Rear Lights

[unimog1300]

We attended the last ECR but without any truck or camper.... so we stayed in a cabin. After getting back home we purchased a 2016 KW T680 from the KW dealer in our town. Since then we have been doing work to it and bed planning. My friend that's doing the CAD modeling for the bed has moved to TX so that has caused some unexpected delays for the design. Have the ET hitch here waiting to put on when we are ready. We don't have a camper yet and have not really looked for any so no rush there. The bed won't be ready for this years rally but we are bringing the truck and staying in a cabin again. 

 

My question is are these tail lights going to cause me trouble? The truck is registered as an RV in Illinois so do I still have to follow the federal guidelines as far as lights are concerned? Or do I need to get a light bar to extend the width across the fenders to get to the rear corners? I've been looking at mud flap hangers with lights but not sure I like the looks of that. All 4 of the rear fenders will have mud flaps at the front and rear of each fender so the lighted hangers won't get any mud flaps. The T bar bumpers are pricey for short term use too. Once the bed is done any light bar I would have added will be coming off. 

Any ideas?

Thanks,

Steve

 

[Rotorhead]

I’m not sure about all the laws. But I would suspect that since it is registered as an RV you do not need to follow the FMCSA rules. 
The reason I say that is because last summer I flew out to Hayes Kansas to buy a 2010 Volvo 780. Of course I got pulled over less than two hours after I left heading home. I was pulling out of one of those toll places. Anyway, the trooper asked some questions and I told him that I had just bought it and that it was going to be registered as private so I could pull a fifth wheel camper. He said, “well I guess you don’t have to follow FMCSA rules”.

You could also call FMCSA and ask them. I called about getting a trailer and moving my brother and sister-in-laws household goods from one state to another. They said as long as it was done as private then it was ok.

Chuck

[rickeieio]

You need clearance and marker lights and reflective material, same as any other rv.  Lighting requirements are well covered in the rally presentations by David Dixon.  It's not just a matter of what's required, but also making yourself visible and safe.

You can find the requirements on his web site, Deepspacelighting.

[Dutch_12078]

Clearance and ID lighting is not required on the rear of  truck tractors.

Scroll down for drawings and placement info:

https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/393.11

[rickeieio]

1 hour ago, Dutch_12078 said:

Clearance and ID lighting is not required on the rear of  truck tractors.

Scroll down for drawings and placement info:

https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/393.11

Correct.  But the OP clearly stated that this unit is now a MH, registered in Illinois. Same lighting requirements as any other MH or camper, or even a dually.

[unimog1300]

OK thx for the replies. I was at David's presentation and took notes. Not knowing what I needed to know my notes are lacking. I did look over his website but have yet to find any info on the requirements.

I looked over the Cornell link and can probably figure it out from there hopefully.

The back of the sleeper still has the red/white reflective tape in the upper corners. There will be a 5 door rack behind the sleeper and it has reflectors on both top corners too. 

I'm trying to not cobble something on it to get by, but wanting it to look nice and also be functional if that's possible. Maybe I'll look into this type of setup. Just won't be using the mud flaps since the fenders have them already.

 

[hatrack]

Here is the presentation on the East Coast Rally site.

 

https://eastcoasthdtrally.com/presentations/2019-presentations/

Ken....

[unimog1300]

Ken,

Thanks for that....written in plain English

Guess I better figure out where the side marker lights can go along the side since there won't be a bed....only truck frame after the sleeper. It has full fairings along the side past the sleeper to the first axel.

 

 

[GeorgiaHybrid]

KW has side marker lights that bolt to the frame. If you are near Kilgore, Texas and can dig around in Larry Herrin's shop, you can probably find the ones that came off of our T680 when he built our bed.

[unimog1300]

You know I'm stuck in Illinois...10" of snow today.

There's really no frame showing with the fairings. Where's it supposed to go?

 

 

Edited February 18, 2022 by unimog1300

[GeorgiaHybrid]

Mine went either just in front of the tandems or between them, too long ago to remember. As long as you have a side marker light somewhere along the side of a truck over 30 feet long, you should be OK.

[rickeieio]

Oh my, I am a bit partial to red KW's.......

We're putting a side marker between the tandems and another at the rear of the vertical cab fairing, because it will be evenly spaced on our bed.  For a temporary set-up, I'd consider making a simple full width "light bar" across the back out of something light, like box tubing, or make it out of 1x6 and paint it black.  Put your present brake/turn lights out about a foot from the ends.  Then clearance lights at the ends and sides, with the three markers in the middle.    Additional clearance light on each side somewhere by rear fairing steps.  Spend very little, and re-use it all in your bed build.

 

[SuiteSuccess]

On 2/17/2022 at 4:20 PM, unimog1300 said:

OK thx for the replies. I was at David's presentation and took notes. Not knowing what I needed to know my notes are lacking. I did look over his website but have yet to find any info on the requirements.

I looked over the Cornell link and can probably figure it out from there hopefully.

The back of the sleeper still has the red/white reflective tape in the upper corners. There will be a 5 door rack behind the sleeper and it has reflectors on both top corners too. 

I'm trying to not cobble something on it to get by, but wanting it to look nice and also be functional if that's possible. Maybe I'll look into this type of setup. Just won't be using the mud flaps since the fenders have them already.

 

Steve,

David repeats his presentation every year because, as you’re realizing, it’s a vital topic.  I know people get tired of the presentation redundancy but we’ve tried to gear it to people new to the HDT world early in the rally.  Also helps to have recents and experienced HDTers attend those boring seminars to give input and perspective.  I’ve been doing it over a decade and am still learning.  BTW nice truck.

[unimog1300]

Carl,

Thanks. Will be attending the presentation again just to make sure I'm covered for lights. Hope to have it right before we get there.

Rick,

I think I might have it mostly figured out. Boogey lights makes a DOT compliant stop, turn, tail light that's 22" long I'll mount across the bottom of the fender if the mud flap mounting doesn't interfere. It's in the right height range at 19". I'll try another post to do the next pictures.

 

Edited February 21, 2022 by unimog1300

[unimog1300]

I found 1" round lights in Amber and Red that I'll mount in the small round bosses on the front and back of the sides of the fenders. They have reflectors in the lenses and are DOT compliant.

I think I need to put one Red one at the rear round boss on the rear fender and then I'll put Amber on the 3 bosses going towards the front.

Am I correct that the rear most one on the side needs to be red to show the end of the length of the truck? That's my understanding at least.

 

 

 

Edited February 21, 2022 by unimog1300

[unimog1300]

This is a closer view of the side of the fender where I plan to mount the 1" round lights. I hope this covers the requirements to be legal.

[unimog1300]

This will cover the 3 lights in the middle of the rear. I'll use the same 1" lights with reflectors in the 3 holes in the middle of the crossmember.

[rickeieio]

It looks like you have it pretty well covered.  The rear most side light does indeed need to be red, and within a minimum distance of the rear of the truck.  I can't remember that distance, but it seems to me it was around 1' or so from rear.

I like the fact that the lights you're using can be re-used when you build the bed.  No sense in spending it twice.

None of the marker/clearance lights I'm using have enough reflective surface, so I'm having to improvise with reflective tape.  A bit of a nuisance, but it allows me to be creative.

[unimog1300]

The rear most red side marker would be within the 1' distance I'm guessing.

I really don't want to use the reflective tape. I don't have a "good" place to stick that big piece of tape, besides it's ugly. I'm assuming the tape could be a requirement but I don't see it on RV's so I hope its for class 8 trucks, which technically it's not.

Edited February 21, 2022 by unimog1300