trailer next to us. Figured he was having trouble sleeping and decided to read at table or something. Up at 4 again and realized it was a reflection in his window from OUR outside being left on. We never (never say never I guess) leave our light on unless we are outside and need it.. I always double check now to make sure the outside light didn't get left on..

When I apologized at breakfast, Dad had noticed it, but the curtains were closed and it didn't both him..

Agree with these posts. We were at knoebels campground this past weekend and and had a guy keep his street side bright light on half the evening so we couldn't enjoy the campfire.


On the other side we had a penn state band Wagoner that played their 80s hair band music extremely loud till 1030 at night and had their site lit up like a stadium. Extremely inconsiderate and rude.

Other folks brought dogs with them who barked a lot and they sat there and did nothing to try to stop it.

Common sense and curtosey are things of the past unfortunately. We just tried to ignore that stuff, focus on us and enjoy our family Vaction.

Leaving porch/scare lights on all night isn't a deterrent to crime any more than posting a "no guns allowed" in a business keeps out the armed robbers.
If it makes you feel better, good for you, but lighting up your camp site is an advertisement. If they can't see at midnight what they saw at noon you will likely hear them bumping around and be alerted. Just sayin...

On my last trip, the guy in the brand new Airstream pulled in on the second day and left his bright porch light on all night. Had to block the window with a towel. Saw him the next day and struck up a conversation, got around to why he left his light on all night. He explained that he didn't realize it could be an issue and apologized. I told him no biggie, but it would be nice not to have to get up to cover the window. Light was off the rest of the time.

Sometimes all it takes is a conversation. People may surprise you if dealing with them in a considerate way.

Had he taken it differently, I would just continue to cover the window with a towel.

I leave my yellow porch light on at night, Sorry, that's how it's going to be. Had things stolen before and light is a little deterrent. Now the yappy lap dogs everyone brings to bark starting around 5am, is more invading to me. Take a Lexapro and enjoy your life.

I'm finding that common courtesy is just not that common. Folks bring their music/lights/barking dogs/screaming kids/loud vehicles/loud generators/etc and do as they please. Its good we can all vent on here as I expect its never going to change. I try to take it in stride, and just enjoy my trips as best as I can.

And to be fair, I have been guilty of leaving a "scare" light on all night by mistake after securing things and heading inside with all blinds down.

nickthehunter wrote:

Allworth wrote:
Use your camper any way you wish but, if you are going to leave the outside lights on all night then do it somewhere that is not next to me!

85%± Chance that I won't leave them on all night; but I have before, and I will again. Be that as it may, there's probably a better then 50/50 chance they will be on when you go to bed. So your best bet is to not pick a site near my site.

OP said "Campers, Please turn off your outside lights when you go to bed as a courtesy to other campers who would like to sleep with the windows open." Operative word is COURTESY and should include consideration for others.

It's funny, I'm the president of my HOA and this same exact topic has some up recently. Someone has a very bright security light on the back of their outbuilding, and the neighbor, who is about 400 feet away, complained that it's too bright because he likes to sleep with his windows open. We (the board) told them to go talk to each other and figure it out between each other like adults. Wonder if the same suggestion would apply in these cases too.