Posted 2009-12-04 8:45 AM (#113928 - in reply to #113926) Subject: RE: DOT tape?
Veteran
Posts: 233 Location: Tennessee
My new trailer had an add on ramp without the DOT tape. One of the first things I did was have it added. My last trip back from Eastfork Stables I found out midway that I didn't have running lights. The folks traveling with me tried to stay behind me (almost impossible on the interstate) and they said the reflective tape made me very visible. You can buy some shorter length pieces at Walmart. I would not travel without it.
Posted 2009-12-04 8:52 AM (#113931 - in reply to #113926) Subject: RE: DOT tape?
Veteran
Posts: 197 Location: MT
You know it really makes me mad going down the road and people don't have there running lights working or any lights at all. And even makes me even more mad when they have someone follow them cause all your doing is clogging up the road for everyone else cause you were to lazy to make sure your lights worked before you left. And when people make the excuse of I have dot tape it makes me visible, it doesn't make you that visible at night.
Why can't people make sure their lights work before they leave, and if they quit working while driving pull over and fix them at the next town or rest stop don't just drive down the road with no lights.
Is it a law that you have to have dot tape on your trailer??
Posted 2009-12-04 8:57 AM (#113933 - in reply to #113928) Subject: RE: DOT tape?
New User
Posts: 4
Location: Kansas
Originally written by Sheryl on 2009-12-04 8:45 AM
My new trailer had an add on ramp without the DOT tape. One of the first things I did was have it added. My last trip back from Eastfork Stables I found out midway that I didn't have running lights. The folks traveling with me tried to stay behind me (almost impossible on the interstate) and they said the reflective tape made me very visible. You can buy some shorter length pieces at Walmart. I would not travel without it.
Posted 2009-12-04 9:01 AM (#113935 - in reply to #113926) Subject: RE: DOT tape?
Veteran
Posts: 233 Location: Tennessee
Brew 26 - Thank you so much for jumping in with your self-righteous reply. I didn't feel the need to go into extreme detail, but since you assumed the worst, let me clarify. I checked all my lights before I left and they were working. When I discovered the running lights out, we stopped and examined the situation. One of the people traveling with us is a qualified electrician. There was a short in the cord to my trailer. This was late on Sunday night and I had no alternative except to go forward. The reason it's hard to travel together is because when you leave enough room between vehicles, some jerk always pulls in between you. I've been on this website for 6 years and never had anyone attack me like this.
DOT tape is required for a reason - to make you more visible. I'm glad I had it as a backup. Things don't always go as planned.
Posted 2009-12-04 9:32 AM (#113936 - in reply to #113926) Subject: RE: DOT tape?
Expert
Posts: 3802 Location: Rocky Mount N.C.
DOT reflective tape is designed to be used on tractor trailer rigs. It is a federal regulation in both the US and Canada that all tractor trailers exceeding 10,000 lbs. have alternating red and white DOT approved 2" wide conspicuity tape along at least 50% of their lengths (can be segmented) and entirely across their back ends. Solid Silver/White DOT tape is required to mark the upper rear corners of trailers by the placement of two 2 inch x 12 inch segments together to form an inverted "L" in each corner.
Posted 2009-12-04 2:10 PM (#113945 - in reply to #113926) Subject: RE: DOT tape?
Member
Posts: 14
Location: Cherokee, IOWA
Hey Sheryl, I have been where you were, a few times with my older gooseneck. In the rain, 60miles from my destination, in the dark, and no running lights would work. Kept blinking on, then off. Luckily I could have my flashers going. Hey, there is no place to stop sometimes to fix your lights or no parts place open . Thank god, two semi drivers kept my rig with theirs on the interstate, until my exit came up. And yes, I DO have reflective tape on my trailer and I DID check the lights before I started up. Let's all have a little courtesy on the road when you see a trailer without running lights.Most of them, I am sure, know they're out, and just want to get the #!** off the road too, but can't always find a good spot to do that! So be patient, we DON'T turn our lights off on purpose!! We're hauling our best buddies with us, for goodness sakes! Got to keep them safe!!!
Posted 2009-12-04 4:31 PM (#113953 - in reply to #113926) Subject: RE: DOT tape?
Member
Posts: 48 Location: Stanardsville, VA
Retento is correct. It is NOT required on horse trailers unless it is a tractor trailer. Its probubly a great idea to put it on anyways even landscape trailers should have it. but there is no law requiring the DOT tape on a horse trailer.
Posted 2009-12-04 5:03 PM (#113955 - in reply to #113926) Subject: RE: DOT tape?
Elite Veteran
Posts: 720
Holy- I can't quote the specific part, but it is a Federal Motor Carrier Safety regulation that ANY trailer over 10,000# GVWR will have conspicuity tape, applied as described above. I can promise you, trailer manufacturers don't use it because it is pretty. They have to in order to be compliant.
Posted 2009-12-06 11:43 AM (#114005 - in reply to #113926) Subject: RE: DOT tape?
Expert
Posts: 2689
Whether or not REQUIRED and whether or not your running lights are working it is a GOOD IDEA to add some visibility to your trailer.
I also got the 5 inch high CAUTION HORSES reflective lettering from here; http://www.reflectivelyyours.com/generic66.html
They have the 2 inch DOT tape as well as a lot of other good stuff.
===============================================
OK, back to requirements;
Yes, REQUIRED on trailers with GVW over 10,000 lbs - which GENERALLY includes MOST goosenecks and excludes MOST 2 horse bumper pulls.
