Mount “ditch spots” on tow hooks? / legality / clamps?

[Todd780]

Not true in Colorado.

No requirement that fenders cover wheels. You won't find it anywhere in the vehicle code.

Auxiliary lights are permitted as long as they are less than 42" above the ground. Source: CRS 42-4-212.

(Not that the law is ever enforced.)

Canadian law may be much more uniform as to vehicle requirements but in the US there are wide variations.

No clue what the law is here. But, I see lots of vehicles with them.

I would think as long as they are just used off highway, and turned off when oncoming traffic is approaching, it should't be an issue?

I don't recall ever seeing anyone driving with their roof mounted light bars or ditch lights on. I seem to recall the 1st gen jeep liberty renegade that had the factory lightbar came with covers to run while in normal highway / city use?

 

[Buliwyf]

In Ohio you can only have 4 forward facing lights.

We have a ton of illegal vehicles here. And I've seen plenty of yahoo's driving with their lightbars on. Lately people have been taking care of that problem themselves.

 

[Martinjmpr]

No clue what the law is here. But, I see lots of vehicles with them.

I would think as long as they are just used off highway, and turned off when oncoming traffic is approaching, it should't be an issue?

That's likely why it's not enforced, but it is there.

The law doesn't say "it's OK to have illegal equipment on your vehicle as long as you don't use it." It just lists what is legal to have and what is not legal to have, period.

Of course, it's ALWAYS illegal to use your equipment to create a hazard for another driver, whether the equipment itself is "legal" or not.

And actually I stand corrected. There is no maximum height for "spot lamps" in co.

CO vehicle code allows you to have:

* At least two head lamps required for any vehicle other than a motorcycle (CRS 42-4-205)
* Allowed to have 2 "spot lamps" that must be aimed so that they will not blind an oncoming driver (42-4-212 (1)) There is no minimum or maximum height specified for spot lamps.
* Allowed to have 2 forward-facing fog lights at least 12 but no more than 30 inches off the ground (42-4-212 (2))
* Allowed to have two forward-facing "auxiliary passing lamps" at least 20" but no more than 42" above the ground. (42-4-212 (3))
* Allowed to have two "auxiliary driving lamps" at least 16" but no more than 42" above the ground (42-4-212 (4))

I don't recall ever seeing anyone driving with their roof mounted light bars or ditch lights on. I seem to recall the 1st gen jeep liberty renegade that had the factory lightbar came with covers to run while in normal highway / city use?

There's no LE agency anywhere in the state that has the remotest interest in enforcing these laws. If someone is USING the lights in an unsafe or dangerous way, that is a different violation (and a much more serious one anyway).

Getting back to the OP, if he mounted "cowl lights" and characterized them as "spot lamps" (which they appear to be in both design and function) then they would be 100% legal in Colorado even if they were more than 42" above the ground.

 

[krick3tt]

I have two off road LED lights mounted to the top of the front bumper of my LR. Putting them lower means they stand a great chance of getting bashed.
I made covers for them but the covers are only to keep them clean, not because of any legality issue. Only use them off road so it really wouldn't matter.
Problem with LED lights is they don't get warm enough to melt the snow and ice from them.

 

[Martinjmpr]

I have two off road LED lights mounted to the front bumper of my LR. I made covers for them but the covers are only to keep them clean, not because of any legality issue. Only use them off road so it really wouldn't matter.
Problem with LED lights is they don't get warm enough to melt the snow and ice from them.

Whenever I see a vehicle with LED headlights I wonder about this. I did see a built up FJ-60 at a car show in Leadville, CO a few years back and I saw a little metal grid across the aftermarket LED headlights. I asked the owner and he said that was a heat grid to melt snow.

Around here many of the local highway departments switched to LED traffic lights because they last longer than incandescent lights and use a lot less energy. But when we get a heavy snowstorm, the lights don't produce enough heat to melt the snow and it results in traffic lights that people can't see. It causes real problems during heavy snowstorms when visibility is bad anyway.

 

[Martinjmpr]

CANADA: You can't have auxiliary lights mounted above the center line of your headlights!

'MERICA:



Also:

 

[DaveInDenver]

California Highway Patrol Hassles Toyota Tacoma Owner for Uncovered Light Bar

Clearly, they've solved all their other outstanding crimes.

www.thedrive.com

"According to the CHP’s Buttonwillow office, which posted the tale to Facebook, an officer stopped the egregiously law-breaking Toyota Tacoma driver bright and early Saturday morning for having an off-road light bar, which as you can see, is accurate. Likely to the chagrin of the aforementioned owner, CHP’s post cheekily reads, “We hope everyone’s 2020 is as bright as this guys off-road LED light bar. However, all off-road lights must be covered while the vehicle is driven on a maintained roadway.”"

