To chicken light, or not

Discussion in 'Experienced Truckers' Advice' started by Gumper, Jan 18, 2020.

Opinions on the extra truck lights

  1. Keep what’s left of the glorious lights

    9 vote(s)
    10.1%
  2. Take all of it off, go bare minimum

    24 vote(s)
    27.0%
  3. Add more like it’s Christmas

    56 vote(s)
    62.9%
  1. AModelCat

    AModelCat Road Train Member

    27,626
    144,548
    Jul 7, 2015
    Canuckistan
    0
    I posted a picture of the wiring I hacked out of my cab's dash a while ago. Suprised the truck never burnt to the ground. Good thing its a 40 year old truck and it can be rewired completely in a matter of a few days.
     
    Bean Jr., MACK E-6 and kylefitzy Thank this.
  2. Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.

  3. JPenn

    JPenn Road Train Member

    1,828
    1,868
    Mar 5, 2008
    Northern Tier PA
    0
    If I were wiring up chicken lights (and I will, once I get something to hang them on), they're going to be run off their own dedicated fuse panel, completely independent of any other wiring circuits. Switched accordingly as well, so OEM switches = OEM lighting, and chicken switch = SUNSHINE BABY! Sometimes incognito at night is useful...

    So, to answer OP's question... light 'er up!
     
  4. kylefitzy

    kylefitzy Road Train Member

    3,963
    16,352
    Aug 12, 2007
    Kansas city,Mo
    0
    That was my plan to, even went as far as buying the fuse panel and planing out how everything would be wired. Then the new truck showed up with 4 spare switches and 10 unused circuits on the factory fuse panel. Makes it pretty easy to hook things up and look factory.
     
    Cabinover101 and Long FLD Thank this.
  5. Dave_in_AZ

    Dave_in_AZ Road Train Member

    49,327
    310,806
    May 4, 2015
    0
    If you were pulling a refer, and it's a 900, then I'd have to say you need to rival the mother ship from Close Encounters.
     
    D.Tibbitt Thanks this.
  6. Gumper

    Gumper Road Train Member

    1,475
    3,201
    Jan 7, 2018
    Butte, MT
    0
    I prefer stealth mode with my open deck
     
  7. spyder7723

    spyder7723 Road Train Member

    15,442
    24,743
    Mar 31, 2013
    sarasota, fl
    0
    Many years ago you could get a ticket for a chicken light out, I sure got my fair share of them in Tennessee and Virginia. But that was changed a long time ago.
     
    Lonesome and 201 Thank this.
  8. MrEd

    MrEd Road Train Member

    2,196
    2,834
    Sep 2, 2011
    Winfred, SD
    0
    I've always been told that too. And have had a number of arguments here on TTR about it. I just try to keep them all working and go from there. Makes more sense than worrying about what DOT officer will or won't write it up. It also makes more sense to fix it than to argue about it.
     
    201, Deere hunter and Bean Jr. Thank this.
  9. Bean Jr.

    Bean Jr. Road Train Member

    5,336
    9,352
    Mar 30, 2014
    0
    The only people I run into are poorly educated techs at the truckstop who say "it's got to work." A one word answer "no" is clear enough to me!
     
    kylefitzy Thanks this.
  10. Dave_in_AZ

    Dave_in_AZ Road Train Member

    49,327
    310,806
    May 4, 2015
    0
    Arizona if there's a light on the truck it has to work.
     
  11. Snow Monster

    Snow Monster Medium Load Member

    543
    1,296
    Feb 9, 2019
    0
    The less junk you hang on your truck, the less problems you will have.
    It's also easier to get lost in the crowd if need be.

    Knew a trucker that was obsessed with lights, had a couple hundred on the truck, kept burning out alternators and kept replacing or rebuilding them, then added a second alternator to keep up with the lights, was seen on the side of road many times trying to fix shorts, replacing bulbs and changing alternators.

    He never did catch on, his lights were his top priority, the downtime and costs weren't even a thought or consideration.
    I'm surprised that truck never caught fire with all the shoddy wiring on it.
     
    Bean Jr. Thanks this.
  • Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.