TT lights at night??

[cuffer101]

Hi folks, can anyone tell me how when you walk around a campground at night, you see alot of campers with their TT running lights all lite up and no TV hooked to it??? I'm pretty sure that somehow the lights are switched to the 12 volt converter. Thanks Chuck

[mainah]

Yeah I to have seen that mostly in Canada and yes they are switched on from the trailer battery OK if you are plugged in but kind of hard on the battery other wise.

[MACK C-85]

Found this diagram online, original purpose is to be able to light up the trailer if you need to leave it on the side of the road in an emergency. You can make a jumper for solid lights, or use a flasher for flashing lights (one caution, the hot pin is fused at 30 amps in this setup. I would use a fuse holder and appropriate amp {I would think no more that a 15 amp, maybe less???} fuse for my jumper if I was doing this other than in an emergency.):

[Sunline Fan]

Basically, when you look at the seven way plug, put the little bump out part (aligning pin thing) on top. It's the top most two connections there. You have to connect them together to make it work.

I've seen all sorts of ways people do it, from a large staple to a small jumper cable to an actual flasher/fuse thing. I have a big fuse thing that fits perfectly in those openings. I couldn't tell you where to get one or what it is though because I just found it in the garage...

Some people run them all the time, but I don't think that's a good idea. I usually run them for a little while in the evening, but I don't think it's a good idea to run them all night long. The light fixtures are plastic, and without any significant wind running over them to keep them cool, they can heat up and start to melt easier.

[awellis3]

Originally Posted by Sunline Fan

Some people run them all the time, but I don't think that's a good idea.

I don't either but for another reason ... it's annoying. (Rant alert!)
Flood lights, flashing lights, scare lights, lights everywhere. Ruins my night vision and hinders satellite spotting, critter watching, fire gazing. Why don't those people just set up in a mall parking lot? Plenty of lights there and all the spots are pull throughs.

Teach
(AKA - "The Old Curmudgeon")

[mainah]

Originally Posted by awellis3

I don't either but for another reason ... it's annoying. (Rant alert!)
Flood lights, flashing lights, scare lights, lights everywhere. Ruins my night vision and hinders satellite spotting, critter watching, fire gazing. Why don't those people just set up in a mall parking lot? Plenty of lights there and all the spots are pull throughs.

Teach
(AKA - "The Old Curmudgeon")

I agree!! Why are people afraid of the dark? Some one sent me a picture from space of all the lights saying isn't that nice and my only thought is why can't they just turn out the lights and go home!

[hiller64]

Having your trailer lit up like a Christmas tree falls into the same bin as people who have 42" televisions attached to the outside of their rigs. I saw this setup at the Hershey RV show and ask Barb "Who would want that option?" Sure enough I end up camped beside one of these super campers.

[Jim-Bev-2363]

For me it depends on where all the "camping accessories" are used. I expect all the lights, TVs and loud behavior at family campgrounds which are usually in tourist destinations and campers expect to party, let go and act stoopid. I don't appreciate them in a campground like a state park where campers are expecting a close to nature experience.

I can see the camper with the outside TV staying at the infield of some NASCAR race sucking beers and having no idea where his kids are, or if he even has any. I hadn't seen many of those kids of units in state parks though and if I did they were quiet and dark at the appropriate times.

[mainah]

A perfect camp site, no cell service, no internet connection, too far from a TV tower. What could be better? A fishing rod, a good book or two and a bottle of wine.

[awellis3]

Originally Posted by Jim-Bev-2363

I hadn't seen many of those kinds of units in state parks though, and if I did they were quiet and dark at the appropriate times.

Fortunately, this has been my experience, too. I got into a wee bit o' trouble over at RV.net last year by suggesting there's a difference between "camping" and "RVing." One can camp in a RV, however, as we all know. Folks on this site are ample proof of that. I mean, what other trailer club would hold a regional rally at a park with no hookups?

Teach

[Jim-Bev-2363]

Teach, Generators?

The young must learn from someone.

[Gene]

Originally Posted by mainah

A perfect camp site, no cell service, no internet connection, too far from a TV tower. What could be better? A fishing rod, a good book or two and a bottle of wine.

and a campfire

[mainah]

I have to admit I do run a generator but it's a very little one and only to charge batteries when it won't bother any one.

[JohnB]

Seems we have a common theme from the comments posted about offending camp site behavior.

We camp mainly on the state park circuit so I cannot give a reference to non state park camps. However we do get some folks with less then stellar activities at the camp site. Not many but we are not immune to them. We had one last year I thought I was going to have to peal my DW off the ceiling of the camper....

It was now about 11:30pm and the campsite next to us had a corn hole game going on. It's a real big deal here in Ohio. Must be a state past time I think....Thunk, thunk, thunk, thunk goes the bean bags followed by a "yeh" at about 90 decibels ... which is really loud... That and the qty 4, 1,000 watt halogen shop lights illuminating half the camping circle.... By midnight the game stopped thank goodness. I was hopping the power cord to the lights would of melted sooner....

Also there is the radio load group that leave it blasting when they are not even at the camp site.....

Then there are the kids who ride their bikes 3 wide right through your camp site and dodge the awning straps, picnic table and camper on the way through.... Followed by the set of parents yak'ing away after them and never even stopped and say hi.... Where do ya think the kids get it from? Cindy really chewed a few out last year. I see she found her tolerance level.

And then to me is the worst, leaving trash on the ground I have zero tolerance for that one. So I grumble to myself and just go pick it up as I'm not camping in that... nor do I want to leave it for the next person.

The common thing missing is "respect" for your fellow camper, your fellow person and the great place in nature we come on purpose to be in.

I have no issues with folks having a good time, listening to their favorite tunes or coming over to your camp site to pass through, however keeping the respect factor up makes all the difference.

A radio turned down so it can only be heard by the folks right on top of it, stopping the corn hole when it gets dark, saying hello when you enter camp makes all the difference. Heck if someone comes over to your camp site and strikes up a conversion, soon comes an offer to sit down and have a cold one and yak some more.

While we do have some small level of offending behavior in our state parks, the majority of camper folks are a good group of people. And our whole society would be a better place if more folks went camping. Respect starts with the simple things and so does camping.

John