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Old 04-08-2014, 09:47 PM   #1
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Doing a light check when alone?

Just curious how one would go about doing a light check on the trailer when towing solo? The headlight, turn signal, and 4 way flashers would be easy to check. But how would you check the brake lights without someone else pushing the pedal? Only way I can think to do that would be to wedge the pedal down with something, but surely someone has had to do something like this before.

Any ideas?
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Old 04-08-2014, 09:49 PM   #2
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I just put the hazard lights on. If they work, I'm good.
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Old 04-08-2014, 09:49 PM   #3
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Funny you bring this up. I remember driving into a big parking lot on a Sunday and circling so I could see all my lights reflecting in the big windows of the closed business. Worked for me.

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Old 04-08-2014, 09:56 PM   #4
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Brake lights work on the same wire and filiment as the turn signal indicators. So, I use the four way hazard emergency lights (I think I covered all the names).

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Old 04-08-2014, 09:57 PM   #5
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Watch the front of the trailer. If the TV brake light work and the trailer hazards work your golden. The brake and turn are the same wire on the trailer.
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Old 04-08-2014, 09:59 PM   #6
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Funny you bring this up. I remember driving into a big parking lot on a Sunday and circling so I could see all my lights reflecting in the big windows of the closed business. Worked for me.

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Never thought about checking them that way.

My personal thing about light checks - whether it's on an aircraft or vehicle,if they work when you check them,that doesn't mean they will work the next time.
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Old 04-08-2014, 10:05 PM   #7
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...if they work when you check them,that doesn't mean they will work the next time.
Kinda like all systems isn't it? Checked the brakes in the driveway, doesn't mean they'll work on the highway.
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Old 04-08-2014, 10:15 PM   #8
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Kinda like all systems isn't it? Checked the brakes in the driveway, doesn't mean they'll work on the highway.
True to a degree - you can always check your brakes when you're driving - doesn't mean they're going to work the next time.

It's kind of difficult to check your stop lights when driving - turn signals are a different story. Most vehicles I'm familiar with with give you a "fast" dashboard indication if a turn signal bulb is burnt out.
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Old 04-08-2014, 10:19 PM   #9
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Usually park in front of Garage door and can see all the lights in the mirrors. They all reflect off the door.
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Old 04-08-2014, 10:21 PM   #10
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True to a degree - you can always check your brakes when you're driving - doesn't mean they're going to work the next time.

It's kind of difficult to check your stop lights when driving - turn signals are a different story. Most vehicles I'm familiar with with give you a "fast" dashboard indication if a turn signal bulb is burnt out.
Haven't had a turn signal go fast for years when a bulb is bad, I guess you could put little mirrors on the back of the trailer to reflect forward if you're worried about it. TOWTA's old junker has two fiber optics just above the rear window to show the rear lights are working. Guess you could rig up something like Cadillac did back in 96 on the back of the trailer.

How do pilots know all the lights are working?
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Old 04-08-2014, 10:22 PM   #11
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Usually park in front of Garage door and can see all the lights in the mirrors. They all reflect off the door.
Even your brake lights and rear turn signals - assuming your vehicle is front facing the door?

And let's not forget the license plate light - having that inoperative is a stoppable reason.
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Old 04-08-2014, 10:25 PM   #12
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Even your brake lights and rear turn signals - assuming your vehicle is front facing the door?

And let's not forget the license plate light - having that inoperative is a stoppable reason.
Most trailers have the license plate illuminated by one of the taillights.
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Old 04-08-2014, 10:31 PM   #13
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Over the years, I've had various lights burn out and have never gotten a ticket from any police/state patrol. They have pulled me over a couple of times and told me, but never even issued a warning. It's not something you have control over while driving. I do check reflections both front and back while driving though.
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Old 04-08-2014, 10:35 PM   #14
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Haven't had a turn signal go fast for years when a bulb is bad, I guess you could put little mirrors on the back of the trailer to reflect forward if you're worried about it. TOWTA's old junker has two fiber optics just above the rear window to show the rear lights are working. Guess you could rig up something like Cadillac did back in 96 on the back of the trailer.

How do pilots know all the lights are working?
Not too worried about it - just a B47 thing. I've seen those fiber optics things before but not recently.

If an airplanes wing tip lights (red on left and green on right) or bottom/top rotating beacon bulbs or any other light he/she isn't required to verify is working is inoperative then he/she isn't responsible for it. Most airlines have a bulb check work card that's issued every so often for the maintenance toads to accomplish.

FYI - most airline pilots don't check lights or any other thing on the exterior of the aircraft - the first officer (co-pilot) does the ground inspection walk around. One of the being the pilot perks.
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Old 04-08-2014, 10:39 PM   #15
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Most trailers have the license plate illuminated by one of the taillights.
Don't know why you're talking just trailers - most modern cars have a separate license plate bulb.
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Old 04-08-2014, 10:39 PM   #16
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Not too worried about it - just a B47 thing. I've seen those fiber optics things before but not recently.

If an airplanes wing tip lights (red on left and green on right) or bottom/top rotating beacon bulbs or any other light he/she isn't required to verify is working is inoperative then he/she isn't responsible for it. Most airlines have a bulb check work card that's issued every so often for the maintenance toads to accomplish.

FYI - most airline pilots don't check lights or any other thing on the exterior of the aircraft - the first officer (co-pilot) does the ground inspection walk around. One of the being the pilot perks.
Same thing about airline ground checks, still doesn't mean they will work in the air regardless of who does the checking. You're getting paranoid in your old age B.
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Old 04-08-2014, 10:41 PM   #17
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Over the years, I've had various lights burn out and have never gotten a ticket from any police/state patrol. They have pulled me over a couple of times and told me, but never even issued a warning. It's not something you have control over while driving. I do check reflections both front and back while driving though.
My experience also - but I believe it's one of those "probable cause" things they can use if they want.
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Old 04-08-2014, 10:43 PM   #18
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Don't know why you're talking just trailers - most modern cars have a separate license plate bulb.
Most tow vehicles license plates are hidden by the trailer. I just don't worry about the small stuff. Leave it up to the state inspections and walk arounds occasionally. BTW, I replaced the trailer taillight assys with leds to minimize the burnout bulb problem.
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Old 04-08-2014, 10:44 PM   #19
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Same thing about airline ground checks, still doesn't mean they will work in the air regardless of who does the checking. You're getting paranoid in your old age B.
Isn't that what I said in my #6 post?

How come you always got to argue?
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Old 04-08-2014, 10:47 PM   #20
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My experience also - but I believe it's one of those "probable cause" things they can use if they want.
Have several law enforcement friends in Masonic Lodge and they will tell you they can follow any vehicle a couple of miles and pull them over for something or other should they choose to do so. They even say that about their own fellow officers. 99.9999% of them use common sense though.
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