Maybe Im being a little sensitive and if so I apologize. But while camping this weekend (had a great time by the way) our neighbors had the brightest tacky lights Ihave ever seen. The problem was they were on all night right in my window. Im not a complainer by no means and didnt say anything just fastened something to try to darken up a little. Question is has anyone ever had this problem before and is there a etiquette that at some hour they get turned off. Every other camper in the park was dark but this one. Sorry about this newbie question to all you pros but just curious.
cartooncaracterNever have been exposed to them at all. I would treat them the same as a radio, music, or a generator in the campground. Quiet hours, they should be off!
cartooncaracterWe show our tacky lights from sunset until we go to bed---which isn t very late. Then they go out. We do like to sleep in as dark an environment as possible, so it s as much for our enjoyment as for the other campers.
We have had occasion when we ve gone to the neighbors trailer or motor-home to ask them to turn off bright lights. We ve never been met with anything but cooperation and compliance. Just a simple, " We re next to you and wonder if you could turn off your lights," is always met with, " Sure." (A vast difference to asking noisy music players to lower their music I must say.)
gsm x2
cartooncaracterWe have Christmas white lights around our awning, and when we go to bed, they go off. THat s just common consideration. If you ask nicely, other campers usually cooperate. However, if during the day you see them throwing trash around, cussing and screaming, get a blindfold for nighttime and let it be![:o]
cartooncaracterI picked up one of those on at dusk timers for our Christmas lights and took it on our last trip out. Set it for about 3 1/2 hours and they went out automatically. I also try to keep our lights so it lights up our awning and not the whole area. The folks behind us (GSM) had a cool set of owls that we barely noticed. I think a lot depends on what type of lights are used and how bright they are. The night after all the Nick-Neff-Coughers left a big 5th wheel pulled in, no tacky lights but they had a big bright light on the back side of their camper that I guess was on when their porch light was on... very annoying. [:@]
cartooncaracterHmmmmm, We have little ones and have left our tacky lights on all night because the kids get spooked if the camper is totally dark (night lights haven t worked out in the camper) and because it gives off a gentle light when making the midnight run to the bathroom. Guess I better rethink leaving the lights on.
cartooncaracterTacky Light Etiquette
" tacky" means = marked by lack of style or good taste
So do they really need to follow any Etiquette?
cartooncaracterIf I m camping, and someone next to my site has " party lites" hanging on their awning that are causing me not to be able to sleep, then my complaint would be that I ve selected an area/campground in which the sites are too close together.
Over the years I ve found that it s a lot easier for me to modify/change my personal requirements than to modify/change other campers to suit my camping style.
Having said this, however, I m constantly amused by " concientious" campers that make sure they unplug their awning lites at 11:00 PM and while they re up, toss a coupla more cords of wood on their bonfire. Something about " natural" light producing fewer candlepower I m sure...earl
cartooncaracter[font=" Bradley hand ITC" ]Tacky lights just adds to the many reasons we love to dry camp. [/font]
cartooncaracterSold my tacky lights in a yard sale. Only used once.
Camping Coxes
QuoteORIGINAL: Camping Coxes
We have Christmas white lights around our awning, and when we go to bed, they go off. THat s just common consideration. If you ask nicely, other campers usually cooperate. However, if during the day you see them throwing trash around, cussing and screaming, get a blindfold for nighttime and let it be![:o]
LOL, hehe this is good advice on living a long life[:D]
I love my tacky lights though and I ve seen some battery powered ones I m bringing to go dry camping w/Forestcreature[8D]
cartooncaracter
QuoteI love my tacky lights though and I ve seen some battery powered ones I m bringing to go dry camping w/Forestcreature
[font=" Bradley Hand ITC" ]Don,
Honest, I saw no one near those batteries [/font][;)]
cartooncaracterWe ve been fortunate enough to have never camped next to anyone with bright tacky lights. Ours go off when we go to bed (or quiet hours, whichever comes first) and if we need a trip to the loo in the middle of the night, we turn on the " porch light" so we can find our way back more easily.
We did, however, camp at place where the hook-up pole had a light on it and it was so bright it was blinding me through the canvas! I eventually had to go out and throw a towel over it so I could finally get to sleep!! [&:]
MtnCamper
QuoteQuiet hours, they should be off!
I didn t know lights made noise[:)]
Quote" tacky" means = marked by lack of style or good taste
So do they really need to follow any Etiquette?
Point well taken.
We use a white rope light around our awning, and it provides just enough light for us to be able to see and doesn t disturb others. At least no one has complained. Oh, and they get turned off when we go to bed.
cartooncaracterWell, I m with Marcy and others, " Tacky Lights" don t work well with dry camping[:D]
But on the occasion that we do set up in a campground, I put up the lights. Whe we first got the pop up, I was an 11:00PM kind of guy. The lights went off at 11.
