Driving lights

Topic: Driving lights (Read 939 times) previous topic - next topic

Driving lights

August 26, 2014, 09:10:41 am

Noticed that some coaches have a driving light on during the daylight hours and others do not. Since cars have driving lights it appears to me that maybe motorhomes should have driving lights also for safety. I have paid no attention to my coach to see if there are lights on when it is in drive. Does anyone use driving lights? When do you use the fog lights other than for fog? I know a motorhome should be seen as it is so large but lights seem to catch your eye better. DAN

Re: Driving lights

Reply #1 – August 26, 2014, 09:18:55 am

I usually drive with the headlights on just for safety. Amazing how many people can't notice a huge coach coming at them otherwise. I'll dim the dash lights during the daytime.

Re: Driving lights

Reply #2 – August 26, 2014, 09:21:30 am

Are you talking about DRL's (Daytime Running Lights)? These normally utilize the low beam bulb, powered at a "reduced" voltage, and come on automatically when engine is running with parking brake "Off". Or are you talking about turning on the "Fog Lights" (AUX lights) when driving during the day?

There are aftermarket modules available that will add the DRL function to a vehicle, if that is what is desired.

Re: Driving lights

Reply #3 – August 26, 2014, 09:29:07 am

Dan and Shirley, yes, my coach has auto driving lights, it is an 03. I hate them, I do not believe they add any safety feature in bright sunlight, fog and rain, yes. As long as they turn off with the ignition, however, I will live with them. Just remember there is no protection from the rear as tail lights are not usually included. My aversion dates to the days when driving lights were encouraged during daylight hours, the 1960's and the were not ignition controlled. I would be a good citizen and turn them on and then the next time that I tried to start my car the battery was dead, happened enough to give me a resentment.
I do not know when Fortraval made DRL standard.

Re: Driving lights

Reply #4 – August 26, 2014, 09:36:17 am

Dan, Old trucker safety training. Start up, turn on lights. End of run, shut down, turn off lights. I am sure that this reduces the life of the headlites by about 1/10 of an hour over the life of the truck but who cares.
Gary B

Re: Driving lights

Reply #5 – August 26, 2014, 09:55:12 am

I get in, buckle in, start the engine, turn on headlights, and drive away. That's the drill in every vehicle - mine or someone else's. At the end of the trip the lights are turned off, engine shut down, and then I unbuckle and get out. In some vehicles that last part is the hardest. I guess I got the idea of headlights on all the time when I was in junior high and a member of the Civil Air Patrol. In those days, too, the National Guard would have two week camps in the summer, so all summer long we would run into convoys of military vehicles going down the highway, and every one of them would have the headlights on.

Our last few vehicles have had automatic headlights, so I didn't have to turn them on at night, but I still have them on during the day. Our Jeep and the previous Lincoln Town Car also had a feature that turned on the headlights whenever the wipers were on. That's nice, although since I usually had the lights on before I needed the wipers it didn't matter. BTW, here in Missouri the law says headlights must be on whenever the wipers are needed. About half of the vehicles I see don't seem to know that law.

Re: Driving lights

Reply #6 – August 26, 2014, 10:45:18 am

On my '03, the daylight running lights are on whenever the ignition is on. Probably a good thing on non-divided highways to be seen by oncoming traffic.

Re: Driving lights

Reply #7 – August 26, 2014, 03:20:16 pm

My next question is this// With the new light install by extreme and FOT are there daylight driving lights in these kits? I don't remember seeing lights on> DAN

Re: Driving lights

Reply #8 – August 26, 2014, 03:40:00 pm

Our coach may or may not be able to upgrade.

I see these posts and the questions and comments include; " modern look, are these also running lights, do they come on with the wippers.."

To each their own but, we hope we're not in a position that we must drive at night after a long tired day.

Our headlights are seldom used by choice, it's part of our lifestyle.

Other than "looks" is it really that much better? Nevermind, I would rather look at an engine upgrade, more solar, wind generator or retrofitting a retarder on my coach, L O L

Or a $30-50 HID upgrade like Catfishbob

Re: Driving lights

Reply #9 – August 26, 2014, 03:42:34 pm

It would't take much to rewire the high beams to come on with the ignition. I bet there are even kits available to do just that, maybe even light them up at reduced brightness.

Re: Driving lights

Reply #10 – August 26, 2014, 05:05:49 pm

First it was daylight driving lights then the Metric system (tools, kilometers).. guess who started this?
California started the annual state inspection which worked it's way to the East Coast (Fl) which took decades to cease the requirement. Thank you FSHP.

A rear facing blinking light makes sense, too bad the only place you see them is on a garbage or dump truck.
No thanks, I am not a fan of daylight driving lights. pc

Re: Driving lights

Reply #11 – August 26, 2014, 05:31:18 pm

We had Xtreme change our headlights about 6 years ago, mainly to upgrade the look as we never drive at night.

