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Old 09-30-2015, 12:21 PM   #1
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where's my 3rd brake light?

I thought it was DOT mandatory that all vehicles have a third brake light, where's mine?
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Old 09-30-2015, 12:46 PM   #2
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I don't think commercial grade vehicles must have them. We have a Ford F450 and it does not.


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Old 09-30-2015, 12:48 PM   #3
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Going out on a limb after a Google search, passenger cars, light trucks, vans, and SUVs have to have them by law. Motorhomes and rvs don't (by law and definition), so I wager they aren't installed. Comes down to $$$. There are retro fit kits that can be cheaply installed.
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Old 09-30-2015, 12:58 PM   #4
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S5.1.1.27 (a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, each passenger car manufactured on or after September 1, 1985, and each multipurpose passenger vehicle, truck, and bus, whose overall width is less than 80 inches, whose GVWR is 10,000 pounds or less, manufactured on or after September 1, 1993, shall be equipped with a high-mounted stop lamp which:

(1) Shall have an effective projected luminous lens area not less than 2903 square mm. (41/2 square inches).

(2) Shall meet the visibility requirements specified in S5.3.2(c).

(3) Shall have the minimum photometric values in the amount and location listed in Figure 10.

(4) Need not meet the requirements of paragraphs 3.1.6 Moisture Test, 3.1.7 Dust Test, and 3.1.8 Corrosion Test of SAE Recommended Practice J186a, Supplemental High-Mounted Stop and Rear Turn Signal Lamps, September 1977, if it is mounted inside the vehicle.

(5) Shall provide access for convenient replacement of the bulb without the use of special tools.

(b) Each multipurpose passenger vehicle, truck and bus whose overall width is less than 80 inches, whose GVWR is 10,000 pounds or less, whose vertical centerline, when the vehicle is viewed from the rear, is not located on a fixed body panel but separates one or two movable body sections, such as doors, which lacks sufficient space to install a single high-mounted stop lamp on the centerline above such body sections, and which is manufactured on or after September 1, 1993, shall have two high-mounted stop lamps which:

(1) Are identical in size and shape and have an effective projected luminous lens area not less than 1452 square mm. (21/4 square inches) each.

(2) Shall meet the visibility requirements specified in S5.3.2(d).


(3) Together have the minimum photometric values specified in paragraph (a) (3) of this S5.1.1.27.


(4) Shall provide access for convenient replacement of the bulbs without special tools.
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Old 09-30-2015, 01:11 PM   #5
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If you can't see a big ass RV then the third brake light would not help either!!
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Old 09-30-2015, 02:20 PM   #6
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Sage, in my opinion, since they have been installed on vehicles for 30 years now, nobodys pays much attention to them unless one is burned out. Your LED brake lights will attract more attention. If you want more visibility installa Whelen TIR3 or LIN3 strobe at eye level on the brake circuit. Here is a video
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Old 09-30-2015, 02:32 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RubyDually View Post
... (1) Shall have an effective projected luminous lens area not less than 2903 square mm. (41/2 square inches)... (1) Are identical in size and shape and have an effective projected luminous lens area not less than 1452 square mm. (21/4 square inches) each...
Don't know who is doing your conversions, but 2903mm sq =114.29 in sq and 1452 mm sq= 57.17 in sq.
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Old 09-30-2015, 02:43 PM   #8
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Don't know who is doing your conversions, but 2903mm sq =114.29 in sq and 1452 mm sq= 57.17 in sq.
nope, 1452mm = 57.17 in,
but since it's square, you need to divide by 25.4 twice

(1452 / 25.4) / 25.4 = 2.25
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Old 09-30-2015, 02:49 PM   #9
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Originally Posted by leefl View Post
nope, 1452mm = 57.17 in,
but since it's square, you need to divide by 25.4 twice

(1452 / 25.4) / 25.4 = 2.25
My bad, you be correct!
CRS strikes again!
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Old 09-30-2015, 02:53 PM   #10
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My LED replacement tail lights from Bargman just came in today. But, I'm still thinking of adding a 3rd brake light (Bargman 54 series 16" long LED) on the back of the rig.
You can set it up to show running lights too but I contacted Bargman and they told me that it can just be hooked up for brake lights if you want.

Rather than just have the light come on and have people behind me ignore it, I'm going to add a brake light flasher unit to it. It flashes the 3rd brake light 6 times when you step on the brakes so you have the solid red brake lights on the outboard sides and the flashing light in the center. After 6 flashes it goes solid red like the regular lights. They have a couple models, the one I'm looking at stays solid rather than blinking again if you release the brakes and apply again within 8 seconds. That way in stop and go traffic the guy behind me won't have a seizure from watching the blinking lights.

Amazon has the light for $29 Bargman Series 54 LED and the flasher is $25 flashingbrakelights.com Smartstop Delay Version.

For $54 I think it's a cheap investment to protect my rear.
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Old 09-30-2015, 03:18 PM   #11
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Originally Posted by markangie24 View Post
If you can't see a big ass RV then the third brake light would not help either!!
X 2 Overall I think the idea was a bad one in the beginning thanks to Secretary Dole. Later RJD
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Old 09-30-2015, 04:13 PM   #12
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I'd expect a billion dollar company like Forest River would know that such a light was not required and that's why there wasn't one. Simple.
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Old 09-30-2015, 05:02 PM   #13
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My Class C Winnebago has one

The reason for my topic, was my 2004 Winnebago Minnie has the bar LED light right above the mounted spare tire. Just came back for a quick 2 hour run out to Bass Pro Shop and we never saw 1 RV with a 3rd brake light. So case closed. Thanks for all the responses.
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