 

[calicamper]

Mount “ditch spots” on tow hooks? / legality / clamps?

Hi all

For times when driving country roads with no one around, it might be nice to have some “ditch” spots to throw more light ahead to help spot deer.

I’d put them on an up fitter switch (I have the Ford ones)

There is no obvious place to hide them behind the 2020 F350 grill, so how about clamps on the front tow hooks?

I’ll have to measure to see if these fit - but they look pretty perfect (if they fit)

2PCS Work Light Mounting Bracket 2.2-3.1CM Bumper Tube Clamp Bar Holder Solid | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 2PCS Work Light Mounting Bracket 2.2-3.1CM Bumper Tube Clamp Bar Holder Solid at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

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any other recommendations?

They will be inexpensive LED lights (about $35-60/pair) so I don’t mind if they get munched or stolen.

and…. for a second I thought about using yellow lights as these “ditch spots” so it is a constant reminder for me to turn them off if a car approaches… is that a good or a bad idea?

Looking at these 2 lights as inexpensive and decent options:
any preference between the two options below?

I don’t want to get fancy and do any fancy wiring / integration. Just on an up fitter switch or two.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07H3VBF5Z (I would have to use 2 x 25 watt up fitter switches, I believe as they are 25 watts each)

or the SPOT version of these (40 watt total, for the pair, so I could put on up fitter #5 or #6, together)

Amazon.com: LED Pods Spot Light Bar - 4WDKING 2PCS 40W CREE LED Off Road Work Light Truck Fog Lamp Tail Light IP69K Waterproof ATV Cube Lights Fit for FORD F150 Polaris RZR JEEP Wrangler: Automotive

Buy LED Pods Spot Light Bar - 4WDKING 2PCS 40W CREE LED Off Road Work Light Truck Fog Lamp Tail Light IP69K Waterproof ATV Cube Lights Fit for FORD F150 Polaris RZR JEEP Wrangler: Light Bars - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

also - with them in place (but off) any chance any highway patrol in any state (perhaps fussy California?) would be upset with them just being there? (but turned off) Serious question.

thanks!

Spotting deer from a vehicle with lighting is one of the top thing Game Wardens look for in poaching. I would say go ahead please advertise your “spotting Deer” after sun set. LOL Easy thing for game wardens to write tickets for especially with extra lighting. They nail people doing this with factory lighting all the time, after market lights just make their job easier.

 

[calicamper]

No clue what the law is here. But, I see lots of vehicles with them.

I would think as long as they are just used off highway, and turned off when oncoming traffic is approaching, it should't be an issue?

I don't recall ever seeing anyone driving with their roof mounted light bars or ditch lights on. I seem to recall the 1st gen jeep liberty renegade that had the factory lightbar came with covers to run while in normal highway / city use?

View attachment 564255
View attachment 564256

Had some goof ball on I80 in the Bay Area with his very large roof LED bar on. He passed me it was noon and I could see him approaching over a mile away. About a mile after he passed me he was stopped with three CHP cruisers behind him. Going to guess he got a book of fix it tickets handed to him after getting pretty much every inspection step performed.
Legally such lights must be covered when on legal roadways. You wont get stopped for missing covers but the officer I’m sure will write a fix it ticket if your a Di-ck and he wants to stick it too you.

 

[Bayou Boy]

This thread turned dumb a long time ago.

Ditch lights need to shine “down” into the ditch. They can’t do that from the bumper. That’s why ditch lights are mounted on the A pillars.

Whether or not and how you can run them there legally is a question for a local LEO and your local vehicle code, not a forum with people from around the road sharing anecdotal stories.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Spotting deer from a vehicle with lighting is one of the top thing Game Wardens look for in poaching. I would say go ahead please advertise your “spotting Deer” after sun set. LOL Easy thing for game wardens to write tickets for especially with extra lighting. They nail people doing this with factory lighting all the time, after market lights just make their job easier.

That is not what "spotting deer" means in this situation. The DNR has nothing to say about somebody putting ditch lights on their truck to see deer around the roadway so they don't hit the blessed little things.

On low traffic gravel roads running at the speedlimit, I kick the Hella's on. After 10 years nobody has turned me in.

Drive around in the country at 5mph shining spotlights in trees... you will have all kinds of people calling you in. Totally different thing.