Survey on new technology for truck campers

adamis wrote:


Maybe I'm just picky but I even find the High Beam indicator light on my dashboard to be offense to my night vision while driving. What engineer thinks "let's put the brightest indicator LED" on these gadget so the owners can be blinded by them at night"?

You're not picky. I have the same issue with my 2014 ram. I dim the dash lights way down to improve my vision outside. But the big, blue high beam indicator glares in my eyes. My old 93 ram that I use for the camper is way better. Just a little red indicator that does not affect my vision. Modern technology is moving us backwards.

in mine its some sensor on top of the wall that faces me in bed. Wolf Creek had one also. Little piece of black tap fixed it, but I leave just a little corner exposed so you can see something at night to know its on.

Now that you mention it, the indicator lights on the Dometic Fridge in my TC are way too bright. I usually lay a dish towel over the front...

Speaking of dimmable LEDs... how about the little LEDs on all of these "gadgets" from USB charging ports to smoke / CO2 alarms, TVs, Phones, Tablets etc... that have super bright "indicator" lights that are so bright at night they have to be covered to get any decent darkness in the camper? My nighttime routine consists of throwing various articles of clothing over all of these little lights before going to bed.

Maybe I'm just picky but I even find the High Beam indicator light on my dashboard to be offense to my night vision while driving. What engineer thinks "let's put the brightest indicator LED" on these gadget so the owners can be blinded by them at night"?

I dtated I 'didn't believe' they were. I wasn't sure. However, the 12V LED's in a camper are different than the 110V home ones, different power supply.

SidecarFlip wrote:
I don't believe LED's are dimmable.

my Arctic Fox 990 has recessed LED lighting in ceiling that is on dimmers. one dimmer on LS below bathroom door turns on one rear light and one dimmer on fan hood turns on the rest of the ceiling lights.

my house also has many dimmable LED bulbs.

user113 wrote:

jimh425 wrote:
I can't say that it's worth installing receptacles for charging USB. You still need either hookups or an inverter. Most devices also charge better with their own adapters. Some won't charge at the fastest rate unless they use their adapters or at least one with the same circuitry.

That is a problem that is easily remedied:

USB charging for iPhones

USB Charging for Samsung

My problem also. the USB jacks supplied in campers only support 5V at 1/2 amp. The only phone that uses standard USB for charging anymore is the archaic apple phones. All the Qualmcom chip sets use "QuickCharge 2" or QC3. this uses 5-9 or even 12V at Higher current levels. my Android will not even charge from an RV USB charger when RV is not plugged into AC.

Here was my solution.
Click Here
one port is Quick Charge 2 for my android, the other is standard USB but up to 2A (for Iphone) it plugs into 12V plug, and even works when AC is unplugged (works on true boon docking battery voltage).

Just another reason why RV manufactures should stay out of High Tech. Even what technology they are starting to supply is already out dated.
RV manufactures need to spend more time on stuff like proper sealing and not High Tech.

I don't believe LED's are dimmable.

All LED's for everything should have a on/off setting or dimmer.

This week’s Question of the Week was, “Do you want more and more technology integrated into truck campers, or should truck campers be a minimal technology zone?”

I've owned three slide in truck campers up to 10' 6" in the late '60s/'70s era. Most had a "ice box" (no elect or LP fridge).....a hand pump at the sink that drained out and dumped on the ground....... no converters......no ovens......flat roofs......hand crank tri pod cable jacks/no insulation under the overhang (bed)/etc.

I'm all for technology. However as mentioned the question is vague on particulars.