Truck/trailer ID lighting requirements

[Mechanos]

Here's a situation I've been pondering... Federal lighting requirements on a trailer > 80" wide requires rear identification lamps (exactly 3 red lights spaced 6" to 12" apart in the center of the vehicle and as high as practicable). Front clearance lights are required but front identifiacation lights are not required on a trailer.

On trucks > 80" front identification lights are required to indicate the presence of a wide vehicle. In my situation, my truck is a SRW 3/4 ton and is < 80" wide and my trailer is > 80". So the trailer has rear ID lights, but the truck has none (I don't want to put them on my truck either).

So, when the truck is hitched to the trailer, is the whole combination considered a wide vechile? I'm going to have a slide-in truck camper on the front of the GN and was thinking about putting front ID lights along the top of the camper. Would this be considered technically "wrong"? Does the narrow truck/wide trailer fall into a loop-hole for front ID lights?

[nissancrawler]

I'm not sure about the law or not, it's sketchy around here. I went by DOT law. I have two amber markers on the sides in front, two red markers on the sides in back, and 3 red markers across the back of the trailer. You may have to add some in the middle on the sides, depending on length. I also added conspicuity tape to over 50% of the trailers length. I figure I can't go wrong that way. Lights are relatively cheap, even LED ones.

[Mechanos]

Originally Posted by nissancrawler

I'm not sure about the law or not, it's sketchy around here. I went by DOT law. I have two amber markers on the sides in front, two red markers on the sides in back, and 3 red markers across the back of the trailer. You may have to add some in the middle on the sides, depending on length. I also added conspicuity tape to over 50% of the trailers length. I figure I can't go wrong that way. Lights are relatively cheap, even LED ones.

Yeah, I've got all that shit covered..... I'm just curious about front ID lights on a narrow truck/wider trailer combo. So far I'll have 13 LED lights on the trailer for a total count of 221 individual LEDs. And that's not counting the ones on the camper.

[mondtster]

Even if they were technically required, do you really think you'd get pulled over for it considering that you aren't a commercial vehicle?

[Mechanos]

Originally Posted by mondtster

Even if they were technically required, do you really think you'd get pulled over for it considering that you aren't a commercial vehicle?

Who said I was worried? I said I was "pondering it" and was "curious".... but I'm definately not worried about it. Hell, 2 years ago I was doing 80 mph down I-80 out of Sacremento with the unmodified version of my trailer (with only 4 lights total... only about 1/2 of what I should of had for clearance lights and no rear ID lights at all) and never got hassled.

[guidolyons]

I have no idea, but ID clearance lights along the front of the camper would look cool.

[Camarogenius]

I don't know what size trailer you're pulling, but the word "Commercial" means nothing in this context. The trailer should have the three lights on the rear, and at least one amber on each front corner.
The tow rig doesn't need the three across the back, because without the trailer, it's less than 80". However, it does need five ambers across the top of the cab.

[Mechanos]

Originally Posted by Camarogenius

I don't know what size trailer you're pulling, but the word "Commercial" means nothing in this context. The trailer should have the three lights on the rear, and at least one amber on each front corner.
The tow rig doesn't need the three across the back, because without the trailer, it's less than 80". However, it does need five ambers across the top of the cab.

Well, that's pretty much what I was thinking, but then when the tow rig is unhitched from trailer it wouldn't need them (and probably shouldn't have them since it would be declaring a wide vehicle when it isn't). That's the quandry. I was thinking that putting them across the front of the camper on the GN would be a compromise and would at least ID the combo as a wide vehicle when seen from the front since the camper sticks up higher than the cab of the truck. The amber IDs are supposed to be as high as possible and far forward as possible which is why they're placed along the front edge of the cab. So, I was thinking that putting them along the front of the camper would better than not having them at all even if it isn't technically the correct place to put them.

