eBay Turn/Stop LED Lights?

[jseyfert3]

Are the eBay LED lights usually okay? On my TD I'm building, I'd like to have stop/reverse and amber turn lights. Don't worry about how I'll control amber turn lights (it's very easy, actually), I'm just curious how random eBay signal lights work. Are they bright enough? Something like this perhaps?

[tony.latham]

Well, I think in the USA, your rear turn signals must be red. Maybe I'm wrong. Obviously, LED lights don't use much juice, but those wires look tiny.

TL

[wagondude]

Rear turns can be amber in the US. More and more cars in the US are getting them now because they are required for export. To the OP I would suggest looking at the seller's feedback especially for similar items. They should work fine.

[eggsalad]

Well, I think in the USA, your rear turn signals must be red. Maybe I'm wrong. Obviously, LED lights don't use much juice, but those wires look tiny.

TL

That was true until 1968. As of 1968, any vehicle (powered or un-powered) may use amber rear turn indicators.

[tony.latham]

'68? You sure about that? That was the year I go my Tinker Toys.

[jseyfert3]

Well, I think in the USA, your rear turn signals must be red. Maybe I'm wrong. Obviously, LED lights don't use much juice, but those wires look tiny.

TL

Yup, what they said. I prefer amber turn signals myself, I think they tend to stand out more then a combined red stop/turn light. I think the reason no trailers have them is they aren't made for export, it adds cost, and would require a converter (which would actually be really cheap) or the introduction of an 8-pin trailer connector. I plan on using a 7-pin connector with the standard pinout and a DIY converter with a microcontroller and a couple power transistors to split the combined stop/turn signal into separate stop, left, and right signals.

Oh, and I think the wires look tiny cause I realized these lights are huge. A foot long and 5" high.

Does anyone know the legality of the front side amber marker lights? Specifically, can they be a dual-brightness marker light that flashes brighter along with your turn signal? Or do all trailer marker lights have to be solid?

[GuitarPhotog]

Here's the NTSBs last word on the subject of trailer lights

http://www.nhtsa.gov/cars/rules/standar ... rpstr.html

<Chas>

[jseyfert3]

Here's the NTSBs last word on the subject of trailer lights

http://www.nhtsa.gov/cars/rules/standar ... rpstr.html

<Chas>

Thank you, that is very helpful.

I found some more lights. I think these would look cool, 6" long oval, reverse LEDs in the outer ring, stop/tail LEDs in the inside. Then get an amber oval of the same size, mount both horizontally, with the amber below the stop/reverse. So many options to choose from.

[KCStudly]

I have used http://www.superbrightleds.com/ for all of the lighting needs on my build, inside and out; light switches, too. Very happy (so far) with the quality, price, service and ease of using their website.

No affiliation, just a pleased customer.

[jseyfert3]

I have used http://www.superbrightleds.com/ for all of the lighting needs on my build, inside and out; light switches, too. Very happy (so far) with the quality, price, service and ease of using their website.

No affiliation, just a pleased customer.

That site looks very nice. Most of the stuff is DOT approved too, and the eBay stuff is not. Thank you.

[wagondude]

Might want to plan to have some corner reflectors for those times when you are parked dark. Some lights incorporate reflectors but if you choose lights without, it would be a good idea to add some.

[jseyfert3]

Might want to plan to have some corner reflectors for those times when you are parked dark. Some lights incorporate reflectors but if you choose lights without, it would be a good idea to add some.

Good point. I was planning front and rear side marker lights with combined reflectors, and rear lights and reflectors. Your post make me think about front reflectors, I probably want one on each corner in the front too. If I was tucked into a spot and someone somehow missed me and tried backing in, the front reflectors would hopefully get their attention.

[jseyfert3]

I have used http://www.superbrightleds.com/ for all of the lighting needs on my build, inside and out; light switches, too. Very happy (so far) with the quality, price, service and ease of using their website.

No affiliation, just a pleased customer.

I just spent $187.20 on your suggestion, so I better be happy!

I ordered the brightest round red taillights at 234 lumens! With these, I ordered amber versions of the same for turn signals, an oval high brightness stop/tail light which will be used only for a high mount stop light (not wired for taillight), two amber/two red marker lights with reflectors for the sides, two red reflectors for the rear, various plugs required for the lights, a license plate light, and four 3 W dome lights. At 480 lumens/each, I plan to have one inside the TD, and three on the inside of the hatch for a very well lit galley area if I'm cooking at night.

Now it's time to start working on my signal adapter. I'm going to use a standard US wiring hookup for the trailer lights, with a microcontroller and some transistors or MOSFETs to "split" the combined stop/turn signal into separate stop/turn signals.

[jseyfert3]

Got my haul of lighting today, can see the pic of said haul on my build thread post.

[lthomas987]

Does anyone know the legality of the front side amber marker lights? Specifically, can they be a dual-brightness marker light that flashes brighter along with your turn signal? Or do all trailer marker lights have to be solid?

I know they flash on both my boat and utility trailers. I don't know if they are supposed to flash, but both were wired according to the instructions. I've also seen amber flashing turn indicators on the side of semi-tractor trailers.

Laura