Power usage

[Russellvh]

Gonna be doing some Cracker Barrel and other parking lots boon docking. No solar and just 2 normal deep cell batteries. I want to have an outside light on. Would the awning rope lights or the yellow door light use less power? Also what about the lights on the front of the 5th wheel hump use much power?

I will be un-connecting the power from my truck.

 

[Kevin D Pem]

I don't get it!

Why do you want to draw attention to your rig?

Seldom would you turn on lights when you go into eat. So why signal to the passers by what your intentions are???

 

[Russellvh]

Maybe I’m wrong but if someone is lurking around my rig at 2:00 in the morning I want to see them. Or if I hear noises I can tell they are not around me. Cracker Barrel is not 24 hour. Walmart may be.

 

[MemoriesByTheMile]

The couple times we stayed in a Cracker Barrel they had lights in the parking lot. Not sure if they turned them off later as we never noticed.
The first few times sleeping in parking lots felt a little nervous. Now sleep like a baby with my internal alarm set to only wake up for movement.
Hopefully you can quickly adjust.
Personally we don’t keep lights on outside, but are able to flip lights on if we want to. This would help conserve battery power too.

 

[Rollin Ollen]

Gonna be doing some Cracker Barrel and other parking lots boon docking. No solar and just 2 normal deep cell batteries. I want to have an outside light on. Would the awning rope lights or the yellow door light use less power? Also what about the lights on the front of the 5th wheel hump use much power?

I will be un-connecting the power from my truck.

We do lots of boon docking. We don't leave any lights on but if you must, I would make sure your porch light is LED and use it. We pretty much always have our bedroom window open so if there is any noise it's easier to hear. We have always relied on our dog to be "the burglar alarm" but in all of our years we have had only one problem with theft. We were at a busy campground when someone walked away with my beer cooler (in broad daylight while we were out walking the dog). Just a thought. Having your RV lit up might just help a thief. No need for an incriminating flashlight being used.

Safe Travels

Darrell

 

[Rich W.]

Gonna be doing some Cracker Barrel and other parking lots boon docking. No solar and just 2 normal deep cell batteries. I want to have an outside light on. Would the awning rope lights or the yellow door light use less power? Also what about the lights on the front of the 5th wheel hump use much power?

I will be un-connecting the power from my truck.

put an LED bulb in the porch light

 

[Russellvh]

Thanks for all the input. I will say that if I am at a Park or in a lot with lighting I don’t worry about this. No lights and no problems. I guess my physical security and executive protection training sometimes is a little over normal. Good lighting allows proper prep.

 

[Kevin D Pem]

So maybe I should have given background!

When we entered Mexican water (Sea of Cortez), we were informed by other cruiser that the reason anchor lights were not used was for safety reasons! Yes the reason was if you have lights on so you can see, so can the bad guy!!!

Really that simple, guess we think the bad guy is blind!!!