Tailgate Running Lights?

[-sin-]

Are they teaching what those lights mean in driver's education classes? If not, what good are they for 90% of the driving population? I'm 43, have been driving for 28 years, and never knew what they were for.

HA I'm answering my own question

Clearance lights are required on a vehicle if it is 8' wide. The DRW trucks must have them on the cab AND also on the rear of the vehicle because their axle width is 8' wide.

Before they became a vehicle option on pickup trucks, trailer manufacturers put them on both the front and rear corners of trailers, some even put the gang-3 on the front but all had them on the rear.

More often than not, a 1-ton SRW pickup will come with them on the cab because is is 'assumed' that someone buying a 1-ton truck tows trailers that are 8' wide. Many trailer manufacturers stopped putting the gang-3 lights on the front of their trailers, cost-cutting manufacturing overhead, because the 1-ton trucks had the clearance lights up front. The law stipulates that the lights must be on the front and rear of vehicles/trailers 9' wide. So, the clearance lights on the cab and the clearance lights kind of accommodated the 8' wide package from front to rear of the combined vehicle/trailer. Jim Lane is correct - the 3 inside are ICC and the two outside are designated clearance. If you tow an 8' wide trailer that does not have front clearance lights, either install them on your trailer or install the two outside on your truck's cab. Then you will be legal according to DOT law.

 

[88GMCtruck]

Good information.

I have noticed that the center 3 marker lights are becoming less common on campers and trailers, personally I dislike this. It becomes a problem on SRW trucks towing. I'm very glad my camper has both clearance and marker lights.

 

[someotherguy]

Are they teaching what those lights mean in driver's education classes? If not, what good are they for 90% of the driving population? I'm 43, have been driving for 28 years, and never knew what they were for.

Regardless of whether people know what the lights are for or not...they increase the visibility of the vehicle at night.

Richard

 

[TomCoppola]

What are the three running lights under the tailgate called? Ive been looking to buy those, anybody know where to get them?

 

[88GMCtruck]

They are called "marker lights" or "ID Bar"

There are a bunch of aftermarket options (check etrailer or other trailer/towing sites). if you want OEM the 02+ GM one is a one piece slim LED version, I put one on my 88 it looks nice.

 

[98MNChevy]

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Go with five and call it a day, haha.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Jesse_Wenting]

Sorry to resurrect this thread but does anyone know power is run from the body to the tailgate? Looking to do this as a mod

 

[Mycotroph]

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Sorry to resurrect this thread but does anyone know power is run from the body to the tailgate? Looking to do this as a mod

nah dude lets revive this thread I have 3 under the tailgate but have been trying my damndess to figure out how to mount 5 on the actually tailgate, just cant think of a good way to run the wire without trying to snake it, also if it answers your question I would use the brown wire to feed the lights so they run w/ your parking lights

 

[Jesse_Wenting]

but have been trying my damndess to figure out how to mount 5 on the actually tailgate

Beat you too it lol
Magic

 

[John Hendrix]

I’m no wizard, but if you are needing to run wires to the inside of the tail gate for lights, make sure you run a ground wire also. The tailgate will not conduct electrical current due to the fact that they are removable.

As to a routing option... I have installed license plates in tailgates after shaving the rear bumper and installing a roll pan. (license plate lights)

I have had success by drilling holes through the middle of the pivot hinge on the body and tailgate. The biggest issue is to make sure you use grommets to protect the wires and make sure they are fused with a correct size fuse.

Experience has led me to leave a small amount of extra wire inside the tailgate for future repairs.

I usually runs wires with the tail lights harness, and I use push together sealed connectors. If and when the wires break, it’s usually at the hinge and having extra wire to pull out is easier to repair by trimming the wire back and installing new connectors.

Good luck!