This morning was the second time we have started our journey in total darkness. I didn't like it the first time and hated it the second time. We were about 20 minutes outside of Atlanta and we did take I75 South right through downtown. Frankly, I would have had the same reaction had we taken a by-pass route. Here is what I didn't like about night time driving.
1) Can't see the control function buttons on the Smart Wheel. I am glad I know where the cruise controls are at by memory.
2) I found it difficult to check my position in the center of my lane because I could not see the white lines in the mirrors very well.
3) The rear TV screen is pretty much useless with someone else's headlights shining into the camera lens.
4) Those newer LED or LCD billboards messed with my looking into the mirrors.
5) The European headlights are not as good as the headlights on our Honda. But from what I have read here, they are light years ahead of the original factory installed lights.
Now, having said all of that. It was a safe trip but the first 40 minutes were on the tense side. We will never drive again at night unless there is some emergency.
I am posting this should a newbie or two in our age range wonder what it is like to drive at night. The night time eyesight of anyone over 60 or 70 is markedly reduced when compared to someone in their 30s or 40s.
As always, your experiences may differ.
George,
I've driven our coach at night and in my early 40's. Not only was the road difficult to see, but road signs were also difficult to make out (and this was on the NYS Thruway). Granted, we have the original headlights, but after that one experience we also will not drive the coach into the evening unless there's an emergency need.
I'm curious to hear from Dave M. - his report with his new headlight conversion was much more favorable than your experience. I wonder if he has different lights since his is a more recent conversion.
Michelle
Hi Michelle,
Now that made me feel much better. I am still a septuagenarian, but a least I now know that my diminished night vision is not confined to being in one's 70s.
As to the light. I read on ForeForums that Xtreme has found that by extending the headlight lenses closer to the front edge of the fiberglass that more light hits the road. Next time we are in Nac, I will ask James if he can have Rance make that adjustment for us. (The front of our headlamps is a good half inch back from the front of the motorhome.) So if and when we do have to drive at night we will get more lumens (or is it candle power?) on the road.
It is amazing indeed since two things happened to my headlights, First was the moving forward so had some side lighting, where as before as George mentioned about being back in the hole a ways, makes them sort of like looking out of a tube, no side light. Second the addition of the HID Xenon upgrade is a most amazing addition, at first I felt the $400 bux was way way toooo much, but after having it done and driving at night brought a whole new experience to night driving.
Hard to describe, the blueish light at first seems less bright, but then you start seeing more than you can with the white/yellow lighting. As mentioned, hard to describe, just try it and you will wounder why you did not do it before.
I feel they are aimed a little low, also no one ever flashed their lights to indicate they were too bright or in their eyes.
It can not replace old wore out eyeballs, but if you have normal vision I am sure you will find a new interest in night driving.. I prefer driving after 2300 until sunrise, a lot fewer idiots on the road, still have to keep eyes open for drunks and sleepy heads. NO time is safe on the road, but I will take my chances afte r midnight.
Move the European low lights forward to flush with the hole, the side illumination is greatly increased.
As usual FWIW
Speaking of the Xtreme head light conversion, I have been talking with James and Rance about the results of moving the lights forward. It started out when I asked Rance what he recommended, he said lets try moving them forward, so he did, BINGO, that made massive improvement for ME. So had chit chat with James about it also as we had been talking a bout some sort of turn lighting to illuminate the area to turn into. Had been very poor side lighting, needed a flashlight to see a left turn area. Sounds bad don't it, Yeah!
Anyway it is now all solved Thank you Rance.
For me, I like to see and be seen, why after the painting etc, we added a red side LED at rear as the new LED tail lights have zero side visibility, while at it, we also added additional turn light like the one above front wheel, this new one is above the drive wheel
You get hit less if your seen.
I drive in the dark all the time. It just is different than the daytime. I have to say I start out in the dark of the morning and it will get lighter if I have my choice but sometimes i drive well past 10 or 11pm to get home that night. The new headlights make a huge difference but you have to have your camera aimed right and you will not be bothered by the cars behind you. As to your mirrors and checking where you are. You need not worry, you are fine. I almost never check for the white line that way. If I do look that way I am going ot drive that way. Look out as far as you can see and watch the road and you will be fine. As for the controls, they are second nature to me by now. Then again, i have put almost 300K miles on my three FTs in the 9 years plus I have had them and many of those miles are in the darkness. Is it easier to drive int he daylight, sure but then try driving on the GW bridge at 5 in the afternoon. It is much easier to hit it at 11pm or 4 am....