[Camarogenius]

In all reality, no one's gonna bother you about it either way.
I happen to think a truck looks better with lights across the cab. I guess that's the trucker in me.

[CITY WORK]

Originally Posted by Mechanos

Well, that's pretty much what I was thinking, but then when the tow rig is unhitched from trailer it wouldn't need them (and probably shouldn't have them since it would be declaring a wide vehicle when it isn't).

My SRW "1 Ton" has the clearance lights across the cab from the factory. It is no wider than a 3/4 ton.

However if you really wanted them I would put them on the camper, rather than cutting up the roof of your truck for some lights.

[Mechanos]

Originally Posted by CITY WORK

...I would put them on the camper, rather than cutting up the roof of your truck for some lights.

Exactly what I was thinking.....

[Mechanos]

Originally Posted by Camarogenius

...I happen to think a truck looks better with lights across the cab. I guess that's the trucker in me.

I think they look perfectly fine and actually do like them myself..... on a DRW truck. Never cared for them much on an SRW truck though. They just look out of place and a little "wanna be" to me on an SRW for some reason.

[nightcrawlers]

you could mount the 5 amber lights on a magnetic light bar that you could take on and off

[brewchief]

If i'm reading this right then I need front clearance lights on my SRW superduty when pulling my 102" wide 10' long snowmobile trailer, correct?
I've towed a goose with the lights on the front of the trailer but never had a second thought that I needed them with a little trailer. Humm I wonder if anyone makes a factory style led roof clearance light.

Brewchief

[Camarogenius]

Originally Posted by brewchief

If i'm reading this right then I need front clearance lights on my SRW superduty when pulling my 102" wide 10' long snowmobile trailer, correct?
I've towed a goose with the lights on the front of the trailer but never had a second thought that I needed them with a little trailer. Humm I wonder if anyone makes a factory style led roof clearance light.

Brewchief

Yes they do. Check out a lund visor as well. they satisfy the requirement.
Now I repeat NO ONE WILL BOTHER YOU FOR NOT HAVING CAB LIGHTS WITH A CAMPER OR A SMALL TRAILER!!!!!!
If a cop writes you for that, he's gonna find something to write you for anyway.

[brewchief]

Originally Posted by Camarogenius

Yes they do. Check out a lund visor as well. they satisfy the requirement.
Now I repeat NO ONE WILL BOTHER YOU FOR NOT HAVING CAB LIGHTS WITH A CAMPER OR A SMALL TRAILER!!!!!!
If a cop writes you for that, he's gonna find something to write you for anyway.

LOL, I know I won't be bothered by the man, but sometimes I just need a reason to justify doing something, even if that reason is weak, or really, really weak.

BTW the lund visors are kinda gehy, at least in my opinion.


Brewchief

[mondtster]

Originally Posted by Camarogenius

I don't know what size trailer you're pulling, but the word "Commercial" means nothing in this context.

The only reason I mentioned commercial vs. private was because the DOT pretty much leaves private vehicles and trailers alone regardless of how unsafe or illegal a person's towing setup may be. As you mentioned, I think the cops and/or the DOT would definitely have to be looking for something to cite you on if you actually got a ticket for not having the lights.

I can understand the desire to meet the requirements though. If it were my setup I would be putting the lights across the front of the camper and leaving the truck alone.

[YellowSub1962]

Originally Posted by Camarogenius

However, it does need five ambers across the top of the cab.

got this in writing anyplace? I'd like to see it since I will likely be having a trailer that is wider that some of my buddies tow rigs and they don't have front "wide" markers. If the trailer is properly marked at hte front corners and is in fact wider than the truck it's outermost extremities are marked. I can't see having to mod the vehicle base on the trailer that is properly marked. (I do agree that you'd have to be doing something stupid to get hassled though.)

[littlemeck]

Trailer lights

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/.../Trlrpstr.html

DIdnt look for the truck regs

[Mechanos]

For trucks:

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/...y/TBMpstr.html