Clearance Lights - Replacement

[DoneItAll]

I have found it necessary to replace a couple of bulbs in my 2008 Lance clearance lights. Are the lens held on with screws or simply held there by the sealant? If so, do I just pry them off to gain access to the bulb? To reinstall, remove all the sealant and reseal?

Thanks,

John

[Raften]

The lights on all vehicles on the sides are called Side Marker lights.

[Bumpyroad]

trail-explorer wrote:

Furthermore, all pickups have clearance lights at all forner corners, just like all other vehicles on the road, even a SmartCar.

aren't clearance lights the ones across the top front of a vehicle?
are you sure all pickups and smart cars have them? if a smart car has them doesn't that sort of destroy their benefit, to warn oncoming drivers of a wide load.

just surveyed the 6 vehicles in my driveway. a conversion van, a pickup, 3 SUVs, and a TT. only the TT has "clearance lights", one at each of the front corners.
bumpy

[Raften]

Years ago I was but a common man driving a common truck but thanks to DOT I am now a TRUCK driver.

[trail-explorer]

Bumpyroad wrote:
if you drive a PU truck without clearance lights you are just a common man. Now if you drive one with clearance lights, you automatically become a semi driver.

If I am driving a pickup, I am driving a pickup, not a semi.

Furthermore, all pickups have clearance lights at all forner corners, just like all other vehicles on the road, even a SmartCar.

[DoneItAll]

Job completed. As one poster suggested, just carefully pry off after clearing the sealant. I was very pleased to see any ingress to the camper body itself completely sealed. Water may make it past the lens (not in this case, though) but not into the body of the camper.

Thanks for all of the replies.

John

[trail-explorer]

Bumpyroad wrote:
I think that that is the primary reason "macho men" want them. but for safety, etc. wouldn't just two, one on each front corner suffice?
bumpy

THe manufacturers of vehicles and RVs install them for a reason - to meet FMVSS108 / CMVSS108 saftey standards. They aren't there just for "macho men".


www.ledtrailerlights.com has some nice LED replacements, which is where I got mine a few years ago.

One at each corner ius sufficient, unless the vehicle is over 80" wide, then the three center ID markers are required.
Furthermore, it's a little unsightly to remove lights and just plug up a hole where a light used to be, which is why the OP wanted infor on removing / replacing them.

[Bumpyroad]

Raften wrote:
What the heck does macho have to do with clearance lights?

if you drive a PU truck without clearance lights you are just a common man. Now if you drive one with clearance lights, you automatically become a semi driver.
as far as I am concerned, they have absolutely no use/function on a standard Pickup. if a truck camper is on it, then the clearance lights are/should be on the camper. same if you are towing a RV of some kind.
bumpy

[pnichols]

Clearance lights can also be a great source of leaks down into, and in between, the walls to be discovered way later after a lot of damage has been done. After all, these lights face forward right into the rain when going down the road.

I removed mine and put a round patch of Eternabond behind each one ... then screwed each one back into place with two little well-sealed screws. They're still "there", but not operating, and much better sealed without any wires attached to them for water to follow along into the interior.

[Raften]

What the heck does macho have to do with clearance lights?

[DoneItAll]

One of the reasons that I want to replace the two that have blown out (far right and right one of the center three) is that it detracts from the appearance of the camper and gives the impression that its not being properly maintained. To me, it is something like a missing hubcap or a broken and 'repaired with duct tape' headlight. Secondly, since I do not move my license plate when I load/unload the camper (it stays on the truck and not easily seen) I don't want to add another reason added for my being pulled over.

Thanks for all of the replies,

John

[portscanner]

Bumpyroad wrote:

D.E.Bishop wrote:
They are there for safety, but they do look cool too.

I think that that is the primary reason "macho men" want them.
but for safety, etc. wouldn't just two, one on each front corner suffice?
bumpy

The two outside lights are called "clearance lights" because they show the outside dimensions, both vertical and horizontal, of the vehicle. The three lights in the middle are called "identification" or "i.d." lights because they indicate the vehicle is at least 80 inches wide.

For more details: http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regulations/administration/fmcsr/fmcsrruletext.aspx?reg=393.11

[Tarkin75]

Mich F wrote:
A lot of travel trailers only have two lights on the front wall.

As do a lot of newer TC's too... must have been a rule change or something.

Personally I think they look like S, not macho at all, but always assumed they were required legally too.

Later
C

[Mich_F]

Bumpyroad wrote:

D.E.Bishop wrote:
They are there for safety, but they do look cool too.

I think that that is the primary reason "macho men" want them.
but for safety, etc. wouldn't just two, one on each front corner suffice?
bumpy

A lot of travel trailers only have two lights on the front wall.

[Bumpyroad]

D.E.Bishop wrote:
They are there for safety, but they do look cool too.

I think that that is the primary reason "macho men" want them.
but for safety, etc. wouldn't just two, one on each front corner suffice?
bumpy