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06-21-2018, 11:16 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Name: Fredrick
Trailer: Escape 21C
Tennessee
Posts: 322
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Cheap site light
Doancha ya hate having to find that flash lite at oh dark 30? I sure do....
We built a simple campsite light: materials needed about $10:
1 cheap white plastic paint bucket from Lowe’s or HD, 2 1/2 gallon, w a snap on/off lid. Do not use metal bucket. Laugh out loud
Soaking off label....water & goof off
Find one ceramic “garage quality” lite socket for use inside of bucket I had an old used one...is..free
Cut off female end plug off that old 25’ extension cord you found in garage & pass that cut end up thru small hole YOU DRILLED in ctr of bucket bottom, and strip off insulation from white and black leads & screw appropriate wires to socket and bolt socket to inside bottom of bucket. Use grd wire if yer socket has grd plug. Cord now comes OUT thru that center hole. Drill 4 small vent holes in bucket BOTTOM but not under socket base.
Seal hole around cord w caulk or silicone if you wish
Try 25 or 40 watt bulb to see wh you like ——-we use 40 watt .... snap ON LId to keep water and bugs out of bucket
Plug her in and hang outside the camper. From lantern hook or limb.....voila. Soft lite cheap and it works in pouring rain
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06-22-2018, 12:24 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Trailer: Scamp
Posts: 7,056
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Fred762
Doancha ya hate having to find that flash lite at oh dark 30? I sure do....
We built a simple campsite light: materials needed about $10:
1 cheap white plastic paint bucket from Lowe’s or HD, 2 1/2 gallon, w a snap on/off lid. Do not use metal bucket. Laugh out loud
Soaking off label....water & goof off
Find one ceramic “garage quality” lite socket for use inside of bucket I had an old used one...is..free
Cut off female end plug off that old 25’ extension cord you found in garage & pass that cut end up thru small hole YOU DRILLED in ctr of bucket bottom, and strip off insulation from white and black leads & screw appropriate wires to socket and bolt socket to inside bottom of bucket. Use grd wire if yer socket has grd plug. Cord now comes OUT thru that center hole. Drill 4 small vent holes in bucket BOTTOM but not under socket base.
Seal hole around cord w caulk or silicone if you wish
Try 25 or 40 watt bulb to see wh you like ——-we use 40 watt .... snap ON LId to keep water and bugs out of bucket
Plug her in and hang outside the camper. From lantern hook or limb.....voila. Soft lite cheap and it works in pouring rain
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That works only if you're plugged in. Wouldn't work for me. I'm never plugged in. However I did see a campground host with bucket light. The hosts had full hookups.
__________________
Byron & Anne enjoying the everyday Saturday thing.
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06-22-2018, 12:27 AM
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#3
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Senior Member
Trailer: Escape 17 ft
Posts: 8,317
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So, if you need to use the camp washroom, you make the trip with a bucket on your head, trailing an extension cord?
__________________
What happens to the hole when the cheese is gone?
- Bertolt Brecht
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06-22-2018, 12:39 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Trailer: Scamp
Posts: 7,056
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I solved the flashlight problem. There's ledge behind the couch cushion Went to Walmart and bought a dozed $1.00 flashlights and put them on that ledge. When we go to bed 2 are placed on the counter. I have a blue 4" CCFL light in the trailer that's we turn on when we need to get up in the night. The curtains a thin enough you can see the blue glow outside. Bright lights ruin night vision and star gazing.
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Byron & Anne enjoying the everyday Saturday thing.
