Turn Siganls

[whitescrew77]

We just took a 2 week family trip through the south east and stayed 5 days at Walt Disney World. (Love Fort Wilderness) But one thing was sometimes difficult on the road, changing lanes. I have a 29 foot Keystone Bullet behind my truck and I use my turn signals of course, but it seems like other drivers had no idea I was going to switch lanes. They really couldn't see my turn signals very well I think.

I thought about it and I am going to add LED turn signal lights to the side of my camper. It isn't hard to do and fairly cheap to do it. The turn signal lights on the camper and truck are the same as the brake lights and I didn't want my new side turn signal lights to light up with the brakes. So I looked on amazon and bought a Tow Ready 118158 relay box to decipher the signals and make just the turn signal circuits for the left and right side without lighting when braking.

Has anyone else tried this idea, or am I all wet?

[GaryWT]

I just go with what is on the truck and trailer and have generally been fine. Why do you think they could not tell? Do you plan your lane changes? I look for a break in the traffic and then move over. If I know I need to be in another lane I sometimes do it 2-3 miles before if there is an opening. When it is busy, no one wants a trailer in front of them so very few will slow down to give you the room you need to move over. Sometimes you are stuck in a lane if no opening ever comes along.

2 weeks ago a state cop yelled at me because a construction zone had 3 lanes of stopped traffic and he was backing up towards me and I could not move over because there were cars next to me. There was nothing I could do and was forced to block the entire highway to get around his car.

It is not always easy. Additional lighting might not help but might not hurt either.

[Ken / Claudia]

Here's my input from working on metro freeways and hearing comments about trucks, RVs, or any large vehicle by the folks trying to get to work or home. The people who drive bigger vehicles know what your up against making lanes changes and stopping. That's not most of the drivers in metro areas. The MOST part is people who do not know or care to understand. Your vehicle is blocking their path, vision and slowing them down. They want to get around you. Yes, that's what they say. People who care and are paying attention see your taillights. Putting extra blinker lights on the sides of a RV may help, could not hurt. But, I doubt that those drivers who do not see or care about your taillights will not care or see the side blinkers either.

[sourdough]

x2 on what Ken said. Having just returned from a 3000+ mile round trip to FL from TX I can tell you for sure that that many, if not most, drivers don't even pay attention to what you're trying to tell them with your signals. I watch them when they are gaining on me, when they are passing me, when I am approaching them, etc. etc. I always keep my eye on the driver of the other vehicle. There are those that are just as observant as I am but most are involved with others in the vehicle, texting or talking on the phone. Driving, as they should be doing, is just a distraction to whatever else they think takes precedence at the time. You just have to pay very close attention and make decisions way in advance.

[whitescrew77]

Most of the time it is in a congested metro area where it seems to be worse, on the open road with just 2 lanes, I'm fine. However when I am trying to scoot over a lane and the road is 3 - 6 lanes wide, I want the guy 2 lanes over to know I am about to fill that hole in the lane when I move over. I am very careful and plan my moves accordingly. I do not want to rush a lane change if I can help it for sure. Also I think about the semi trucks. They have turn signals at the back of the trailer and the tractor. They also usually have one on the side of the tractor and one on the side of the trailer in the middle. Yes I know I don't drive a Peterbilt, but the length is in the neighborhood of a semi.

On the other hand, I am an electrician and just like lights.

[Ken / Claudia]

As I recall and not looking it up at this time. Comm. vehicles are not required to have the signals on the sides of the cab but, many do. The trailer needs them if over xx feet long. I think that is about 30ft but, not sure.
Let us know after a trip or two with them on the sides if it helps or not.

[Pull Toy]

My current TV has built in LED turn signals/markers on the Rear-view Mirror that are visible from the rear/side. It sometimes helps... at other times they see the blinker... and fill the GAP! They are what they are, and after 50 years of towing, I've learned to anticipate their stupidity! Read that "HADLEY's Bad Boys!

On my previous TVs I mounted "auxiliary" turn signals just below my rear view mirrors, on the rear edge of the front fender. From past experience, I've learned that if you mount them too far back, they blind you at night. By using the rear edge of the front fender, you can easily hide your wires as you tap into the FRONT turn signal wires. That way you don't have to deal with brake discriminators, and the added advantage of extra side signaling even while Bob-tailing.

Sorry, no pix still exist, but NAPA can set you up.