Tail Lights & Wheels

[ocasioc25]

Hello Everyone,

I have a pair of VW Beetle rear fenders that I plan on using for my teardrop fenders. They will need extensive surgery to make them fit nicely over the tires. The end of the fender will be approximately 20" to 24" from the end of the teardrop. Is there a certain law at DMV that specifies the distance of tail lights to the end of any trailer/car? I don't want to go through all the hassle of running wires through the trailer to get the tail lights on the hatch. Now the wheel question. Before I start chopping up the fenders, is the offset of a 13" trailer wheel the same as a 15" trailer wheel? I ask because I have about 3/4" between the tire and trailer at this point. I would like to upgrade the wheel height before I put on the fenders. When I was building my trailer I placed a 2x3 on the outer side of the trailer to get a little more width on the inside. That's why I have so little clearance between the trailer and the tire.

Ok, done. Any suggestions will be helpful. I know I can go to DMV and the trailer store down the road but I need experienced guys like you for this type of issues. Gotta go. Need to change the brakes on my truck. Have to take advantage of this 65º weather. I can work on the tear drop later cause it's in the garage.

Thank you

Carlos

[KCStudly]

The regs say that the taillights should be at the rear most point and as far out to each side as practical. They want you to be able to see both of the taillights from the rear even at relatively large viewing angles because it gives you a better 3D image of the object and its size. You could convert the VW lights to be clearance lights, which are required at the widest point on trailers 80 inches wide or wider.

Here is a link to the NHTSA std.

When you go to register your trailer, depending on your region, they may not gig you on each and every detail, but the regs are the way they are for a reason, safety, so it is better to follow them than it is to try and get around them. If someone doesn't see your trailer on a dark stormy night and plows right thru it you might wish that you had gone to a little more effort to put a few more lights where they can be seen. In the grand scheme of things it really isn't that much more cost or effort. And as was explained to me, and I am finding to be true, they may seem a little clunky or wart like at first, but once you get used to the idea and plan them the way you want them they seem like they should have been part of the plan from the beginning.

[Dale M.]

As for wheel offset. Its typically "0" (zero) for a standard trailer wheels and axles.... BUT (always) it depend a lot on what you have, if axle is home made and used junkyard wheels it is hard to tell what you may have and what may fit.... "Wheels" in general come in all different offsets (backspace) and usually are "application" dependent...



Clearance issues will also depend on what the "new" wheel and tire consist of, a larger diameter tire/wheel combination may have more width and require you to move center line of wheel outward (more negative offset), this could be done with a wheel spacer but only by a inch or so to be safe, and the are some who do not even believe in spacers.... Another option is have custom wheel manufactured that has a back space that allows you to use your present axle but wheel and tire center line is further away for body ( less backspace) so you can maintain clearance...

Look hard and get the details of what you have, and see if changing wheels is even practical.... Might even require new axles and hubs and wheels to accomplish your dream/goal.....

But before anyone can tell you what you "need" we need to know a bit more about what you have...

As for lighting go with NTSA standard posted above... Many don't and get away with it, but personally I want to be seen at night or when I need lights on (foul weather) Specially Brake Lights, even consider high center mount one, we will over look it when admiring your trailer becasue we understand the "why" its there....

Dale