Marker light requirements?

[pods8]

Does anyone know the US requirements for marker lights on campers? I understand the general yellow/red scheme but I'm curious when your rig is required to have them. Are actual lights required or can reflectors be used (is there criteria that at times allows reflectors alone)?

I'm building a pop-truck camper on a flatbed, flatbed will be ~82" wide and the upper part of the camper will be ~85" wide. I thought I read somewhere over 80" started requiring markers but seems like lots of truck campers are that wide and don't possess a full marker light set so it makes me curious if these rigs have lower requirements or manufacturers just aren't following the requirements.

 

[NeverEnough]

Here's what I referenced, but didn't dig any deeper, since my truck is on the big side:

http://glo-brite.com/application_info/dot_requirements.cfm

I'm a fan regardless of the box/vehicle size to give me points of reference for night driving/backing up.

 

[pods8]

Due to my construction method and the fact I'd have to bury conduit in the core for all the required marker lights I'd like to keep actual lighting to the minimum on the camper. I don't mind using reflectors though.

So are pop-truck campers not under the same requirements or do the manufacturers just ignore them? Your link seems to imply that over 80" wide most of those requirements come into play. When I pull a tape on my 2000 FWC hawk the main body is 80.5" wide and the roof is 81" wide (not including the jack brackets or awning), however there are just a couple reflectors on the rig. Seems consistent with most of the pop-up manufacturers when you look at pictures.

Looking at the hard side campers it seems hit/miss (even within the same brand???). I'm confused.

 

[pods8]

Same deal on my Granby, no lights, although it's right at the limit (80.7" for BC) - I see FWC now builds with clearance lights.

I wouldn't think there is an exception for pop-ups. I expect a camper is treated like a vehicle or trailer. Generally, greater than 80" wide requires front/rear facing, width indicating, clearance lights and rear ID lights. (during dusk to dusk)

On your flatdeck you're most likely going to need a side red light and reflector near the rear, as well as 3 red ID lights at the back.

From watching rigs on the road today it seems like there is a fair amount of inconsistency. A fair number run the front set of amber on the truck cab and then just a single amber in each front corner. Most run the triple reds along the top of the rear but some do it lower down (since my deck is always on the truck and the camper isn't I wonder if it's legit for those to be on the deck instead).

I don't mind installing lighting on the deck and also the cab of the truck, I'm just trying to limit/avoid stuff on the actual camper. I'm wondering if I could either just put a light on each top corner of the camper (amber in the front, red in the rear) or even just reflectors since its a "removable load".

Also when watching 3/4T and 1T trucks with flatbeds that are likely over 80" it seems like the majority does not actually run the required lighting (at least the way we seem to be understanding it) so I'm curious if there is a loophole there we haven't seen yet or its just not really enforced.

 

[ares97]

I'm a cdl-a truck driver, a point I would make is cargo shipping container trailer lights are mounted on the trailer and not on the shipping container itself. On most "dry vans some run the triple light above, some below on the trailer frame. I've been following your build.I'm very impressed, hoping to start my build sometime after January. One quick question...I too am going fiberglass between foam is there enough strength in the cabover without any actual frame?

 

[pods8]

I'm a cdl-a truck driver, a point I would make is cargo shipping container trailer lights are mounted on the trailer and not on the shipping container itself. On most "dry vans some run the triple light above, some below on the trailer frame. I've been following your build.I'm very impressed, hoping to start my build sometime after January. One quick question...I too am going fiberglass between foam is there enough strength in the cabover without any actual frame?

So can I do the 1-3-1 front ambers on my cab, 1-3-1 reds on the back of the flatbed, and the front corner amber and rear corner red on the flatbed, and then just do properly colored reflectors on the camper? (Or maybe just the side lights on the camper?) I'm not seeming to find the lights are required at the top of the rig specifically.

Did you see the load photo's I posted up a few weeks ago with 320lb piled on the front of the cantilever? The strength is there, but keep in mind my "rails" which are carrying the load have a much thicker section of fiberglass than rest of the structure (its calculated out with a large factor of safety, don't just shoot from the hip on that one, shoot me a PM if you need help). I need to stiffen the floor some though if I leave my door design as is. Post away questions in the build thread if you want. Not much new to report since I've got a 3week old at home. Might make a little progress when family is visiting in a couple weeks (the guys like to play in the garage ).

 

[ares97]

I personally would light the cab and flatbed and reflector the camper itself. I doubt you'll ever have anyone give you any problems from it. In the off case you're ever hassled about it, just bring up the cargo containers running down the road.

 

[DEnd]

Title 49 C.F.R. § 571.108 States that vehicles over 80" wide need the clearance and indicator lamps. This does not generally apply to the cargo the vehicle is carrying. However removable campers can be considered as part of the vehicle, especially if they are wired to and/or are not easily removable from the vehicle (needing tools to secure or unsecure it), have a pass through, or otherwise have the capacity to carry passengers while the vehicle is in motion. Also if the camper blocks the required lighting view angles then it will need to make that up somehow thus making them "part" of the vehicle.


Pods8... the lamps do not have to be at the top of the vehicle, just "as close to the top as practicable." See table II in the link provided at the beginning of this post. Table II is located near the bottom of that page.

 

[pods8]

No passengers in my camper, no pass through, shouldn't block any truck lighting...

Haven't starting building the top yet but leaning towards lighting up the flatbed mainly.

 

[DEnd]

I think you would be fine with just lighting up the cab and the back of the flatbed.