Rear Identification Lamps, Anyone Using Them?

[halfdome, Danny]

This has been my rear & side highway light configuration on two 5' x10' teardrops with 11" wide fenders. They both passed state inspection. On this build the main inspector said "Everything was done top drawer". With as many lights and reflectors as I place on the rear and sides you would have to be very impaired not to see it at any angle. The light at the top of the galley hatch is a third stop light. I have amber lights on the front side of my fenders too. Danny

[aggie79]

This has been my rear & side highway light configuration on two 5' x10' teardrops with 11" wide fenders. They both passed state inspection. On this build the main inspector said "Everything was done top drawer". With as many lights and reflectors as I place on the rear and sides you would have to be very impaired not to see it at any angle. The light at the top of the galley hatch is a third stop light. I have amber lights on the front side of my fenders too. Danny

Thanks for the pic, Danny. I like what you did with the fender clearance lights. This is the route I'll go.

[Esteban]

Danny, Thanks for sharing the picture. Your trailer looks great...with plenty of lights. I have a couple questions. Where did you get your center clearance light? Is it an LED light? Is it an angled, or a flat, mounting?

I have a good looking LED clearance light and chrome trim ring that mounts flat I bought from www.kmtparts.com. If it's installed high on the roof or hatch it won't shine to the rear, unless I fabricate (a PITB I'd rather avoid) some kind of angled mounting. It'd be well worth it to me to buy a different LED clearance light that's already angled correctly.

[halfdome, Danny]

Danny, Thanks for sharing the picture. Your trailer looks great...with plenty of lights. I have a couple questions. Where did you get your center clearance light? Is it an LED light? Is it an angled, or a flat, mounting?

I have a good looking LED clearance light and chrome trim ring that mounts flat I bought from www.kmtparts.com. If it's installed high on the roof or hatch it won't shine to the rear, unless I fabricate (a PITB I'd rather avoid) some kind of angled mounting. It'd be well worth it to me to buy a different LED clearance light that's already angled correctly.

Thanks Steve, I'll have to rummage through some receipts to find where I bought that LED third stop light since I'll need another one. It wasn't cheap about $35 plus shipping. I spent too much time searching for a light that was angled and surface mounted with no results. Too bad Boeing Surplus closed since a solid piece of aluminum at an angle would do the trick. What you have is basically the same thing, Mounts flat with two screws, just longer than mine. On my current build I think I'll mount it a little lower so it's more visible. Danny

[Esteban]

Danny, I was hoping you'd found a supplier for an angled mounting clearance light that I could order from too. Darn, no such luck. The light I bought from kmtparts is reasonably priced, already on hand, and looks good. I'm beginning to think the only practicable place to mount it will be centered between the tail lights.

Danny, or anyone else with insight, how do you route and protect the wires to the fender lights? My round steel fenders are similar to
Danny's. I've wondered about using a spray on material, like bed liner, inside the fenders to encase the wires to protect them. Would that be good enough? Another idea is to fiberglass over the wires. Seems like another PITB I'd rather avoid. Is there a better way?

[halfdome, Danny]

Danny, or anyone else with insight, how do you route and protect the wires to the fender lights? My round steel fenders are similar to
Danny's. I've wondered about using a spray on material, like bed liner, inside the fenders to encase the wires to protect them. Would that be good enough? Another idea is to fiberglass over the wires. Seems like another PITB I'd rather avoid. Is there a better way?

I just use Gorilla Tape.
It sticks to the wires and a clean fender quite well and is removable in the event you need to change something. Danny

[Esteban]

Thanks for letting us know about Gorilla Tape, Danny. I'd considered and dismissed the idea of using aluminum tape because it has little strength to protect the wires from road debris. Yours is an easy solution and another good example of the wealth of knowledge here at T&TTT.

It's a sunny winter day in the low 70's here on the Central California Coast. A good day to open the garage door and work on the TD. The goal for today is to begin varnishing birch plywood I stained yesterday. Wall raising is getting closer.

[Senior Ninja]

Hi Everyone,
For what it's worth, I didn't feel comfortable with the lights on my 48" wide HF Trailer. I added two marker lights to the rear frame member. May I also add that I added wiring loom to all the wiring under the trailer that I purchased from HF. It makes for a very neat looking wiring setup, besides protecting the wiring.
Steve

[halfdome, Danny]

Danny, Where did you get your center clearance light?

Steve, I got my third stop light from Command Electronics. It's stock # 003-82. This website carries an array of LED lights but are pretty pricey. Danny

[wlooper89]

This is an ID light by Bargman in a single housing. Comes with either black or white base. The bulbs are slightly further apart than the minimum 6 inch centers. Any thoughts on how this one would look? I am not sure I like being able to see the inards of the light bar through the cover, but maybe that would be OK.

The first light bar I got is pictured earlier in the topic. It has ends with sharp corners that might catch on clothing at the galley, being mounted just below the galley door. And Patricia did not like the way it looks, an overriding concern. Guess I will try to sell it on eBay.

[Senior Ninja]

Proving once again my old adage "If Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!"
Steve

[wlooper89]

I think adding this will make me street legal with a 90” wide trailer. The requirement applies to trailers 80" or more in overall width and the lights are on whenever the side ID lamps are on. To use as a center high mount stop lamp it requires a logic module, Bargman also makes that, to sort out stop signal from turn signals. I do not have a high vertical surface on the back of the tear and center brake lights are not required on a trailer so this is just for wide vehicle ID. The supplier I used is TexMood.com. On this model the 3 lights are on 7 1/2 inch centers, regulation says they are to be a minimum of 6" and max of 12" apart. The photo below shows the light bar just received, attached to a small battery. Installation to go.

Thanks! Bill

[wlooper89]

The 80" wide light bar is finally installed. I decided on the first model in my earlier posts in part because it was easier, not having to move the license plate bracket. The second light bar is too wide to go here. This is the location used on boat trailers and is pretty much my only available center rearward facing surface near the rear of the trailer. That will be my story anyway. I have never been bothered by the gendarmes about my 90" wide Little Guy and lack of the wide ID bar. There does not seem to be much enforcement in the case of a privately owned RV trailer. But now I feel happy about being a legal beagle. Another possible project is a center high mount brake light that would probably go above the galley door. Visibility is a good thing.

Bill

[humormeplease]

Bill,
You have a nice rig and set up. I know I'm commenting on an old thread but I'll share what I did with a few individual LED's across the rear. Take care & happy camping!

http://www.myphoto.com/humormeplease/5812/34735/s

[wlooper89]

Bill,
You have a nice rig and set up. I know I'm commenting on an old thread but I'll share what I did with a few individual LED's across the rear. Take care & happy camping!

http://www.myphoto.com/humormeplease/5812/34735/s

John,

Thank you very much. Your trailer and tow vehicle look great! The 3-light bar is required for 80" or more in overall width. I probably should have included that in the topic title. A good bit of the discussion was about rear lights in general, which is fine. My trailer is 90" wide at the wheels, probably not very common for a teardrop to be 80" or more. The forward and rearward facing clearance lamps at the widest point are also an 80" wide requirement. Little Guy put the clearance lamps on at the factory, but not the 80" wide ID bar. They apparently think it is not necessary; however I thought it could not hurt and added it.

Anything to make the trailer more conspicuous to other drivers should be a plus. A few people have added a center high mount third brake light, although it is not required on a trailer. I like it that Little Guy put two tail lights on each side on the widest model. All four function as running lights as well as stop/turn lamps.

Happy camping!

Bill