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tow truck light bar! i want one!


codymanche
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lights or no lights  

19 members have voted

  1. 1. lights or no lights

    • yes
      3
    • no
      9
    • too much for the truck
      4
    • hell yea do it
      3
    • this isn't legal is it
      0


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where can i find a light bar that tow trucks, construction, and dot use? i want one for the Comanche and mount it on the headache rack! think it would be cool. please reply with and info on where i can find one Ebay seems a little sketchy for me. Here's what I'm looking for....

 

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Well, were to start, as long as you keep it amber you should be ok, but YMMV and you may want to check your state laws first.

 

Ok, now for websites http://www.swps.com are just a couple of websites I can thing of off the top of my head, I'm sure there are a ton more out there. Also if you know of any local public safety outfitters around you they usually carry amber bars too.

 

FYI, my plans call for a whelen edge, just because I think the strobes look better on the older trucks. I'm doing my for accessory lights too, I'm going to have rear facing white lights in the bar to use as cargo lights.

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I find myself helping out folks stuck or stranded on the side of the road. It is risky to help due to other idiotic drivers. I plan on installing a strobe system, tucked in the front turn signal housing and the rear tail light housing. ;) The strobes would be inconspicuous and are far more visible than the stock flashers.

 

Keep the pointless, oversized tow truck lights off your truck (my opinion).

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Yea I like the led flat bar just cuz it won't be huge looking on the top. Where can I find out about the lights? I do know that red and blue are emergency vehicles only so I haven't choice but amber. That's fine with me. I only help fellow Jeepers we are a lot cooler with each other! I also got to find out about Cali laws too even tho I got as plates. Anyone know?

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check with the state... recovering people from ditches is illegal in wisconsin. usually the police won't hassle you, unless your recovery vehicle looks like some jacked up high school kid's vehicle, or if there is private property or utility damage. if you're putting one on, make sure it's tasteful, and make sure you use NO rescue colors on it.

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In Ohio it is illegal as well, unless you are a licensed and insured tow truck operator.

 

What got me was the one time I was in a ditch I was on the phone with AAA and three people stopped offering to pull me out for $20 or $30. Why on earth would I pay some uninsured yahoo to get my vehicle out of a ditch when I can get an insured tow truck to do it for free (AAA would pay for it)?

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Mini light bars may help in keeping the wind resistance down and be smaller profile for low-hanging branches on a jacked up rig.

 

Most of these can be had in Amber: http://www.galls.com/search?searchaction=1&category=Mini+Lightbars&path=All+Products%2f%2f%2f%2fUserSearch%3dVenture_id%3d503185%2f%2f%2f%2fVehicle+Lighting+%26+Equipment

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Wow. Citizen helping citizen is certainly not illegal in Kansas. I have been assisted and thanked by several Kansas state troopers and local LEOs alike when assisting another motorist. It is one less headache for them to deal with right after a storm. I never ask for money but will take it if offered. I only request that the person I helped take the time and do the same someday.

 

One late night (1 am) I was headed back to my apartment in Vail, CO (lived there for a year) on the back country roads, coming from Garden City, KS. I came across a family of 4 trying to shovel their Highlander out of a road side snow bank, with skis. I offered to pull 'em out and did so. They thanked me since nobody else had stopped in the 4 hours they were stuck and had no cell phone coverage. I can't believe some states actually make helping a crime. I don't get it.

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Mini light bars may help in keeping the wind resistance down and be smaller profile for low-hanging branches on a jacked up rig.

 

Yup, go with the smaller low profile LED light bars. Less drain and very bright and they come in all sorts of sizes. I was going to put one on my truck back when I was a volunteer firefighter. I think they look good when tasteful, but you might just want to go for something dash mounted or discretely tucked in the grill somewhere.

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I have a stash of strobes that law enforcement use. I got em when I use to be a mechanic at a cab company. we got all of our cars from auction. retired law enforcement, government, state, etc. All crown vics. I discovered they never removed the strobes in the tail and side marker lights. They just cut the wires. Something to think about anyway if ya want good quality strobes. All ya need is a control box which are easy enough to find.

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I asked a couple officers around here in the state of ca they say I can as long as it green yellow or white I'm fine. But since the truck is as registered in az . I need to find out for az! Like I said its for $#!&s and giggles and for offlroad use and emergency only.

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  • 10 months later...

Wow. Citizen helping citizen is certainly not illegal in Kansas. I have been assisted and thanked by several Kansas state troopers and local LEOs alike when assisting another motorist. It is one less headache for them to deal with right after a storm. I never ask for money but will take it if offered. I only request that the person I helped take the time and do the same someday.

 

One late night (1 am) I was headed back to my apartment in Vail, CO (lived there for a year) on the back country roads, coming from Garden City, KS. I came across a family of 4 trying to shovel their Highlander out of a road side snow bank, with skis. I offered to pull 'em out and did so. They thanked me since nobody else had stopped in the 4 hours they were stuck and had no cell phone coverage. I can't believe some states actually make helping a crime. I don't get it.

 

Its not an issue of helping someone or not.... Gyspy/Wildcat towing isn't illegal because of not wanting to help someone. Its illegal because of the myriad of issues involved with the towing or the responsibilities associated with legal towing. Pat and Marcel talk a bit about them. But consider this.... you happen upon someone stuck in a ditch.... you help them out and get them on the road. Turns out they are drunker than all get out... they hit a bus load of nuns coming back from bingo night and kill the entire busload. You might now be an accessory in vehicular homicide. Or how about you jerk someone out of a ditch... something breaks sending a piece of your truck through the back window of the car killing an occupant. How would you feel??? The laws are also in place to keep legal truck drivers from losing work to Gypsies who sit and listen to the scanner than race out to a call hoping to steal it from the dispatched company.

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This is really two issues.

 

1. If you want a light bar on your truck and it's legal - do it! It is, after all, your truck.

 

2. If you are willing to assume the potential liability in pulling someone out of a ditch, hook 'em up!

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I always help out someone stuck. If its illegal, sh*t i don't really care. Too many unreasonable laws anyways. I live in CA, the worst of all states politically, but I live in a small mountain town and if you pass someone in need it just feels wrong. I say tow 'em out!

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