At the PUT rally in TN last year I picked up a timer at the auction. Now the lights come on at dusk and go off 4 hours later. That is usually perfect as we ar usually sitting around the fire by then.
The only place I found that this dosn t work is Disney World, because we are usually ourt a little later. At FW I set it for 6 hours after dusk, but with the distance between sites I don t think I m disturbing anyone.
cartooncaracter---
cartooncaracterUhm Lee, I have been meaning to talk to you about when we camped together last October
TURN THE LIGHTS OFF please.
Marcy is right about tacky lights not being a problem when you dry camp. A bright lanturn can still be a problem though.[8D]
I purchased my first tacky lights last October, I used them on one trip and I turned them off at bed time.[:)]
cartooncaracterI believe if you can t be tacky with tacky lights. Then you just don t deserve to own them.
I personally have never seen a set of tacky lights that are bright enough to bother us. But if they were that bright they must have been really tacky. Or else you camped next to Bearbait (Lee).
There was one trip last summer, when we made a late night run to the can. And I was never so happy to see a set of tacky lights in my life. It was so dark outside you couldn t see your hand in front of your face. This was no problem on the way there cause the bathhouse had lights on it. But when we turned around to go back GOOD LUCK, I nearly walked into to the lake, until I noticed my neighbors tacky lights in the other directions.
cartooncaracter[font=" Comic Sans MS" ]Oh Dear. I hope you weren t camping in the same SP we were because I leave mine on all night. To be honest, I never really thought about it. I do like the light they provide in the middle of the night when I have to run to the potty or take the dog out. We had little round Christmas lights up for the last 3 trips. I just ordered new one s from the party lights website. I was amazed at the variety available. I think the one s I choose are tastefully tacky though. I guess I ll start turning them off when we go to bed since that seems like the considerate thing to do. There s always a flashlight! [/font]
cartooncaracterMy DH loves his tacky lights and has quite a collection of them, but we do turn them off at bedtime.
Our gripe is the gazillion watt halogen spot lights that some people use to light up the whole forest just so they can cook a couple of hot dogs on the pit.
You would think you were in Reliant stadium. You could signal ships at sea with those lights! With a direct shine on your camper it is like being in a glowing bowl. If you need that much light, why not camp on the nearest Wal Mart parking lot?
We have on occasion asked the camphost to ask the offenders to tone it down after a reasonable hour which so far has worked. It also helps to be very good friends with the resident park ranger at our favorite SP.[;)]
cartooncaracterI hate to sound rude but I paid for my campsite and I will leave the lights on if I want to! If you really are going to let Tacky light ruin your trip you should dry camp in the middle of no where. Noise is what bothers me more than anything. I can block out light but its hard to block out noise.
YellowXterra
QuoteORIGINAL: YellowXterra
I hate to sound rude but I paid for my campsite and I will leave the lights on if I want to! I can block out light but its hard to block out noise.
But, If I m camped next to you, should I have to
block out your light? I paid for my spot too.
YellowXterraI don t usually have a problem with tacky lights, lord knows we have our share, but nobody s light sources should be invasive to the point of major discomfort to others. Most times small tacky lights are usually not in this category.
We try to be courteous to our neighbors and hope they will be too. We have found 99% of camper folk are!
cartooncaracterHave never had a real problem with this. Would seem that bright lights should be off at the same time loud noise should end. Most places dictate " quiet time" some time after 10 pm. This is when I feel bright lights should be off unless there is a real good reason for them to be on. IMHO
YellowXterraI guess we ve been lucky that we haven t camped next to someone with tackylights that put out 1,000,000 candlelights worth of light. We turn ours off, but have seen others left on all night in the CG, but were so dim they weren t intrusive. Our s aren t that bright, and the Star Trek Halmark ones you can barely see unless you were by our camper. Are there some out there that light up like you re at an AC/DC concert?
YellowXterraWhy I don t like Tacky Lights left on all night in the popup next to me.
I have a problem falling asleep if the room is light. We have a window in the ceiling in our bedroom and on moonlight nights I do not get much sleep. DW says to close my eyes but that does not do much good. (Think my eyelids are thin)
I had the experience of camping next to someone who left their lights on all night. The canvas in a popup does not do a lot to keep the light out. I did not get a lot of sleep that night. Admittedlly, the sites were close to each other.
So that is my reason why I would appreciate it if you would turn your lights off at night and in return I promise not to have a loud conversation around the campfire at 12 am so that you and your children may get some sleep and enjoy the next camping day.
