Running light help

[Gnoman]

Originally Posted by Native

Do you have a link to the whole document?

Just googled FMVSS NO. 108.. think it stands for Federal Motor Vehicle Standard something or other.. was directed there from form TP-108-13. Lol

[Native]

Originally Posted by Gnoman

Just googled FMVSS NO. 108.. think it stands for Federal Motor Vehicle Standard something or other.. was directed there from form TP-108-13. Lol

Thank you. I found the XML/online version but would prefer the PDF version since many of the images and charts state to see the PDF version.

[musigenesis]

Originally Posted by gs1949

For reflectors, I am thinking about making an abstract painting covering nearly the whole side of the bus that will incude one or two reflective paints, or possibly a nearly full length reflective stripe.

That's a cool idea. I'm thinking about adding some Mucha-style detailing to my paint job, although more to hide imperfections in the undercoat, but I may use reflective paint for it.

Typical Mucha painting: https://www.arsmundi.com/dw/image/v2...s/794019_1.jpg

[gs1949]

I'm also having trouble finding a pdf of these regulations, but there is a full text version linked from the wikipedia page: https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-id...e49.6.571_1108


And back to the idea of reflective paintings on the bus, there are of course standards for reflectors in these regulations, which I assume reflective paintings would not meet. So the paintings would have to be in addition to approved reflectors. But as far as I'm concerned, I think the more visibility the better.

[musigenesis]

Originally Posted by gs1949

I'm also having trouble finding a pdf of these regulations, but there is a full text version linked from the wikipedia page: https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-id...e49.6.571_1108


And back to the idea of reflective paintings on the bus, there are of course standards for reflectors in these regulations, which I assume reflective paintings would not meet. So the paintings would have to be in addition to approved reflectors. But as far as I'm concerned, I think the more visibility the better.

Most of the reflective tape on my bus was framing the emergency exit doors and windows and was presumably meant to help guide rescuers to those openings at night. I don't see any need to replace that, especially since my exit doors don't have external handles to open anyway.

Edit: woo hoo I hit 1000 posts! Where's my new bus at?

[gs1949]

Mine has a lot more than that. And there are 2 types of reflective tape on there. There is one type around the roof hatches and both side emergency doors, I have no emergency windows, and another, very different type of tape, liberally applied to the back and sides. I wonder if maybe the Auburn School District put that 2nd type of tape on the sides and back of the bus, or maybe BlueBird used 2 types of tape so the emergency exits would stand out.

And there are also several reflectors riveted around the bus at places about 6 feet off the ground. But I am not going to touch those or anything else on the sides of the bus now. All I am concerned with now is getting the roof ready for Tropicool, so I am only dealing with the reflective tape on the roof around the hatches. And I found a tool that does a slick job of taking that off. It's an old 1 inch wood chisel that my Dad sharpened by hand on a stone for many years, but I have inherited it now and it it takes off that tape and the glue holding it right down to the paint.

[edit] I just went and looked at the tape on my bus to refresh my memory. It's not 2 different types of tape, just 2 different widths. The tape around the emergency exits is much narrower. It looks like an inch wide. The tape that's at various other places, like on the side under the rub rail, or on the back at the bottom of the engine compartment door, is over 2 inches wide. There is a row of rivets next to the emergency doors, so 2 inch wide tape wouldn't fit without going on the rivets.

[Gnoman]

Originally Posted by Native

Thank you. I found the XML/online version but would prefer the PDF version since many of the images and charts state to see the PDF version.

Originally Posted by gs1949

I'm also having trouble finding a pdf of these regulations, but there is a full text version linked from the wikipedia page: https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-id...e49.6.571_1108

Just went to gov website. Its classified as 571.108 now. Theres a pdf version available here:

https://www.govinfo.gov/app/search/%...fset%22%3A0%7D

I do like the idea of incorporating the reflectors into a scene.

[Native]

Originally Posted by Gnoman

Just went to gov website. Its classified as 571.108 now. Theres a pdf version available here:

https://www.govinfo.gov/app/search/%...fset%22%3A0%7D

I do like the idea of incorporating the reflectors into a scene.

