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03-18-2018, 11:16 AM
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#1
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Member
Name: Mike
Trailer: Winnebago
Wisconsin
Posts: 63
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Lighting trailer at night using automotive fuse
This is a question, as much as a comment.
Another camper once showed me a method for lighting up all of your outside trailer lights at night by simply inserting a blade-style automotive fuse into 2 adjacent slots of the 7-pin electrical connector.
It would seem to have a negligible drain on the camper battery, especially if your outside lights are LED.
Is this a good idea? Any cautions to be aware of?
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03-18-2018, 11:30 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 Mike in WIS
This is a question, as much as a comment.
Another camper once showed me a method for lighting up all of your outside trailer lights at night by simply inserting a blade-style automotive fuse into 2 adjacent slots of the 7-pin electrical connector.
It would seem to have a negligible drain on the camper battery, especially if your outside lights are LED.
Is this a good idea? Any cautions to be aware of?
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The question is WHY?
__________________
Byron & Anne enjoying the everyday Saturday thing.
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03-18-2018, 11:32 AM
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#3
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Senior Member
Trailer: 1988 16 ft Scamp Deluxe
Posts: 25,697
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If you're overnighting in a Walmart or roadside rest area, lighting up the exterior of your trailer may be a good idea. But, if you're in an established campground, please do not.
__________________
Donna D.
Ten Forward - 2014 Escape 5.0 TA
Double Yolk - 1988 16' Scamp Deluxe
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03-18-2018, 11:38 AM
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#4
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Member
Name: Mike
Trailer: Winnebago
Wisconsin
Posts: 63
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To make the trailer more visible at night, in a quick and easy way.
Let’s say you’re boon docking overnight at a wayside or a Walmart parking lot, and you want to make your trailer more visible, for security reasons. Stringing up Christmas lights on your awning can be a pain and seems rather ostentatious and overstated.
The fuse method just turns on your regular marker lights and brake lights.
I’m not saying I have an opinion about the advisability of this idea; just looking for input.
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03-18-2018, 11:45 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Name: Steve
Trailer: 1979 Boler1700
Maple Ridge, B.C.
Posts: 383
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike in WIS
It would seem to have a negligible drain on the camper battery, especially if your outside lights are LED.
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LED lights have a much lower draw than incandescent (stock) bulbs.
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03-18-2018, 11:51 AM
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#6
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Member
Name: Mike
Trailer: Winnebago
Wisconsin
Posts: 63
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Exactly.
We tried it once on our old camper with normal incandescent bulbs and left them on for about 8 hours with no discernible problem.
LED lights are becoming more and more common, so it would seem to be even less concerning.
What about the fuse rating? Is that important for this application? Does it matter if you use a 30-amp, for example, as compared to a 15-amp? Is there any potential fire danger or a possibility to damaging your battery?
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03-18-2018, 03:03 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Name: bob
Trailer: Was A-Liner now 13f Scamp
Missouri
Posts: 3,209
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i like it
mike we boondock a lot I am going to try this. does it light up all your lights?
bob
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03-18-2018, 03:17 PM
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#8
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Member
Name: Mike
Trailer: Winnebago
Wisconsin
Posts: 63
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I believe all of the outside lights that would be effected by your tow vehicle controls.
Wouldn’t effect your outside porch light, for example.
We had to experiment plugging the blade fuse into various adjacent slots. Only takes seconds to find the right combination.
We haven’t tried it on our new camper, yet.
I think we’ll light it up next to the house and leave it on, all night, to see how much it depletes the battery. My guess is that the power drain will be negligible.
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03-18-2018, 03:27 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Trailer: Oliver
Posts: 711
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Lets assume that your tail lights draw about 0.25 amps and that you only have two. They would draw 0.5 amp/hour or about 4 amps in an 8 hour period. You would have to make the decision on usefulness depending on your battery bank size.
__________________
Steve and Tali - Dogs: Rocky and our beloved Reacher, Storm, Maggie and Lucy (waiting at the Rainbow Bridge)
2008 Outlaw Oliver Legacy Elite & 2014 Outlaw Oliver Legacy Elite II
2022 Silverado High Country 3500HD Diesel 4x4
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03-18-2018, 03:32 PM
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#10
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Moderator
Trailer: 2009 19 ft Escape / 2009 Honda Pilot
Posts: 6,221
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I love to be able to use a Walmart parking lot for an evening stopover, and have on many an occasion. The one thing I don't like is how much ambient light there already is, and always position the trailer to minimise it's effect inside.