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06-22-2018, 02:47 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Name: John
Trailer: Escape 21, behind an '02 F250 7.3 diesel tug
Mid Left Coast
Posts: 2,937
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first, I always carry a rather bright little single AAA LED light in my pocket.
second, I generally have an LED headlight in the glovebox of my truck.
third, I usually have a insanely-way-too-bright zoom LED lamp with an 18650 recharagable in the armwrest storage cubbie of my truck, for serious emergency use, its as bright as a motorcycle high beam.
fourth, there's about a dozen amber and red LED 'votive candle' lamps in one fo the drawers of the Escape. these are used a night lights in and around the trailer, including in the escape's bathroom..
fifth, I have this stupid bright goal zero rechargable flood-or-spot lamp in the upper cubbie of the Escape, it makes an awesome work light, it even has a hook to hang it....
lights-R-us
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06-22-2018, 07:03 AM
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#6
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Senior Member
Name: Jon
Trailer: Escape 21C
New York
Posts: 2,387
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My favorite "alway with me" flashlight is a keychain Nitecore Tini. I bought mine at the Quartzsite Big Tent for $20.00, but they are running around $30.00 elsewhere. While rated at 380 lumens, it also has dimmer & low power modes that are more useful under normal conditions. Rechargeable.
I have seen the lightbulb in a 5 gallon pail in a number of campgrounds (seems to be more popular in the south) and they do produce a pretty, soft light.
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06-22-2018, 08:36 AM
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#7
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Senior Member
Name: John
Trailer: Roamer 1
Smith Valley, Nevada
Posts: 2,879
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I'm with John.
I've got flashlights till the world looks level. And, while camping, always have a single AA light either in my pocket, next to the bed or some other place at my fingertips. Always.
The truck has several of varying brightness and function, more live in the trailer dresser drawer.
In the evening, I have three Lucy re-chargeable, inflateable lamps hanging around the campsite.
Several times I've seen packs of flashlights at HD and other places that are so cheap you can't buy the batteries for that price, like 10 flashlights for 10 bux. They work great for finding your way at night. When guests come to visit I give them each a flashlight.
The ones I keep on the kitchen counter are so bright I have to lean into them a bit when I turn them on!
__________________
I only exaggerate enough to compensate for being taken with a grain of salt.
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06-22-2018, 08:39 AM
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#8
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Senior Member
Name: John
Trailer: Roamer 1
Smith Valley, Nevada
Posts: 2,879
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo
So, if you need to use the camp washroom, you make the trip with a bucket on your head, trailing an extension cord?
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Glenn, you crack me up sometimes.
__________________
I only exaggerate enough to compensate for being taken with a grain of salt.
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06-22-2018, 09:02 AM
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#9
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Senior Member
Name: Fredrick
Trailer: Escape 21C
Tennessee
Posts: 322
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Good grief
Laugh out loud. I never said we don’t use a flashlight .....you’ll notice that title of the thread was cheap site light , the operative word is site as in camp site. And cheap. The small bucket gives a soft moon light glow to your campsite so you don’t have to stumble around in the dark finding things outside the camper if you don’t want to . I do not carry the extension cord to the bathhouse , of course. We keep small aaa led flash lites in each ‘shower caddy’ the site light is fast to deploy, cheap and water resistant. We set up in rain yesterday and site lite is still on this am. I am a firm believer in light as a theft deterrent and safety issue in general. Fwiw
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06-22-2018, 09:57 AM
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#10
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Senior Member
Name: bob
Trailer: 1996 Casita 17 Spirit Deluxe; 1946 Modernistic teardrop
New York
Posts: 5,413
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We find that a light on all night in a neighboring campsite to be annoying. Camped once where someone had a bucket light on all night, it was several sites away and super bright.
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06-22-2018, 10:55 AM
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#11
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Senior Member
Name: Lynn
Trailer: '06 Scamp 16
Rochester, New York
Posts: 285
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We turn on the Scamp "porch light" when just stepping outside. For late dinners or Scrabble at the picnic table, we use an old fashioned desk lamp, with the wide top reflector so as not to be such a "moth magnet." Use a 60 Watt equiv. LED which even off-grid with an inverter and its losses uses less than 1 Amp @12 Volts.
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06-22-2018, 10:59 AM
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#12
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Senior Member
Name: Greg
Trailer: 2008 Casita 17' SD
Washington
Posts: 1,993
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mary and bob
We find that a light on all night in a neighboring campsite to be annoying. Camped once where someone had a bucket light on all night, it was several sites away and super bright.
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I also agree that people who leave their outside lights on all night, whatever type they have, are really rude and inconsiderate of other campers.
