Porch Light

[Kevin K]

Porch light with a switch.


I plan on having a switch, on the inside also.
Just curious how many people have a porch light.

[CD Smith]

I also have my external porch light connected to the switch in the interior light.

[pjanits]

I added one because it was on sale at Farm and fleet for about 6 bucks.
So far we have used it to find the door lock at night ( the best thing ever) and find something that we dropped in the screen room. ( we out the screen room right up to the Burro.
I don't leave it on even tho I have the yellow lens on. Only camped twice since installing so maybe more uses will come up.

[Todd Sleeman]

I installed a remote control on mine.

12 Volt Remote

It took all of 10 minutes. I pulled back the rat fur in the curbside closet of the Scamp and used doublestick tape to attach the receiver to the fiberglass. I then drilled a hole through the shell to run the wiring and the antenna.





The red and white wires are from the unit. I attached these on either side of the existing switch. The thin blue wire is the antenna. I also ran this through the hole and wrapped it around the inside of the light housing. There is a third white wire that I attached to the ground on the inside using a crimp connection. The range is about 40-50 feet. It can still be turned on and off from the light itself or via remote.

With this set-up, one can use the remote or the hardwired switch. The problem is that if the switch is on, the light can not be turned off with the remote and vice-versa.

If I get fancy one day, I may open the receiver and see if I can wire in a pushbutton switch so that the unit can be turned on and off from either source.

This actually came in handy coming back to the trailer in the dark. We were with a group of people who enjoy playing musical chairs (and move the cooler) so I didn't know where anything was. I could turn on the light before I tripped over anything.

[Frederick L. Simson]

The Fiber Stream did not have a porch light when I bought it, so I added one. Mine is switched on the inside ONLY.
I also placed it between the upper fridge vent and the window, away from the door, but centered under the awning.

The night time bugs are away from the door when I go in and out.

[Joseph Domingos]

My Compact II did not have a porch light when I got it, but I recently added one as I had wanted one for some time. Sadly I have yet to USE the trailer to see how I like or do not like the porchlight. It wasn't very tough to add, once I got brave enough to pull the inner fiberglass panel away from the wall some. I actually also did some other electrical work at the same time, adding a 12 volt plug in the sink area of the kitchen, and a lighted switch for the water pump. What can I say, I kind of got a wild hair to do some things...hehe
Joe

[Lizbeth]

Yep, porch light switched only on the inside. It's hardly ever used. Last week I used it to check out what the dog was fussing about, a raccoon.

[Kevin K]

Todd Sleeman
Thanks for the tip.

[Doug Mager]

When we first got our Trillium, there was NO porch light in it. It was installed by Reace (with Tammy supervising, I'd guess) at Escape Trailers while the trailer was out there for other retro-fits. Its a 12 volt unit with built in (outside) switch. After using this deevice for about a week, I got tired of it being 'usual', so I pulled out the bulb and wired in about 9 12 volt blinking led mini lights. (car people just can't leave ANY THING alone, LOL) Now in the dark (and from a short distance away) it almost looks like F I R E!!!! Still bright enough to do the trick of the BORING old porch light!!

[CD Smith]

This is something like the adapter I plug the 7-pin Bargman umbilical into that routes 12 Vdc to the running lights. Hadn't really thought of adding a blinker to the circuit to make everything flash!

Can't miss our Casita when returning after dark from a night at the Casino.

[Gina D.]

I have one.

I rarely use it.

It gets turned on for a few seconds when light is needed for keys, etc.. but it's never left on. (On purpose anyway)

I turn it on when backing in the dark. Thats a good use for it. Mine is white.

[Adrian W]

We have a white one, rarely use it.

[Paula Bindrich]

Have one.
Rarely use it.
When giving tours I flip it on. That's about it.

Paula

[RachelW]

we have one, it came on our '08 scamp

[CindyL]

We have one, but since we usually always put up the screenhouse, the porch light rarely gets uses. It does not have a bug light.
We do have a camping chandelier that I made from a Sears trouble light and a replacement metal part from Menards, with fake crystal trim. I took the original metal protection cage and replaced it with one that is shaped like a funnel. Then I added the fake crystal trip to the bars and put in a bug light. On the 2 week trip, we never put up the screenhouse surrounding LED lights. We just used this (with the porch light turned off).


CindyL

[Mary F]

>It does not have a bug light.

Ours came with a clear lense, but I found an amber one at an RV parts store. I think I also found some amber bulbs at Camping World, once upon a time, but the amber lense is a better solution.

I use mine often in winter, as the Casita is parked next to the dog's pen; it's helpful for seeing to fasten the gate, etc. - plus, I can gauge the battery strength that way, while I'm at it.

I must admit we don't use the light all that much when we're camping BUT I'm glad it's there for when we do need it (picking up stuff from around and about, under the awning, especially food or anything the critters might like to paw through overnight - such as the bag of recycle-cans).