Driving lights - Bigger better and more of them.

[rescue]

I'm happy with 12V makes fitting all the extra LED lighting a lot easier......but I will get out with the camera and do a so far set....

 

[Leprechaun]

I was trying to measure the current draw today, but only got as far as opening the bonnet before I dropped the meter. Now all it reads is "ERR"

Lucky it was works and not my own!

 

[rescue]

 

[Jon]

Bloody hell thats some coin sitting on your roof rack. Looks good but I'm not sure why one needs this many lights. Each to their own I guess. Are they L.E.D. worklights on the back? Did you put so many on the back because they don't work that well? Not trying to sound like a smart arse I'm genuinely interested in hearing how much light that one light will put out because I like the idea of low current draw from L.E.D. but if I need 4 to get decent light I will just put a halogen on instead.

 

[rescue]

The 2 outer are LED work lights the inners are amber warning lights. I'm in the business supplying warning lights and sirens are well as the Rhino racks so its part toy part demo car...

 

[Jason]

Stuff the third battery do what Nissan should have done for us in the first place and convert to 24 volt, it would make so many other things easier, and provide something else most Nissan dealers wouldn't understand.

Errr no thanks.

Nice setup rescue, I'm guessing being in the game has it's advantages ha ha.

 

[Old.Tony]

Rescue, would you know what the total current draw of your lights would be? As in, turn off the vehicle ignition, place an ammeter between the positive pole of the battery and its terminal clamp, turn on the ignition (but do not start the motor) and fire up all the lights?

I'm expecting much higher current than the normal ammeter can show, and certainly well above the 10A that even the majority available in Jaycar are fused at. This would require a special automotive one, but it'd give people some food for thought for just how hungry those things can be.

 

[Aido]

Ok then.

I have ordered 2 of those bar mounts from Prestige to see how they go. Will be shopping around in various auto parts stores over the next few days / week for best price on some decent spreads to mount to the top bar angled outwards - 15-30 degrees give or take.

Thanks for input so far but in response to some replies
1. Hands up who saw a Victorian Police vehicle on the highways and byways today actively engaged in policing errant behaviour, let alone an old school TOG'y that would actually know and understand the rule book enough to put they're balls on the line to issue a defect on lights mounted in a manner that contravenes current road law?
2. Amperage - valid point. Standard vehicle lights on H beam plus 4 100w driving lights + 2 55w side lights used intermittently would be possible - my donkey cart is the one that comes with 2 batteries and so they should cope with a slight drain over a short period.

Rescue. Given the circumstance and situation I have described what would you recommend and do you want to quote for same?

 

[Aido]

What Vic roads has to say about bullbars
Bullbars : VicRoads
Mine is compliant

Got some reading to do here though
http://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/NR/rdonlyres/99931A9A-6DD7-4CDA-8C84-92B6622B47E4/0/VSI10.pdf
Get back to ya'snext week when I have read and understood it all

 

[53ANO]

rescue i want ur setup, roughly how much to get it all setup ???

 

[Jon]

Back in the day when I owned a Suzuki Sierra (wish I still had it) I had a total of 6 Driving lights. 2 in the normal position and 4 bolted onto the bonnet rally car style. Never got pulled over in 3 years of driving. Also had no doors either and still didn't get pulled over. I wouldn't concern yourself too much about legalities most of the boys in blue don't have a clue. Got pulled over on Bribie Island a few years ago in my Maverick with 35's on and they looked over the car for defects and just said "yeah mate plenty of tread left on your tyres it all looks good, have a good weekend" I don't purposely go out to break the rules but honestly the coppers have generally got better things to do than fine you for having spotties in the wrong place. Its just my 2 cents and I'm on my 5th scotch anyway so whatever.

 

[Old.Tony]

I think Jon makes a good point about the police, but that's not what ensuring roadworthiness is all about, really.

If your vehicle is NOT roadworthy and you are involved in a motor traffic incident (regardless of whose fault it is) then the insurance mobs have an escape clause. Check the fine print on any policy - it will say that the vehicle must be roadworthy. The broker can say what they want, but when the assessor gets involved, that's the guy who will be looking for things in this order:

1) Can the insurance company get out of paying on this claim?
2) Can the insurance company blame someone else for this and get THEM to pay?
3) Can the vehicle be fixed or repaired cheaply?

Just an observation on that last point - smash repairers that advertise "We Do Insurance Work" or "XYZ Insurer Preferred Repairer" means they're the guys that undercut - and probably do cheap jobs - so maybe they're the ones to stay away from if you want a good job done.

 

[ants_oz]

While Jon may have a point about police roadside inspection, and Tony may have a point about insurance claims, where it all falls down is if you are unfortunate to be involved in an incident where your modifications (?) could be claimed to have contributed to the the incident. Then you could be up for CRIMINAL charges. Sure, your insurance may be voided. Sure, you may get a canary on your windscreen for having an unroadworthy vehicle. But all that will seem pretty minor if you end up in the big house because you happened to kill some poor soul (even accidentally) and you were found guilty of KNOWINGLY driving a vehicle with serious roadworthy defects that could endanger other road users - such as, for example, lights mounted on the bonnet that could impale a pedestrian...

