marker light question

....OK, here are a list of marker light descriptors required on all vehicles driven in the US at 80+ inches wide:

-retroflectors;
-identification lights (3 front; 3 rear);
-clearance lights (strictly for width determination);
-Intermediate side marker lamps and/or reflectors;
* and in three States: Multicolour auxiliary signals are permitted, but not required

....are you confused yet :B

silversand wrote:
....OK, here are a list of marker light descriptors required on all vehicles driven in the US at 80+ inches wide:

The O.P's "vehicle" is the truck under the camper. A camper itself is not a vehicle.

Francesca Knowles wrote:

WVbassmistress wrote:
Then again....looking at the charts above, I take it to mean I only need the 2 red lights at the back corners to indicate width. That's my plan and I am sticking to it!!

Great info!

My advice would be to put an amber up front on each side, too. The purpose of the amber-front, red-rear scheme on the sides is to give observers a sense of your direction of travel.

Go for it.
my 2013 Bronco 800 has 9 lites
2 front
2 rear side
5 rear
I would put2 front
2 rear sides
2 rear

Lots of links at the bottom of this page:

http://www.ledtrailerlights.com/tips.htm

THey have some good marker lights too:


http://www.ledtrailerlights.com/cm/cm_M23015.htm

http://www.ledtrailerlights.com/cm/cm_CL32.htm

Francesca Knowles wrote:

silversand wrote:
....OK, here are a list of marker light descriptors required on all vehicles driven in the US at 80+ inches wide:

The O.P's "vehicle" is the truck under the camper. A camper itself is not a vehicle.

Your statement is true, and here in CA its cargo, but once loaded it is considered part of the truck (which its now over 80") and must meet code. No one is twisting any arms here, and if you interpret differently thats your choice. While I disagree that a camper loaded on a truck doesn't need to meet the lighting requirements of the NHTSA/TC (USA/Canada) its an unimportant note.

On top of the federal standards you have state codes also. Oddly Washington has one of the easier to read codes
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=46.37
specifically
RCW 46.37.090 Additional equipment required on certain vehicles.
(1) Buses, trucks, motor homes, and motor vehicles with mounted campers eighty inches or more in over-all width:
and goes on to specify lights.

but as far as the OPs question my response is yes they can be removed if under 80" wide-yours would be they dont need to be on there in the 1st place.
Alternately if rear ID lights are felt needed the codes reads "as high as practicable" so they could be lowered and still meet code (if interpretation is applicable).
§ 571.108 49 CFR Ch. V (10–1–13 Edition) Table 1-a
large pdf file DOT 571.108 http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2013-title49-vol6/pdf/CFR-2013-title49-vol6-sec571-108.pdf
or the simplified chart http://www.nhtsa.gov/Cars/rules/standards/conspicuity/TBMpstr.html

these spell out lighting requirements they dont spell out what is defined as a vehicle (truck camper)

interesting feedback - thanks again.
Looking from the sides, I will have an amber light on the front corner, red on the rear corner. From the front, amber lights at both corners. From the rear, red lights at the corners... minimum. My rear truck lights have all the rest covered. I realize this is all critical to being safe...not just legal.
If Mr. Electrician feels the need to drill more holes in his new roof that is up to him.

BTW...excellent point, Super Dave.

Francesca: ....like a long piece of lumber or I-beam extending beyond the tailgate of your pick-up requiring a marker attached, ANYTHING sitting in/on/under any vehicle making it 80 inches or more wide will require some manner of safety lighting or passive reflective marker at some level of government (Municipal, State, perhaps even Federal, or maybe all three).

The question is: IF someone hits you, or, you hit someone else with your 80+ inch wide motorized vehicle on some public road somewhere, do you want to take a chance (think: potentially catastrophic liability; or ruined conscience if a cyclist or pedestrian slams into some part of that 80 inches at night, while you are underway, stopped at a light,or, backing out of a parking locale) ?

Put 3 light marker bar on truck bumper or bottom edge of camper,now your covered for over 80". Also i replaced all my marker lights on 5th with these , very bright http://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/rectangular-marker-lamps/mcpc-series-led-marker-lamp/587/