| As an avid camping enthusiast -- and recent RV | | | | the lake, we discovered that three of the globes |
| owner -- I've had an interesting experience this past | | | | from the set had been removed from our brand-new |
| year purchasing and using various types of RV | | | | set of lights! It would seem that another fellow |
| awning lights, and I thought it would take a few | | | | RV-er, desperate for a few replacements, simply |
| minutes and tell you about what has worked for me | | | | decided to help themselves to several globes from |
| and what hasn't -- in the hopes you can learn from | | | | our brand-new set. And with three of the globes |
| my mistakes. | | | | missing from our set the whole thing looked really |
| My Journey Begins | | | | ridiculous -- it made our rig look like something you |
| I purchased my first set of awning lights for my RV | | | | might find in a backwoods, trailer-trash neighborhood. |
| at the same time that I purchased my RV, as the rig | | | | Finally Satisfied! |
| already came equipped with a very nice, good-quality | | | | After that wonderful experience, I decided to go |
| awning. The lights I bought at that time, however, | | | | back to my RV dealer and ask him what else was |
| were really junky -- I'm sure you've seen them | | | | available in the way of awning lights for our RV. I told |
| around : the little plastic fish or lanterns that look | | | | him I didn't want any of the junk, novelty-style lights |
| really tacky once you have them up. What I found | | | | -- and I also told him the story about the missing |
| really lacking about these lights was the fact that | | | | globes. My dealer just smiled and said, "I know just |
| they actually put out very little light. Part of the | | | | what you need." |
| problem with these lights was that they were made | | | | From behind the counter he brought out a set of |
| from a rather thick plastic, and did not permit much | | | | light strips. These RV awning lights are manufactured |
| light to shine through. | | | | as a narrow strip, which simply slips inside, down and |
| Another problem with the cheap novelty lights that I | | | | through the groove in the awning take-up roller. The |
| had purchased is that they did not use a very bright | | | | strips cannot be quickly removed -- and that puts an |
| light bulb. Perhaps the manufacturer believed that | | | | end to the thievery. Because they are securely |
| there would be a fire hazard if a higher wattage bulb | | | | anchored, and offer a very low profile, they are not |
| would be used, I don't know -- I only know that they | | | | going to get caught by the wind and blow down. |
| were next to useless, and the thin, cheap cord kept | | | | The light strips are also great because they don't |
| getting tangled up and always seemed to be in our | | | | present the overhang of electrical cords as the other |
| way whenever we would walk underneath them. | | | | types do -- and that means we don't get tangled or |
| I Decide to Take a Step up | | | | caught in them as we walk under them. And if you |
| Having had a thoroughly bad experience with the | | | | retract your awning very carefully, you can simply roll |
| junk I had previously purchased, I decided to | | | | your awning up with the lights inside -- altogether |
| purchase a more substantial type of RV awning light. | | | | eliminating the need to take them down and store |
| The ones I decided to buy this time were made out | | | | them. |
| of a heavy-duty acrylic material, shaped in the form | | | | So when it comes to RV awning lights, I guess I've |
| of a faceted globe. These lights were far superior to | | | | learned a few lessons along the way: stay away |
| the ones I had previously owned, and came equipped | | | | from the cheap stuff, don't buy something valuable |
| with a heavy-duty, coiled cord that managed to stay | | | | that can be easily stolen -- and when your back's up |
| out of our way, at least most of the time. | | | | against it, don't forget to check with your local dealer |
| I could not have imagined what would happen next | | | | for a good solution. |
| however -- after coming home from a long day at | | | | |