What it comes down to is this....will the "she'll be right" attitude be worth it then? Is it REALLY worth taking the chance of going to jail or ending up with a criminal record?

Each of us has a choice - either make sure our vehicles are roadworthy and legal, or don't take them on the public roads.

 

[rescue]

The simple and best solution is to advise your insurance company of all the non standard modifications (part of the policy requirements anyway) and photograph the lot and provide them with a copy.....saves a lot of heartache at claim time

 

[Aido]

While Jon may have a point about police roadside inspection, and Tony may have a point about insurance claims, where it all falls down is if you are unfortunate to be involved in an incident where your modifications (?) could be claimed to have contributed to the the incident. Then you could be up for CRIMINAL charges. Sure, your insurance may be voided. Sure, you may get a canary on your windscreen for having an unroadworthy vehicle. But all that will seem pretty minor if you end up in the big house because you happened to kill some poor soul (even accidentally) and you were found guilty of KNOWINGLY driving a vehicle with serious roadworthy defects that could endanger other road users - such as, for example, lights mounted on the bonnet that could impale a pedestrian...

What it comes down to is this....will the "she'll be right" attitude be worth it then? Is it REALLY worth taking the chance of going to jail or ending up with a criminal record?

Each of us has a choice - either make sure our vehicles are roadworthy and legal, or don't take them on the public roads.

Whoa Big Fella!
I'm reading the rules I posted above from Vicroads and will comply with fittment but as for the 6 or more rule I can in no way see how that is going to kill maim or injure anybody.

Is anybody here working in the aircraft industry? If not does anybody know where I can a couple of boeing landing lights?

 

[KraftyPg]

Is anybody here working in the aircraft industry? If not does anybody know where I can a couple of boeing landing lights?

No but a mate has a set of Cessna lights he once had installed on his Barina, they work pretty good for turning night into day, or just frying eye balls of the guy in front of you.

 

[Aido]

Taken from here http://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/NR/rdonlyres/9E7FA63E-1708-4277-B60A-4EBDEC376AE8/0/VSI1web.pdf
Fittings such as driving light brackets or fishing rod holders must not protrude above or forward of the bullbar.

 

[KraftyPg]

Fittings such as driving light brackets or fishing rod holders must not protrude above or forward of the bullbar.

That's because fishing rod holders mounted in the middle of bullbars are so much more practical.

 

[Old.Tony]

For those that aren't aware, the legislation relating to bullbars came about because of the high rate of pedestrian injury when struck by large, forward-facing bullbars or bullbars with projections on their front or top. It's similar to the hood ornament argument - if you hit a pedestrian with a car that has a hood ornament, there's a good chance that they will be very badly injured, compared to an impact where there was no ornament. Fishing rod holders in particular can gouge out great big chunks of flesh and that's why these are illegal.

The move from the big forward-facing "K" bullbars to the lower swept-back design is also for pedestrian (and animal) safety. A pedestrian hit by a "K" bar is likely to have their back snapped among other injuries (like broken arms and legs). Statistics also showed (this is from the Victorian legislation that I was reading) that the "K" bars could do more damage at half the speed, compared to the swept-back design that allowed the pedestrian to fold around the front and land on the bonnet with their spine intact.

There are good reasons for the law, and if you were the one being bowled over by one of those unlimited-acceleration Toyotas, you'd be rather miffed with a broken spine and 4 of your ribs left behind in the guy's fishing holders.

 

[ants_oz]

Whoa Big Fella!
I'm reading the rules I posted above from Vicroads and will comply with fittment but as for the 6 or more rule I can in no way see how that is going to kill maim or injure anybody.

Is anybody here working in the aircraft industry? If not does anybody know where I can a couple of boeing landing lights?

Mate, as I said - each of us (in my humble opinion) has a choice - make sure our vehicles are roadworthy or don't take them on the roads.

Of course, that is my choice. It's up to everyone else to decide whether to make a similar choice or choose an alternate path. All I am trying to do is outline the possible consequences should a poor choice result in an ultimate tragedy.

I've seen too many events where someone has stood there looking on the wreckage of someone elses life....a look of horror on their face....and pretty much the only words they could mutter were "But I never meant for anything like this to happen"....or...."I was just mucking around".....or something to the effect.....regardless, if I had to charge that person with some pretty serious offence, then that's the way the law was applied - equally and fairly, to be judged by a court of competent jurisdiction.

I'm out of that game now (and gladly so) - all I'm trying to do mate is pass on some of those unfortunate lessons so that others here may not have to suffer the same horrible consequences that I have seen.

Out of interest - has anyone here seen what one of those bullbar mounted fishing rod holders will do to a pedestrian? I have. It isn't pretty. So anyone who thinks "She'll be right" to leave it installed between fishing trips might want to think again - that little bit of laziness might just land you with a manslaughter charge.

Some people may say that a bullbar will kill you equally dead - maybe so - but I've seen an example of where one of those fishing rod holders IMPALED the body.

Here endeth the lesson though, because I don't want to be accused of preaching to those who don't want to hear or aren't interested.