Some State and local regulations may be more stringent.
Yes, running lights are also "required" and required to be working.
Equipment fails and when it does we do what needs to be done.
Some tolerance from others would be "NICE"
I reciprocate by tolerating their impatience (-:
An aside;
The "Tractor Triangle" SMV sign is ILLEGAL on vehicles or equipment that is capable (by design) of more than 25 MPH.
a) There is controversy over the new fast tractors, some of which can do as much as 40 MPH.
b) Supposedly someone was stopped for "displaying" a SMV sign on the load that was on a trailer - and required to cover or remove it.
Posted 2009-12-10 6:49 AM (#114120 - in reply to #113926) Subject: RE: DOT tape?
Veteran
Posts: 219 Location: Mt. Clemens, MI 48043
Had our lights go out before and it wasn't fun. We have a older trailer and when we start we check everything. We get going things change. One time one brake light was working the other didn't, and then it was the opposite one time. Our trailer has tape and top lights that stay on. Sometimes things happen and when you go get it looked at everything works. We never tired to make driving behind us worse than it is already. Good luck on your trip and have fun.
Posted 2009-12-10 2:28 PM (#114135 - in reply to #113926) Subject: RE: DOT tape?
Expert
Posts: 2689
re; intermittent lights.
Putting this politely as I can; If your trailer has KNOWN intermittent problems with lights and/or wiring you REALLY SHOULD attend to it, or get it attended to.
Just because it is "working right now" doesn't mean that there are no problems that can be found and rectified quite quickly, easily and cheaply.
As an example one COULD take each light assembly apart, remove the bulb and check for corrosion. If things are REALLY bad in there just blow the $5 or $10 and replace the whole thing, OK stop/turn/tail might be $15 or $20, but compared to having someone rear end you 3 seconds after it blinked out - CHEAP !
Similarly the trailer's plug.
If it spends 10 months of the year just hanging open in all weathers for a few years there is bound to be some corrosion.
They're cheap, cut it off, strip the wires back and put on a new one.
THIS TIME goop it up with electrolytic gel ("silicon grease").
Shorts and opens... OK, they can be tough to find, might take some squirming around under there looking for chaffed insulation, might take a helper to tell which wire moves at one end when you wiggle one of the wires at the other end, etc.
All this is simple easy stuff and (even if you have to PAY for it to be done) it is WORTH doing.
OK, preach mode off; I now return you to the regular forum stuff.
Posted 2009-12-12 10:35 PM (#114184 - in reply to #113926) Subject: RE: DOT tape?
Expert
Posts: 1877 Location: NY
Reg -I agree with you if the problem is there before you start your trip fix it but some time the problem show up after you have left home the tape does help with safety
Posted 2009-12-13 7:05 AM (#114188 - in reply to #113926) Subject: RE: DOT tape?
Expert
Posts: 2689
BalzingCreekBar,
Wow, I really did NOT copy your post (-:
(hard to believe)
Luvduffy,
Yes, the back-up is GOOD to have, but ONLY as back-up.
Not something to depend on, not an excuse to let ourselves get sloppy about running lights or any other wiring.
I was just trying to say that troubleshooting and fixing lights on trailers isn't THAT hard and SO worth the time, effort and money.
The same sort of corrosion in connectors and chafing of wires can as easily take out electric brakes and there is very little back-up when THAT happens - so we have to keep after this stuff.
My guess is that a lot of folk KNOW that a particular light is flaky.
They bump it and it comes back on, and/or they unplug/replug the connector to the truck.
I'm suggesting to folk in this situation that
a) It is likely to come back during the journey.
b) It is as likely to happen to your brake connectors & wiring.
c) It isn't HARD or expensive to troubleshoot and fix.
Posted 2009-12-13 7:09 AM (#114189 - in reply to #113953) Subject: RE: DOT tape?
Expert
Posts: 2689
Originally written by Holy350 on 2009-12-04 4:31 PM
Retento is correct. It is NOT required on horse trailers unless it is a tractor trailer. Its probubly a great idea to put it on anyways even landscape trailers should have it. but there is no law requiring the DOT tape on a horse trailer.
...and a gooseneck horse trailer with a GVW over 10K is not a tractor/trailer because WHY ?
(-:
Posted 2009-12-15 5:39 PM (#114290 - in reply to #113926) Subject: RE: DOT tape?
Member
Posts: 48 Location: Stanardsville, VA
I agree flatlandphilly All people want to do in here is attack anymore. Im getting a bit tired of it. A goose neck horse trailer is not a tractor trailer!! Do you need a CDL to drive a gooseneck?
Posted 2009-12-15 5:54 PM (#114291 - in reply to #114290) Subject: RE: DOT tape?
Expert
Posts: 2689
Originally written by Holy350 on 2009-12-15 5:39 PM
I agree flatlandphilly All people want to do in here is attack anymore. Im getting a bit tired of it. A goose neck horse trailer is not a tractor trailer!! Do you need a CDL to drive a gooseneck?
Check;
If it has a GVW over 10,000 lbs (and most DO)
and if the combination GVW is over 26,000 lbs then YES.
This isn't hard to get to; Most 1 ton pick-up are 12,000, so you ONLY need a 5 or 6 horse goosie (less than that with LQ) and you "qualify".
Kodiak and similar trucks can be 17,500 - now that get REALLY close to 26K with even a light goosie on it.
DOT tape?