George, Checking the mirrors to stay centered in the lane is not the best way, especially at night or in traffic. You need to learn landmarks on your windshield or dash. I mostly use the edges of the windshield. One useful trick is to place tape or stick-on dots on the lower windshield just where the white lines appear to intersect the dash when you are centered. These dots will be visible at night if your lights are on.
PS, I've been driving class-A motorhomes at night since I was in my mid thirties. It wasn't that much easier then than now.
I once was told by one of our wise forum members that if you right knee is in the middle of the road so is your coach. Amazingly, this really works. It takes some getting used to but if your right knee appears to be running right down the middle you can check your mirrors and verify that the coach is centered. If it looks like your right knee is to the left or right the mirrors will verify that in fact your coach corresponds to the visual position of the knee.
Give it a try. It works both day and night.
You are right, I do the same thing but never thought of it. I use a landmark which is my inspection sticker and if I look at it and down I can see where the tires will be. You are right in the last 10 years it has not gotten easier but no harder either.
I spent $1300.00 having set of stock Tahoe headlights retrofitted with bi-Xenon HID projectors. After installing euro HIDs in my former Jetta I won't have a vehicle without them. The U320 has HID retrofits in the stock headlights for now. But I still don't drive at night if there is any way to avoid it.
I drive by Day
I sleep @ night
I have happy hour before dark
I read a book years ago
"sleep till nooon and screw'rm all"
Dave is this something like the retrofit you have in the U320?
TD 6000K HID Slim Ballast Kit Low Beam 87 91 Ford F 150 F150 9004/HB1 (http://www.tunersdepot.com/Lighting/HID-System/TD-6000K-HID-Slim-Ballast-Kit--Low-Beam----87-91-Ford-F-150-F150--9004-frasl-HB1--43815.html)
Regards , Mark
Yes - but you can get them far cheaper, and you should stay in the 4300K range for max light and proper color. All 9004 kits are essentially the same.
Can you advise of the place to look for them? Thanks
try hidguy.net 9004 kit http://www.hidguy.net/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=534_541_542_120&products_id=641 (http://www.hidguy.net/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=534_541_542_120&products_id=641)
Also, if you use redemption code 'tyforum' at checkout you should get another 15% off...
Heck, after installing ordinary Euro spec (E-code) headlights in my Jetta, I found a 500% improvement over the stock DOT spec'ed headlights. And they are much better than the DOT spec headlights on any US spec'ed vehicle I have ever driven. HIDs sound really good. I hear that it is a really simple procedure to retro fit them to the '93/'94 Foretravels in the Ford Bronco/F150 len housings. Have that on my to - do list.
A couple comments and/or experience, Today the approval for lighting seems to be the SAE numbers, not sure where /if DOT is considered any more.
Second, seems to me looking in the mirror to see where you are every once in a while is fine, but I find looking down the road many feet maybe 500-800 ft, provides me with a better picture of what, where I am and who might be challenging for an accieent.
I keep an eye behind me, not for position but for who / what is coming.
Scanning seems to work for me, just like flying, keep a good scan going of the important issues.
AS usual FWIW
Well, no SAE numbers either on my Jetta Headlight housing. But they light up the road real sweet and don't blind anyone.
Dave H - You comment that you still don't drive at night if possible. Is that because you're still not happy with the lights, or just because?
My night vision sucks and I'm not comfortable. We like our travel style of 10-4 driving...
Dave, I'm with you, even before old age vision problems. DW got to sleep in and I got a nap after setting up. Now, however with cataracts fixed and new lens implants might be tempted to try night driving again. Seems fairly certain that I will have to find those old B & L shades and dust them off for daytime driving.
I too am impressed with the web page that Steve has done, nice, very nice!
The headlamps leave a lot to be desired on mine but my biggest complaint is my wife and daughter turning on interior lights while I'm driving. Since I have to redo the center trim section overhead because of the new A/C units, I am thinking of incorporating colored LED lights in whatever I do. I think blue lighting will work and be most appealing but we've found on the harbor tugs that red lighting in the wheelhouse is the least obtrusive for running and working at night where being able to see lighted channel markers, buoys and ranges are critical.
