LED Lights

[Cracker]

I definitely appreciate the lower power consumption of LED lights and their many excellent applications - but, with respect to tailights and other exterior vehicle lighting applications, I believe there's an unsettling tendancy towards LED lights that are way too bright to be practical --- to the point of seriously affecting the vision of other drivers. This is especially true of tailights/stoplights but it doesn't stop there. I've seen semi rigs rolling down the highway that would be the envy of the Las Vegas strip! Yeah - I know - just don't look at them, but that doesn't work when you're stuck in traffic with Joe Blow's 50,000 candlepower tailights blinding you. These comments can also apply to a lot of the new and replacement halogen headlights that are becoming more common. I'm an OF living in Northern Maine - where it's not uncommon to be driving home at night on I-95 without another vehicle on the highway. Being alert for the wandering moose or deer is part of the experience and I've never found the OEM headlights on any of my vehicles to be lacking. What is disturbing is when the rare egghead with the aircraft landing lights on bright suddenly shows up to blind me. I keep my cool by reminding myself that they're probably from downtown New York or Boston - and scared half to death to be so alone in the middle of the dark woods - but for the next 30 seconds or so, even with my brights back on, my vision has been affected enough to possibly miss seeing an errant moose or deer.

[dznf0g]

Completely depends on you choice of LEDs. Just like you choose to put a 60 watt bulb or a 300watt bulb in your lamp at home. We should be "bright enough" (see what I did there....?) to choose appropriate LEDs for the application, or ask some who does know (If you're a "dim bulb")

[Cracker]

Originally Posted by dznf0g

Completely depends on you choice of LEDs. Just like you choose to put a 60 watt bulb or a 300watt bulb in your lamp at home. We should be "bright enough" (see what I did there....?) to choose appropriate LEDs for the application, or ask some who does know (If you're a "dim bulb")

I couldn't agree more but apparently there are those who choose to ignore what's "bright enough" in the interest of being the kid on the block with the brightest lights. Don't get me wrong - I'm not pointing a finger at the Airstream crowd and, indeed, the LED tailights on the new Airstreams look great! I can remember when some of the older trailers, with the teardrop lights, could barely be seen at night. Of course, I'm also old enough to remember 6-volt systems!

[bryanl]

Keep in mind that the brightness, color, directionality, and placement of running lights on a trailer are highly specified by the DOT.

It is possible to get a ticket if you don't have the proper lights in the proper places.

Tolerance is a good thing to have when people try your soul....

[Airtandem]

While on the subject of being blinded by bright lights, don't forget those polished trailers in the daylight. I'm not just talking of AS's.

[Cracker]

Originally Posted by bryanl

Keep in mind that the brightness, color, directionality, and placement of running lights on a trailer are highly specified by the DOT.

It is possible to get a ticket if you don't have the proper lights in the proper places.

Tolerance is a good thing to have when people try your soul....

I wonder if the DOT is really paying attention to the tailights on some of the new vehicles? IMHO some of the "higher end" vehicles seem to be doing an "in your face" presentation to impress.

[54Cruiser]

Originally Posted by Cracker

I keep my cool by reminding myself that they're probably from downtown New York or Boston - and scared half to death to be so alone in the middle of the dark woods.

The next time you inadvertently go down a one way street around Fenway Park...I'll keep my cool by reminding myself that you're probably from Northern Maine

[ROBERT CROSS]

Oh.... and don't forget the instant response time of the LED's vastly improving traffik safety.

Bob

[Cracker]

Originally Posted by NTRPRZ

The next time you inadvertently go down a one way street around Fenway Park...I'll keep my cool by reminding myself that you're probably from Northern Maine

Good jibe! Frankly, I'll take the "wilds of Maine" over Boston or New York city any day! I avoid both with a passion - going way, way, out of my way, towards western Pennsylvania, anytime I head south! Big cities, when towing big Airstreams, scare the h--- out of me!