GeneF---
GeneFGene, It sounds like you need to get some type of eye patch so that you can sleep at night.[8D]
GeneF---
YellowXterraI usually do not have a problem with the tacky lights most of them are not that bright. What I do have a problem with is campers that bring 500 or 1000 w halogen work lights. I had the pleasure twice this past summer of camping next to people using them. They were not trying to be obnoxius, They even shined the lights mostly upword, but they still lit my site up like daylight. That is not what I go camping to experience.
YellowXterraJEEEEEEEZZZZZZZZZZ Why s everyone picking on me? [:)]
All I did was say why I don t care for tacky lights.
Bairbait - Great idea on the new store item. I am sure Dave is running to order them right now. They should be a hot seller. [;)]
I ll also ask Marcy about the mirror next time we are in the chatroom.
GeneFHey Gene, I m with you. Guess I ll have to order the PUT eye covers too [8D].
cartooncaracterRight on, Forestcreature!! However, I must admit I did just order a set of Moose tacky lights from the camp store! One long weekend a year we camp with Sis & BIL and Bro & SIL, in a NH State CG that has electricity, and I want to drive them crazy with my tacky lights!
Like Genef they will probably end up in next years Fun Auction at our church!
YellowXterraI would like to keep my lights on all night because then I can find the trailer when I have to do the mid night run to the out house, but I understand that they may bother someone. If my timer is set too late, please tell me. I will not get mad or insulted.
We have slept next to the Coke Machine. It was not the noise, it was the light that was the most annoying.
My timer does not go until until dark, I keep it in a black bag (to fool the electric eye) and turn on earlier, but set it so it goes off 10ish.
I found my other one that has a remote...I think that I will put that one in the camper for this season.
YellowXterraMan we don t even have a popup yet but all this talk about tacky lights got me so excited I just had to try and order a set online. Found some really gaudy ones - alternating pink flamingos with green palm trees. Should really set the mood when playing my Jimmy Buffet CDs.
Forgot the cotton picking password we selected for the online merchant with the lights. Due the internet worm attack I can t get to my ISP provider to check my e-mail to get my password.
Tomorrow I ll be stone sobber and the mood will have pure evaded me. Just one thing to do, order some Boat Drinks and start all over again.
Rambling Wreck (frustrated parrot head with a severe case of cabin fever)
YellowXterraI have to admit that I enjoy seeing the tacky lights when walking through a campground. I enjoy late night strolls (usually between 9 & 10pm) and I like seeing all the different kinds of lights that people have at their campsites. To me, its a lot like what it feels like driving around in a festive neighborhood during Christmas time......it just gives you a nostalgic feeling.
At the same time, I do a agree that its courteous to turn them off after " quiet time" or whenever you go to bed (whichever comes first).
If you need to have them on for a child s night light or a beacon to find your campsite after late night bathroom trips....thats fine, but then I would make sure that the lights you choose give of a soft, gentle glow rather than a bright, glaring one. This situation is understandable too, so in this case, I would pick the tacky accordingly.
I have had camping neighbors who have left them on all night and if the lights are a soft glowing kind, they usually don t bother me, but on the other hand if they were bright and obnoxious, I can see how anyone might get irritated at this.
I, myself, don t have any tacky lights although I would like to get some little horsey ones at some point[:)]. Unfortunatley, they re just not in my budget right now, so I ll have to keep on enjoying the ones at the other campsites[:)]
YellowXterraNever purchased any tacky lights. I did, however, purchase some PARTY LIGHTS! I like to string them around the awning & fire them up along with the dozen 500-watt halogen worklights I use to expose bears in the woods around us at night. (You can NEVER have enough light!)
Take those tacky, party or whatever lights and just hook them to your battery when dry camping. They ll still work! They re light bulbs and don t care whether it s AC or DC voltage they re drawing! They ll pull whatever current they need to function, so also carry a second battery to drive all your " needed" appliances in the popup. [:o][;)][:(]
YellowXterraGene I am with you. I worked 10pm to 6am for 8 1/2 years. I can not sleep if there is light. At home I had the windows covered with aluminum foil. I do keep a sleep mask or two in the PU.
Paula the 5th wheel across the road from us at Eagles Peak had a light shining into our PU all night.
topcat7736
QuoteORIGINAL: topcat7736
Never purchased any tacky lights. I did, however, purchase some PARTY LIGHTS! I like to string them around the awning & fire them up along with the dozen 500-watt halogen worklights I use to expose bears in the woods around us at night. (You can NEVER have enough light!)
ROFLMAO OMG that was a good laugh!
I think you re the reason this thread was started[;)]
YellowXterraTacky Light Etiquette - Isn t that an oxymoron?