Well about 6 months after headlight modification, we got a phone call letting us know that my Ohio brother unexpectedly died ten minutes earlier. We had just pulled into a New Mexico campground, and knowing we needed to be in Ohio, we immediately started the engine and drove all night, then all day, arriving late the next night, about 28 hours without turning off the engine, with two fuel stops. We took turns sleeping on the couch every hour or so.

The point is that with our original low mounted headlights we could not have been as safe driving two all nighters. Remember we said we never drove our motorhome at night, but we were thankful that we had made the cosmetic change.

Re: Driving lights

Reply #12 – August 26, 2014, 06:19:43 pm

I live in Canada and in BC and maybe all of Canada you have to have daylight driving lights. This motorhome I have they set the lights to come on
with the ignition switch and I changed it so they come on when I release the brakes. I hate having any extra load on the battery especially in the winter
when I am starting the engine

Re: Driving lights

Reply #13 – August 26, 2014, 08:36:44 pm

That is how our coach is wired, when the park brake is released the daytime running lights come on

Re: Driving lights

Reply #14 – August 26, 2014, 11:05:00 pm

Daytime driving lights are good safety preventative idea and we are pleased our Jeep has them.

As I remember it, In the 1970's US & Canada initiated a long range plan to convert to metric, probably so we would not be in the minority in the world and to make our products be more international. But for some reason the US government changed its mind and Canada did a go at it on their own. It has been difficult for Canadians but they are now in concert with the world. I see our large international companies like Cummins have moved to metric on their own. I would have preferred that the US would have stuck it out.

Re: Driving lights

Reply #15 – August 26, 2014, 11:34:57 pm

It is the Law in Canada to have Daytime Running Lights on any vehicle that is brought into Canada if it is 15 or less years old. You cannot register it to be driven untill that is done. I do not remember when all cars started to be fitted (new) with this system but must be 25 at least. I do not see the problem with having them work this way and Accident Statistics have proven it does save lives etc. Now if we can just punish the idiots who drive and use cell phones etc this is a much more dangerous thing.
JohnH

Re: Driving lights

Reply #16 – August 27, 2014, 12:11:38 am

Quote from: John Haygarth – August 26, 2014, 11:34:57 pm

It is the Law in Canada to have Daytime Running Lights on any vehicle that is brought into Canada if it is 15 or less years old. You cannot register it to be driven untill that is done. I do not remember when all cars started to be fitted (new) with this system but must be 25 at least. I do not see the problem with having them work this way and Accident Statistics have proven it does save lives etc. Now if we can just punish the idiots who drive and use cell phones etc this is a much more dangerous thing.
JohnH

Are you saying my 2003 Foretravel is ok in Canada, but I cannot bring in my towed 2006 Acura MDX without having it rewired for daylight running lights? Or can I just drive with the headlights on? A year later, 2007, the MDX has DRL but is not towable four down.

Re: Driving lights

Reply #17 – August 27, 2014, 12:34:40 am

just vehicles registered in Canada must be compliant

Re: Driving lights

Reply #18 – August 27, 2014, 01:37:19 am

Tom, our '06 Acura has DTRLs

Re: Driving lights

Reply #19 – August 27, 2014, 02:18:29 am

Quote from: rbark – August 27, 2014, 01:37:19 am

Tom, our '06 Acura has DTRLs

Not mine.

Re: Driving lights

Reply #20 – August 27, 2014, 07:22:32 am

We run with our fog lights on all the time during daylight hours. Anything to make this coach stand out so people will see us and quit pulling out in front of us. There are still a few idiots that still pull out in front of us, but so far no accidents, not counting the one deer that did not understand the headlights on mean get out of the way.

Ben and Bonnie Harris
1999 U320

Re: Driving lights

Reply #21 – August 27, 2014, 07:35:20 am

I drove many many mikes with the old light setup in the dark. It was great on high beam and very weak with low beam and terrible in the rain. The new lights move them up a foot or so and that makes a huge difference. Of course since I have had the headlights done I do not drive at night as often.

Re: Driving lights

Reply #22 – August 27, 2014, 09:22:32 am

Nice thing about our old 89 GV is the lights are kinda high, built that way. Not as bright as newer styles but I installed the latest brightest bulbs I could find. We try to NOT drive at night or in the rain but by upgrading the bulbs we are somewhat prepared. The wipers? Different story!! Worst and lousiest I have seen since the vacuum wipers on my 1940 Studebaker Champion!!

Re: Driving lights

Reply #23 – August 27, 2014, 10:31:23 am

When I had them refitted on the coach's I brought in it only cost total of $200 to have it done- no big deal.
JohnH

Re: Driving lights

Reply #24 – August 27, 2014, 07:35:24 pm

Quote from: Ben and Bonnie – August 27, 2014, 07:22:32 am

Anything to make this coach stand out so people will see us and quit pulling out in front of us.

Ben and Bonnie Harris
1999 U320

Good luck with that. Folks pulled in front of me when i was driving big truck, pulling my fifth wheel, and now with our forty foot coach. That is the reason we now have a dash camera.

Roland

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