Clearance Lights?

[Gatenback]

Hi All,
I have a RAM 3500 and a 5th wheel 321rsts. I have heard I need clearance lights either on my truck roof or 5th wheel due to regulations by some states.

Can someone help me as to what is the real story?
Jim

[rodro123]

The following is a link to towing lights for all 50 states and Canada.
Trailer Lighting - AAA Digest of Motor Laws

[Macrosill]

I would think your truck and trailer came from the manufacturer with the required safety lighting already installed.

I believe that the required safety lighting is designated by the state of registration, not the state you are driving through. As long as you meet all regulations of your state of registration I don't think you need anything beyond that.

[robkelly]

The trailers come from the factory with all required clearance lights, so you should be good there. As far as the truck goes, during the research for my current truck I found that the roof clearance lights were optional on all SRW, but standard/mandatory on DRW. IMHO, if they were required they wouldn't be an option.

[webbeyes]

Originally Posted by Macrosill

I believe that the required safety lighting is designated by the state of registration, not the state you are driving through. As long as you meet all regulations of your state of registration I don't think you need anything beyond that.

I'm not sure this is 100% correct. If you drive into Ontario with improperly-tinted vehicle windows, the cops will stop and you and force you to change it AND be ticketed. If you don't have your chains on the trailer crossed, the cops will pull you over and insist that you deal with it. Any trailer (as defined by the Highway Traffic Act) that operates on any road within the province would need to meet the standards.

That being said, your first paragraph was probably bang on: bulk trailer manufacturers ship coast to coast to coast across multiple state/provincial jurisdictions. As such, the usually build to the highest common denominator, instead of the lowest. The Trailer likely has all the lighting needed across 99% of North American jurisdictions off-the-line.

[Jagiven]

The trailer will meet your none commercial requirements.

If you are a commercial hauler, aka tow a trailer for a living, or for your job, you are required to have clearance lights on top of the TV. I know for 1 ton and larger tv this is true, not sure where 3/4 ton TV's land in the rule.

[repacs0103]

Originally Posted by Jagiven

The trailer will meet your none commercial requirements.

If you are a commercial hauler, aka tow a trailer for a living, or for your job, you are required to have clearance lights on top of the TV. I know for 1 ton and larger tv this is true, not sure where 3/4 ton TV's land in the rule.

Federal motor carrier regulations say that Standard five light clearance set ups are only required on vehicles 80" or wider, whether they are in commercial use or not, hence why they are standard on dual rear wheel vehicles.

[Ottawasteve]

Originally Posted by webbeyes

I'm not sure this is 100% correct. If you drive into Ontario with improperly-tinted vehicle windows, the cops will stop and you and force you to change it AND be ticketed. If you don't have your chains on the trailer crossed, the cops will pull you over and insist that you deal with it. Any trailer (as defined by the Highway Traffic Act) that operates on any road within the province would need to meet the standards.

This is not correct. Ontario requires license plates on front and back of vehicle, yet Quebec vehicles drive legally in Ontario every day with one license plate on the back. You are also required in Ontario to have a minimum $500k insurance policy whereas Quebec drivers dive in Ontario every day with less than the minimum. Safety equipment and licensing requirements are determined by your home jurisdiction.

[whatimmadoboutmylegs]

Originally Posted by Ottawasteve

This is not correct. Ontario requires license plates on front and back of vehicle, yet Quebec vehicles drive legally in Ontario every day with one license plate on the back. You are also required in Ontario to have a minimum $500k insurance policy whereas Quebec drivers dive in Ontario every day with less than the minimum. Safety equipment and licensing requirements are determined by your home jurisdiction.

This may be true in Ontario, but I can tell you it's not the case in Alberta. Many of the vehicle equipment regulations are worded to the effect that one shall not "operate/have a motor vehicle on a highway with/without (insert equipment here)". Generally speaking, the offence has to do with putting the vehicle on an Alberta highway in a certain condition, not how it came to be equipped that way.

With that said, to nit-pick a tourist over minor differences in Provincial regulation would be in poor taste.

[oldmanAZ]

Originally Posted by Jagiven

The trailer will meet your none commercial requirements.

If you are a commercial hauler, aka tow a trailer for a living, or for your job, you are required to have clearance lights on top of the TV. I know for 1 ton and larger tv this is true, not sure where 3/4 ton TV's land in the rule.

My experience says this is not the case: No clearance lights on my F-350 SRW and I towed commercially with commercial plates for 3 years throughout the US and Canada. I went through hundreds of weigh stations and several inspections (on both sides of the border) and there was never a question/issue regarding lights (my sleeper in the back seat, yes, logbook, yes, break away switch and battery,yes, but never clearance lights).

I will say that from day 1, other delivery drivers said I'd have a problem and I was concerned.

[bankr63]

Originally Posted by rodro123

The following is a link to towing lights for all 50 states and Canada.
Trailer Lighting - AAA Digest of Motor Laws

I think the AAA might want to update some of their information. The Ontario entry is laughable:

"When on a highway at night or during periods of poor visibility, every trailer must display 1 lighted red lamp which is clearly discernible from a distance of 150 meters or less."

I can almost smell the kerosene...

The Ontario Regulation for trailer lighting goes on for a couple of pages, and is similar in nature to Quebec and other provinces with specific locations for clearance, marker, stop, and tail lights. They give great examples on everything from little boat trailers to semi-tanker truck trailers.

ETA: I'm wrong, it is the federal standard that I am recalling:
https://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/motorvehicl...iler_e-414.htm

But the Ontario standard is still more than stated by AAA:
https://www.ontario.ca/document/offi...wing#section-4

It does seem strange that we have both Federal and Provincial standards for trailer lighting. Wonder what happens if there is a conflict?

[Jagiven]

Originally Posted by oldmanAZ

My experience says this is not the case: No clearance lights on my F-350 SRW and I towed commercially with commercial plates for 3 years throughout the US and Canada. I went through hundreds of weigh stations and several inspections (on both sides of the border) and there was never a question/issue regarding lights (my sleeper in the back seat, yes, logbook, yes, break away switch and battery,yes, but never clearance lights).

I will say that from day 1, other delivery drivers said I'd have a problem and I was concerned.

It good that you did not have any issues. Just a couple friends that towed commercially had the opposite experience. One switched to a F250, he never had an issue after that, which surprised me as he hauled a lot of big construction loads between the north and the south as the seasons changed.

The DOTs may just not really care about the overhead marker lights. But then again, I do not recall seeing semi with marker lights up top any more. My information is about 10 years old and things do change.

[Fordracer350]

My Ram 3500 (with dual rear wheels) came from the factory with clearance lights. It has 5 lights on top of the cab and 5 lights in the rear (the 3 center clearance lights are only visible between the tailgate and the truck bed). It has them because the DRW make it 96" wide. Same criteria holds for trailers as far as I can determine. Greater than 80" is the issue.

[vcbice]

I think the only issue would be if you had a truck without the clearance lights AND your trailer was wider than 80" AND the trailer did not have clearance lights (such as a low bed cargo trailer).

All of my RVs have come from the factory with clearance lights so that meets the regs. You do have to make sure the lights all work.