Clearance lights on at the campground

[mleekamp]

I've seen a few TT's and a 5r once in a while with the clearance lights on at night. Nice touch...but how is this mod made? I assume this is not a "factory" deal since I've seen similar trailers to ours this way.

Note: I would have asked the folks that did it but they were out and about when I noticed it...we were at Fort Wilderness.

Thanks in advance for the input.

[BarneyS]

Since this thread was a question on how to do the mod and was answered long ago, the thread has gone way off topic into a debate on whether there should be lights in a campground. I am going to close it after 4 pages of mostly off topic discussion. Thank you for your participation.
Barney

[TakingThe5th]

dannytas wrote:
We were camping in Oregon in October and a lot of campers were decked out in Holloween decorations. It was very enjoyable walking our dogs through the campgrouds checking out the different campers. When we went for the last dog walk later on, before bed time, all the lights were out and we had to wait 'till the next night to see them again.

When staying in in campgrounds, with power, we have lights hanging on our awning. Every night they are turned off when we turn in for the night. But we mainly stay in campgrounds without power or completely boodocking without anyone around. I choose not to use up my batteries by using exra lights.

My rule of thumb...if I want to be around people, with all their lights, kids, dogs, music, drinking, smokey fires, etc. I go to a campgound, during the weekend and holidays, then I can have all that.
.
If I don't want "all that", I go camping during the week, to a remote campground, with no hook-ups or go to one of my boondock sites. That way I can star gaze, enjoy the peace and quiet, let my dogs be off lease and be at ease with the world.

I just go where I want to go. And be with who I want to be with. Going to a "busy" campgrounds is enjoyable at times, but it does make me appreciate the solitude as well. I don't want either, busy or solitude, all the time. It's nice to have choices. 😄

X2. Well said.

[0rion]

I was on the fence with this idea until I read all the responses....I'll definitely be doing this now. 😄 You guys need to buy your own piece of property and camp only there. Way too many little things get you wound up. I boon dock mostly but once a year I stay in a campsite. There are so many lights on in the campsite at night just from the mercury lights and the lights on the electric boxes that there's no way a set of running lights could be disturbing anyone.

[dodgboy]

My brothers Sandstorm has a switch to turn on the clearance lights built in from the factory. It seems every time he goes camping and turns on the lights it freaks at least one person out.

[dannytas]

We were camping in Oregon in October and a lot of campers were decked out in Holloween decorations. It was very enjoyable walking our dogs through the campgrouds checking out the different campers. When we went for the last dog walk later on, before bed time, all the lights were out and we had to wait 'till the next night to see them again.

When staying in in campgrounds, with power, we have lights hanging on our awning. Every night they are turned off when we turn in for the night. But we mainly stay in campgrounds without power or completely boodocking without anyone around. I choose not to use up my batteries by using exra lights.

My rule of thumb...if I want to be around people, with all their lights, kids, dogs, music, drinking, smokey fires, etc. I go to a campgound, during the weekend and holidays, then I can have all that.

If I don't want "all that", I go camping during the week, to a remote campground, with no hook-ups or go to one of my boondock sites. That way I can star gaze, enjoy the peace and quiet, let my dogs be off lease and be at ease with the world.

I just go where I want to go. And be with who I want to be with. Going to a "busy" campgrounds is enjoyable at times, but it does make me appreciate the solitude as well. I don't want either, busy or solitude, all the time. It's nice to have choices. 😄

[jd3520]

When I disconnect the tow vehicle light plug, I plug it into another receptacle on my trailer to keep it from dangling towards the ground. The receptacle is wired so I can turn the clearance lights off, on or flash from a switch inside my living area. Flasher was added for a medical emergency so an ambulance can find us quicker. I've used the on (non-flashing) position so visiting friends could find us after dark. Not all campgrounds have easily seen numbers on their parking spots.

[BarneyS]

opnspaces wrote:
Snip...

That being said, does anybody remember the particular flasher unit that can just plug right in to the end of the cord? 🙂

Yep, just go to any auto parts store and pick up a signal flasher.
Barney

[opnspaces]

As you've seen above it's pretty easy to make this happen. I did it once to see if it worked as stated and it does. I then unplugged and stored the fuse back in the spare fuse container. Sometimes I think about making an emergency flasher, but that would take me going to the parts store to buy something so it's likely not to happen anytime soon.

That being said, does anybody remember the particular flasher unit that can just plug right in to the end of the cord? 🙂

[mleekamp]

First of all, thanks to those who actually answered the question.

Second, to those who are upset that I'd like to know how to do it, calm down! I don't leave my lights on all night. I don't plan on doing this all the time. Like my original post said, saw this on couple trailers at Disney Fort Wilderness...and yes, would be great for my kids to find the trailer. Lots of ways to help find it...unique lights, etc, whatever.

Sorry some of you have had bad experiences with campers leaving lights on all night.

Thanks again for the input!

[MontanaCamper]

wait...Im lost... You want the lights on top of your trailer (the red ones) lit up when your gone from your trailer? huh, have never seen this or heard of it before. Im going to install waterproof LED strip lights under my stairs, so we can see where the stairs are at night...and I have a set of LED strip lights under my awning. Have also seen a motion detector light (powered by 9V) hung by the door, so when you walk up the light turns on....

I will look and see if anyone has done the clearance lights before... interesting.

[Old-Biscuit]

I use to just jumper the pins then started using the flasher but it just wasn't doing the job so I bring along a couple of those work light tripods with dual head work lamps on each and man can I light up the place with those 1000W Halogen

[rockhillmanor]

Next thing you know the nay sayers will all be wanting 'lights out and everyone in bed by 9:00' rules posted at all CG's. :s

[TurnThePage]

I love these threads! Don't you need info about what kind of speakers to install on the outside of your RV so you can listen to your favorite tunes too? :B

Honestly not trying to stir the pot. 😉 The responses are so predictable though!!

[webslave]

I actually made a plug-in module that I can just plug into the trailer's umbilical. It also has a switch so the I can have them on steady or flip the switch and they blink. That being said, I only use them in the event of an emergency. If I have to unhook from the 5er and leave it on the side of the road I can plug the module in and set them to flash as an additional hazard warning (I also have LED "flares" to mark off the trailer). If, heaven forbid, I should ever have to call the EMTs to the campsite, I can use the module to light the trailer up to make it easier to find. Unfortunately, with folks that seem to think that having them on for the heck of it, it will prove less useful for the EMT locator function. If I were "king", and fortunately I'm not, I'd make having those lights on in a campground as a sign that there is some emergency going on that needed attention. I have a module I built, but, only for emergency use as, I, too, am one of those that prefer minimal lighting; don't get me started on those folks that turn on their scare lights and leave them on all night...