Trail lights etiquette?

[Kaderabek]

I have a question about the etiquette of running lights such as the Hellas on my 80 (which is why I didn't put this in chit chat) at night on the trail, specifically as it relates to the trucks in front of you. I don't wheel much at night but those Hellas really make a difference in terms of being able to see obstacles on the trails. As they say, like night and day.... When we were wheeling Windrock a couple of weeks ago, I turned them on when Hummer Boy (with his dark tinted windows) was in front of me on the trail, partly b/c I didn't really give a crap what he thought. But when a 40 was in front of me I would turn them off, and clearly I couldn't see anywhere near as well. Those of you who wheel at night a good bit, what's the etiquette here?

TJK

 

[MoJ]

Can you aim them down at the trail instead of straight into the rearview mirrow of the guy in front of you?

 

[Kaderabek]

That's where they're aimed, but it's still one hell of a set of beams behind you.

TJK

 

[flintknapper]

I have a question about the etiquette of running lights such as the Hellas on my 80 (which is why I didn't put this in chit chat) at night on the trail, specifically as it relates to the trucks in front of you. I don't wheel much at night but those Hellas really make a difference in terms of being able to see obstacles on the trails. As they say, like night and day.... When we were wheeling Windrock a couple of weeks ago, I turned them on when Hummer Boy (with his dark tinted windows) was in front of me on the trail, partly b/c I didn't really give a crap what he thought. But when a 40 was in front of me I would turn them off, and clearly I couldn't see anywhere near as well. Those of you who wheel at night a good bit, what's the etiquette here?

TJK

Personally, I try not to use them when following closely behind someone. I would let the matter of "safety" dictate when it is appropriate to use them and when you could leave them off. As for the guy in the Hummer.....I suspect his interests are much like yours and mine (except his choice of vehicles) and he probably just likes "wheeling" as much as anyone else. No need to be disrespectful to him in my opinion.

 

[Kaderabek]

Personally, I try not to use them when following closely behind someone. I would let the matter of "safety" dictate when it is appropriate to use them and when you could leave them off. As for the guy in the Hummer.....I suspect his interests are much like yours and mine (except his choice of vehicles) and he probably just likes "wheeling" as much as anyone else. No need to be disrespectful to him in my opinion.

Lighten up, Frances, it was a joke. I could barely make out the laptop mounted to his dash through his tinted windows, so I wasn't bothering him in the least. In fact, I asked him if that makes you feel any better.

TJK

 

[flintknapper]

Lighten up, Frances, it was a joke. I could barely make out the laptop mounted to his dash through his tinted windows, so I wasn't bothering him in the least. In fact, I asked him if that makes you feel any better.

TJK

Todd, it doesn't matter to me one way or the other. You asked a question here and I just gave my opinion (not instructions). It just sounds like you have a certain disdain for the guy and his hummer. My .02 Cheers!

 

[woody]

For night runs, I don't even run headlights at all most times....running lights only and my 3 rock lights are sufficient for 95% of night work....plus they are great for trail repairs

Personally, I hate the bright spots/floods...I used to run them and IMO they washed out/shadowed the trail to much. Plus, most often they pointed right over the obstacles....great for highspeed running, but not so much for crawlin.

 

[Kaderabek]

Todd, it doesn't matter to me one way or the other. You asked a question here and I just gave my opinion (not instructions). It just sounds like you have a certain disdain for the guy and his hummer. My .02 Cheers!

Nope, nothing against the guy at all. And my only qualm with his truck that night was it was smack dab in between me and my dinner.

TJK

 

[Kaderabek]

For night runs, I don't even run headlights at all most times....running lights only and my 3 rock lights are sufficient for 95% of night work....plus they are great for trail repairs

Personally, I hate the bright spots/floods...I used to run them and IMO they washed out/shadowed the trail to much. Plus, most often they pointed right over the obstacles....great for highspeed running, but not so much for crawlin.

Huh. Well, I don't have any rock lights, and don't really wheel enough at night to justify the expense.

I guess I'll leave them off on the trail and use them only to high beam people speeding down my street when I'm going home from work.

TJK

 

[Doc]

When someone with bright lights is behind me I just adjust my rear-view mirror accordingly. It's not a big deal to me, and sometimes his lights are beneficial if he's that close.

I also have a big fat set of Hella's (FF1000's) on the front of my rig, and don't you think I'm bashfull about using them when I need to, that's what they are there for!

 

[nakman]

Hey Todd, thumbs up on the Stripes quote! You just made the list pal...

I run a couple total poser lights on mine, but they're still annoyingly bright if I'm behind you. At night I either like to be fairly close to the guy in front (mild technical) so I can watch his tires, axles, etc.. then I sorta know the spot by the time I get there and don't need all the lights on. Easier terrain, I'll let the rig in front get up a ways so I can light it up without worrying. And on real tough spots, I light it all up, most times the guy in front already parked to come back to watch.

And the approach that always works is to just lead the run, that way you're in front!

One more thing: I dim it all down to the parking lights if a rig approaches from the other way, I think it's a nice courtesy plus it sends the message to the other guy that I'm going to sit here while you pass me.. same deal if the other guy pulls off to let me pass, I'll keep the headlights on stating that I'm still moving.

 

[Josh83]

Rock lights are cheap and are good for underbody repairs at night also(anyone elses projects start at noon and stretch till WAAAAAAY too late?). You should be able to throw a set of rock lights together for ~$30. At night I run rock lights only most of the time.

 

[Beowulf]

>> I guess I'll leave them off on the trail <<

Todd,

Leave them on. The guy in front of you should adjust his side mirrors and rear view mirror so the light doesn't bother him. If you're on a trail at night he needs to be looking in front of him and not in the rear view mirror. Everyone runs radios so he doesn't need visual on the trucks behind him.

Dip all lights for on-coming traffic though that's seldom come up on our trails.

-B-

 

[Kaderabek]

All good advice, thanks.

Now, leaning toward to extreme of etiquette, I will have to (light heartedly ) tell a short Hummer Diginified Person (formelry Boy) story. Spotting him through the penultimate obstacle that night, very deep ruts that the 40s could barely span/stay out of, I get him on the obstacle and he turns his lights off. All of them. Pitch black, I can't see a thing, clearly neither can he. So I holler at him, what are you doing, turn your lights back on! He says, I didn't want to blind you. OK, appreciate it, but I'll need to be able to see.

TJK

 

[concretejungle]

get some of those main street cruiser glow lights to install on the bottom of the fake 40th. Or you could get some of those glow bars that you get in survival packs where you shake them up and they glow for like 5 hours. Just duct tape them to the bottom of the front bumper.

 

[Kaderabek]

gOr you could get some of those glow bars that you get in survival packs where you shake them up and they glow for like 5 hours. Just duct tape them to the bottom of the front bumper.

Sorry, I lost all of mine at the last Phish show I saw.

TJK

 

[mabrodis]

I just run high beams if I really need to. The guy in front of me should have his mirrors all adjusted so he can't see me anyway, since on the trail you usually want as much light as possible, so I would expect the guy behind me to crank the lights up too. Ofcourse if we stop the lights go down to running lights only, which (since I have a Lexus) have clear corner lights, so a nice white night-light...

 

[Kaderabek]

"If" we stop. Good one.

TJK

 

[concretejungle]

Sorry, I lost all of mine at the last Phish show I saw.

TJK

funny, i'd like to smack the fawkers that throw those damn things from the back to the front! Asswipes......

 

[reffug]

I just blast my PIAA's, I agree with the mirror adjustment thing. I want to see everything I can in front of me. Especially on the highway when someone won't dim their beams bam I hit em with everything and usually get my way.