Thank You! I am downloading it right now.


Edit: The chart is on page 59 of the PDF.

[musigenesis]

So, I deleted my tail lights as part of my repairs of the back of my bus:



I'm thinking of replacing them by mounting these:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071FGC2JS

here:



since this will give me a license plate light as well (also deleted from my original). Is there any reason these wouldn't work on the back of a bus? Is there something similar to this that doesn't stick out so far?

How would I waterproof the holes for the wires?

[gs1949]

@Gnoman, thanks for the link.
@musigenesis, good question. I'm not planning on replacing any tailights for a while. and they are all mounted on the engine compartment lid, which is fiberglass, so I don't think a minor leak there would matter very much.

But I have 14 running lights to replace, all in places where even a very small leak will matter, so I am asking the same question.

[Native]

Originally Posted by gs1949

@Gnoman, thanks for the link.
@musigenesis, good question. I'm not planning on replacing any tailights for a while. and they are all mounted on the engine compartment lid, which is fiberglass, so I don't think a minor leak there would matter very much.

But I have 14 running lights to replace, all in places where even a very small leak will matter, so I am asking the same question.

The original marker lights on our bus are self-contained (sealed) and a rubber gasket is used between the markers and the skin of the bus.

[gs1949]

Yeah, mine too. And there are wires coming out of roughly the center of the light fixture, so with the 2 screw holes that makes three holes per light, but the holes are all well-covered by the light. I cannot find any signs that any of the OEM lights have leaked.

The problem is that many or most of the LED replacement lights I am finding have the wires coming out of a corner of the light fixture and the gasket doesn't look very wide. I don't think they will seal as well as the OEM lights.

[Gnoman]

Originally Posted by gs1949

Yeah, mine too. And there are wires coming out of roughly the center of the light fixture, so with the 2 screw holes that makes three holes per light, but the holes are all well-covered by the light. I cannot find any signs that any of the OEM lights have leaked.

The problem is that many or most of the LED replacement lights I am finding have the wires coming out of a corner of the light fixture and the gasket doesn't look very wide. I don't think they will seal as well as the OEM lights.

I have yet to take a fixture off and see how big the original wiring holes are but I found these https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073TFVCMX..._2veJDb3D4BVPM on amazon, hoping they're big enough to cover at least the wiring hole. These have center located wires. Just need to screw the negative to one of the mounting screws

EDIT: Also not sure if these will be sufficient for the front and rear 3 center mounted identifying lights but I'm hoping they'll cover the existing holes for the side-mounted turn signals and and side clearance lights

[gs1949]

The holes on my BlueBird are about a half inch or a little less.

Yeah, I saw those lights you posted the link to. They're quite narrow, 0.8 inches. Most of the ones I was looking at were wider, but I did not find any that I liked well enough to bookmark,

[Gnoman]

Originally Posted by gs1949

The holes on my BlueBird are about a half inch or a little less.

Yeah, I saw those lights you posted the link to. They're quite narrow, 0.8 inches. Most of the ones I was looking at were wider, but I did not find any that I liked well enough to bookmark,

1995 Blu Bird? We have the same generation. Good to know bout their diameter . I bookmarked these as well: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MG2C7UH..._gLeJDb6KMV0C8

[gs1949]

Yeah, it's a TC 2000 though. It has the 643 trans with the locking torque converter. I saw a video of an All American. I like the door closing thing under the fender. I wish I had something like that. There's no way to close the door tightly from the outside, just from the inside, with the air cylinder. Otherwise, I did not see anything on that All American that I wished I had, including the overdrive trans because I do not plan on doing a lot of freeway driving.

[Gnoman]

Should be same basic body, so hoping my holes are similar diameter.. Mine does not shut completely from the outside either, mustve been an improvement from mine, unless the split doors had that option, my RE just has the jackknife style door and the little vandal lock that prevents the door from shutting wholly.

[gs1949]

The bus in the video is quite a bit newer than your's, I think. It's the first video on the thread about brokedown's new project: http://www.skoolie.net/forums/f11/ou...ect-28628.html

I haven't found anything like a vandal lock on my bus, but I don't really know what a vandal lock looks like.