I fail to see how having your running lights on makes you any more secure. In fact, you would draw even more attention to yourself. And like Donna asked it would please me too if folks did not do this in campgrounds.
As well, do not Walmart's have parking lot security cameras in all locations? I know some do.
__________________
2017 Escape 5.0 TA
2015 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5L EcoBoost
2009 Escape 19 (previous)
“Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” — Abraham Lincoln
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03-18-2018, 03:37 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Trailer: No Trailer Yet
Posts: 700
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You simply bridge the two pins closer to the 'key' in the Bargman plug using a standard fuse.
No a big fan of this personally. I like it dark!
But I admit I've done it once during an evening at a campground where there was an event, most RVs were lighted like this and it gave the campground a nice festive atmosphere.
I also use this trick if I want to check my clearance lights without plugging in the tow vehicle.
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03-18-2018, 04:39 PM
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#12
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Member
Name: Mike
Trailer: Winnebago
Wisconsin
Posts: 63
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Good points.
Like I said, I don’t have a strong opinion, either way, but I am not overly concerned about lighting up the inside of our camper, because we have good room-darkening shades on every window.
Are there lots of security cameras at wayside rest stops?
I guess I just figured that a well-lit camper would signal that somebody’s home and would be more conspicuous; thus, a deterrent against prowlers.
What bothers me a lot more than lights at campgrounds is NOISE. Lots of folks deck out their campers with Christmas lights and build big camp fires that put out lots of flickering light, far past curfew time. I can deal with that. But more and more campers come equipped with outside speakers and some people are not as considerate as they should be!
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03-18-2018, 04:53 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Name: bob
Trailer: Was A-Liner now 13f Scamp
Missouri
Posts: 3,209
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can be done
mike I like the fact you have shown us the way to make it work for whatever reason.
I installed a little solar light right above our outside light. it glows at a very low light until you step up to the door. then it puts out just enough light for you to find your door lock as soon as you go inside it shuts down.
the lisatania came up with this nice idea!
makes things very nice and handy
bob
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03-18-2018, 04:55 PM
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#14
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Member
Name: Mike
Trailer: Winnebago
Wisconsin
Posts: 63
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Sounds good. I’ll get one.
Where can I find one?
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03-18-2018, 05:02 PM
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#15
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Senior Member
Name: bob
Trailer: Was A-Liner now 13f Scamp
Missouri
Posts: 3,209
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porch light
amazon
bob
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03-18-2018, 08:22 PM
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#16
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Senior Member
Trailer: 2009 Trillium 13 ft ('Homelet') / 2000 Subaru Outback
Posts: 2,222
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Trailer lights
I just jump from the power to the tail/clearance light with a short piece of wire. It would be neat if an entire campsite would have a lights hour or some such.
__________________
A charter member of the Buffalo Plaid Brigade!
Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right.
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03-18-2018, 08:24 PM
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#17
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Senior Member
Trailer: Escape 17 ft
Posts: 8,317
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Roger C H
It would be neat if an entire campsite would have a lights hour or some such.
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Please post where this will be so I can be somewhere else.
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What happens to the hole when the cheese is gone?
- Bertolt Brecht
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03-18-2018, 08:39 PM
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#18
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Senior Member
Name: Steve
Trailer: 2018, 21ft escape— 2019 Ram 1500 Laramie
NW Wisconsin
Posts: 4,500
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We put reflective tape on the belly band of our trailer
It draws no electricity , when it is dark out it doesn't bother others ,helps finding your trailer trailer at night if you have a flashlight
and it's inexpensive
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03-19-2018, 05:00 AM
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#19
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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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I installed an extra Hopkins 7 pin female connector to my Escape, when I pull over for the night at a rest area, I unplug my tow vehicle and plug in my power cord to the spare connector. I bridged the two pins with a fused wire.
__________________
Jim
Never in doubt, often wrong
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03-19-2018, 06:19 AM
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#20
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Senior Member
Name: bob
Trailer: Was A-Liner now 13f Scamp
Missouri
Posts: 3,209
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steve good idea you need to go to frugal rv
bob
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