After 3 million miles on the road in KW's and Peterbilts you get a knack for feeling where you are without looking, second nature if you will, howeva I stopped traveling 6 years ago after a clown in a stolen pick up hit me head on while driving my show truck on a bright and clear afternoon at 2:31 pm. It wasn't pretty and I haven't been the same driver since. I had driven over 3 million miles with no accidents. At 61 I feel I can still drive circles around most but there is something there I just cant shake so I work in the office while still owning trucks. I can't see well at night any longer and dont even drive my personal auto at night. 10 years ago I would have led lites every 6 inches lining my coach as I did with my 18 wheelers because to me it just looks sharp if done tastefully. Now whats the use, I would just have to turn them on at night at the camp ground to show them off because as far as the road goes I ain't getting out there past dusk. Pardon the ramble.
I feel your pain. I only have the onset of cataracts in my left eye so night vision is still very good. The minute I begin to have a problem with night vision...I'm heading right to the optholmologist and become very well versed on how to get that corrected...prontissimo... :o
Know exactly how you feel. Had 30 years and who knows how many million miles when mine happened. Had a "old timer" (I should be more careful using that term) turn hard left right in front of me while I was starting passing him on a interstate. Ended up pushing his car sideways down the road at 65 mph. Could not see it, but knew it was down there in front somewhere! The doctors and state police said he had a mini stroke right before it happened and that it was not my fault. He did not make it out of the hospital and that worked on me. Was never the same after that. It never goes away! At least he had no family left that anyone knew of. But today I am much more conscious of the fact that one can come out of nowhere. That the day will come where there is no way out. That there is no such thing as a "safe place" in the lanes of traffic. I had to continue to work for another three years and was more that happy to leave when I was told I could retire. I still love driving, but now I am always looking for someone to come out of nowhere!
Driving at night does have risks. More people drink and drive after the sun goes down, but the biggest worry is a nighttime breakdown. Just hate to have to get out at night and do anything if on a freeway or anywhere I can't drive to a protected spot. You are usually tired after a day of driving and tired driving into the night can lack judgement. Having said that, I do drive a lot at night but always try to be aware. I have had a couple of flats, lost hydraulic belts, compartment doors come open but has usually been in daylight.
As far a locating your vehicle in your lane, I always taught the new guys to watch the driver's side rear tire in the mirror frequently and keep it several inches from the stripe. This works on the freeway or in heavy traffic in the city, day or night (helps to have the reflection of following headlights at night). I scan to make sure no one ahead is turning into my lane from the right while checking the left mirror every few seconds in heavy traffic. This technique works well while driving in a construction zone with concrete barriers on both sides forming a lane that seems half as wide as it needs to be especially with really rough road and the coach rocking back and forth. I just put the left rear wheel several inches from the concrete barrier and don't even look on the right side. Also good for crossing the Mississippi on a very narrow bridges built in the 1920's. Knowing where your vehicle is at all time without guess work makes for a more relaxing and less tiring drive.
Pierce & Gaylie
93' U300/36
While I have not driven a truck, I have about a million miles done so far, maybe more. I know they can come out of nowheres in a second. I spent a lot of time cleaning accidents up too as a cop in my younger years. It does make you stop and think. The east Coast and 95 and even 81 now is hurry and get in front of the motorhome. I just try to keep my following distance and drive defensively and try to drive in the daylight if I can. I have and will drive in darkness but I try to do that in the early morning hours. Less chance of a drunk and the people out driving are going to work and hopefully they are awake. It is simple to stay in your lane after a while it is second nature. It just takes time and knowing where your wheels are. You can look back in the mirror or look in your camera at the tow car and see if it is centered or just look out the road further too. You should also have a spot on the front window that you can use to gauge looking to the side where your edge is. All of those methods seem to be required to drive the coach and to know where the edge is.
Are the 9004 kits single or dual filament bulbs?
Regards,
Single. Trust me, you have no need of hi beams once you have HID...
I have custom made bi-Xenon HID projector headlights in my Tahoe, alone with the original 60W high beams. If I flip on the high beams it will take out retinas at 30 yards...
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