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06-22-2018, 11:11 AM
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#13
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Senior Member
Name: bill
Trailer: 2013 Escape 19
The Mountains of North Carolina
Posts: 4,136
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I’ve seen a similar bucket site light but the person used a light blue bucket. Made a very soft, non-irritating outside light.
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06-22-2018, 11:17 AM
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#14
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Senior Member
Name: Fredrick
Trailer: Escape 21C
Tennessee
Posts: 322
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Site
Not to worry re the briefness....we use a lo watt bulb and the light is low and diffuse Even less brightness than most RV security lights or site lights on other rigs. We often switch to a 25W bulb if necessary too
The first one we built and had a 5 gallon bucket with a 75 W bulb and it was way too big and bright plus it took up too much room in our truck bed so I downsized it to 2 1/2 gallon bucket with the smaller bulbs and it’s very satisfactory and doesn’t take up near the room
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06-22-2018, 11:20 AM
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#15
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Senior Member
Name: Alexander
Trailer: 1979 Boler B1300
New Hampshire
Posts: 1,140
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Having camped down in South Carolina in the spring, the last thing I want to do at night is leave a white light on. You will be up to your eyeballs in bugs! Since my night vision is pretty good and there is typically no ambient light nearby (except the occasional aforementioned crazy person who likes bugs and leaves their porch light on) I don't even turn on the flashlight until I get away from the campsite. Maybe all those people down south set up their bucket lights and a bug zapper for some poor man's fireworks!
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06-22-2018, 12:43 PM
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#16
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Senior Member
Trailer: Scamp
Posts: 7,056
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Fred762
Not to worry re the briefness....we use a lo watt bulb and the light is low and diffuse Even less brightness than most RV security lights or site lights on other rigs. We often switch to a 25W bulb if necessary too
The first one we built and had a 5 gallon bucket with a 75 W bulb and it was way too big and bright plus it took up too much room in our truck bed so I downsized it to 2 1/2 gallon bucket with the smaller bulbs and it’s very satisfactory and doesn’t take up near the room
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Must chase away the dark. Must chase away the dark. Must destroy night vision of all.
__________________
Byron & Anne enjoying the everyday Saturday thing.
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06-22-2018, 01:03 PM
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#17
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Senior Member
Name: John
Trailer: Escape 21, behind an '02 F250 7.3 diesel tug
Mid Left Coast
Posts: 2,937
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the camp lamps I really hate in remote dark night sky areas are the dreaded coleman white gas lanterns, often left on all night long. those things are blinding, and throw light in all directions. the propane ones at least can be turned down not quite so bright.
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06-22-2018, 01:27 PM
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#18
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Senior Member
Name: Jon
Trailer: Escape 21C
New York
Posts: 2,387
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Everyone, no matter what the site light, should be considerate of those that enjoy the night & turn them off by 11:00 or so. My pet peeve is the motion detection porch lights that flash on when you walk by the trailer (or, in at least one case, open your door in the site across from it).
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06-22-2018, 03:37 PM
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#19
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Senior Member
Name: Francois
Trailer: Bigfoot
British Columbia
Posts: 1,163
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ok...
since this thread has morphed into campers bothering campers I got a good story....
I parked in a no-services site once next to a nice young couple who were tenting....their vehicle was a brand new, shiny full size pick-up.....what could go wrong??
All evening and a good part of the night they had to get something out of their truck...like every 30 minutes or less.....and EVERY TIME the guy locked his truck (he was sitting/sleeping three feet away from the darn thing!) using his remote causing the horn to honk and the headlights (pointed in my direction) to stay on for a couple of minutes turning my site into instant high noon every time.....
the frustrating part was that every time I thought surely it was going to be the last.....but it just went on and on until I was fuming. Some people just don't look or care I guess.
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06-22-2018, 06:18 PM
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#20
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Senior Member
Name: jim
Trailer: 2022 Escape19 pulled by 2014 Dodge Ram Hemi Sport
Pennsylvania
Posts: 6,710
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Fred, you have any pictures of your site light?
__________________
Jim
Never in doubt, often wrong
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