Headlight Options for 5 3/4 headlights? Driving Lights?

[scanzel]

I have two small rectangular lights on each side on the front of my bus, anybody know of some brighter ones.

[NewbeeMC9]

Here's the holders:

For round

http://www.slickcar.com/productdetails.asp?ProductID=1028


For square

http://www.slickcar.com/productdetails.asp?ProductID=1028

then you have to get the HID bulb kit to go in the holders


I don't know about this company, just googled for what was out there.

[rv_safetyman]

Lots of good input here.

RJ.  Your post got me to doing some more searching.  Cibie certainly has the best reputation.  It is interesting to note that there are two Cibie technologies out there.  Your posts point towards the HSR technology (~$80).  The Daniel Stern site talks about the CSR technology (~$111).  He also carries what I think are the HSR.  He really talks up the CSR technology and shows some testing to support his claims. 

The reading I did suggested that the other name brands are inferior to the Cibie.  Further, the knock offs seem to be a distant 3rd place.

Newbee, those headlights seem to be USA reflector technology (SAE) as opposed to the much better European reflector technology.  I really want the better reflector technology.  When I looked at the Crystal headlights (first post) it looked to me to be the European technology.  However, I can't find any specifications or user testimonies.

I guess I will have to save my money and pay the price (after I get the engine in again )

Jim

[Len Silva]

Yeah, that's it.  Engine first, then headlights, you got it.

[NewbeeMC9]

Hey Jim,

Here is a holder with a different reflector,

http://www.slickcar.com/productdetails.asp?ProductID=6401


Once you change out the holder, you can use the halogen H4 bulbs or the HID systems.  The HID systems are what some people are using on their fancy sports cars.  They use starters and ballast but have no filaments to break and don't get as hot.

[NJT 5573]

John,

The Aircraft lights don't just shine a second in front of me they shine 10 miles ahead of me. That's not a second in front of me, it's 5 or 6 minutes (This is a blog about lights). If you have never had a 100+ MPH truck and logged 5 million miles, there ain't no reason for me to try to explain anything to you, this really is not for you, its something you would need to live everyday to become skillful doing and not everyone is an outright fool for speed anyway.

Nascar has had some real fast trucks over the years. Junior Johnson had trucks that should have required pilots licenses to drive. So did Robert Yates in the 1980's. Some of those guys can still cover alot of ground in a day.

I would never and did not recommend anyone else try to drive like I do. I know the roads pretty well, I don't do anything I have not done for many years. I have confidence in my driving skills from repetition. I don't get in over my head ever.  My equipment right down to the last tire is first class or I will be in the shop getting it first class.

There is a lot here about getting the tires just right, pressure this and trick that, but when you road test a Bridgestone at 100 MPH+ day after day with 80,000 lbs for years, its hard to talk me into another tire or changing the pressure to match each load. The good stuff takes care of you, not the other way around. 

There are few over the road truckers out there who don't worship real fast trucks and 100MPH ain't real fast now a days. Even in the old days those 08 Cats would really get it done, 130 MPH was not out of reality. What do you think Owner Drivers are doing with those 800-1000 HP engines Pittsburgh Diesel is putting out of their shop? Before computers, there were some pretty fast buses on the road as well. They didn't call them Silver Bullets because they were dogs and I have had a few of them pass me like I was parked.

You obviously can't drive 90 MPH around the cities of this country, but it really is a big wide open country with lots of lonely interstate miles where traffic can be almost non existent, especially late at night. After 40 years, you almost know all of Smokey's tricks, his hours, his habits, where and when he eats and his hiding spots. If you have played this game all your life, its not hard to feel safe and secure driving 90 on the open road in the middle of the night with good lights.

Take your fastest ride about 25 miles out of town on the Interstate, most any night, wait for one of the big boys to come around you, and see what they are running out in the wide open freeways. Keep in mind, they won't turn it lose until they are sure you aren't the local tax man, but there are still alot of trucks out there that will cross a 400 mile wide state every 4 hours all night long if the coast is clear!

My old Eagle 05 really drove out nice at 90MPH. The problem with the 90 MPH sweet spot was that my wife also drove it 90MPH everywhere we went and that used to bother me a little, but she always brought it home. Sometimes she was just a little hard to sleep behind though...

The nice thing about the Austin/Aircraft light is they are small and inexpensive. They mount easily, and don't look obvious like the larger offroad lights, but they sure take darkness out of the driving equation. If you really want daylight, give the 13V 250 watt or the 600 watt 28V a try, let me know how that works for you!

[buswarrior]

Thank you, both John and NJT.

Sometimes God is looking out for me.

More often, He is looking out for the others.

I am very sure to regularly thank Him for the second, and pray He continues His vigilance.

Safety in numbers?

happy coaching!
buswarrior

[belfert]

I don't see too many, if any, truck drivers doing 90+ MPH these days.  We drive at 65 MPH along I80 from Des Moines to Reno and don't get passed by a whole lot of trucks even overnight.  I suspect the high price of diesel is slowing them down a bit.  The speed limit is 75 MPH most of the way and a lot of the trucks aren't even going that fast.

To get back on topic, I have regular old fog/auxiliary lights on my bus.  They are Peterson brand.  They aren't aircraft landing lights, but they won't blind someone in the next county either.  I'm pretty happy with the headlights on my bus.  They are just plain 6x4 rectangular halogen headlights with seperate high and low beams.

[Len Silva]

John,

We seem to find a lot to agree upon lately.

[John316]

John,

We seem to find a lot to agree upon lately.

How nice .

I am glad that safety is a big deal for others too.

God bless,

John

[NJT 5573]

Hi everyone.

John wants an answer from me so bad he sent me a personal Email request that  I respond. Everyone has different experiences in life. I have regularily and truthfully shared mine on this board. I could poo poo the ballsy experiences I have had in the transportation industry, but why??? I have had a lot of fun in this old life and will continue to politely discuss those experiences on this board.

I am pretty thick skinned so I don't mind John's rant, hell he is probably right, although I don't know that what I do in the middle of the night when I'm all alone out in the middle of nowhere in this big country should matter to him! When you build your own trucks and pay your own fuel though it's hard not to go a little outside the box. All the Texas bull haulers sure do..

Obviously John has an agenda here, not related to "spotlights", (this is a blog about spotlights), hopefully he now feels better about himself.

Guess I better not tell the story about the load of Ice Cream I ran into Edmonton this summer in the heat...Well, maybe some other time!!! 

[JackConrad]

I rarely post on this type of thread, but I have to add my thoughts on this. My concern is not how fast you can drive, it is how fast you can STOP.  If you increase your speed from 65 to 90 (or faster), can you terll me how much your stopping distance increases?  I can guarantee you it it drastically increased.  I hope I am not on the road near any driver that is driving a vehicle as heavy as our coaches that is trying to set a land speed record.  Jack

[luvrbus]

WOW guys from dim headlights to 100 mph buses to 130 mph trucks what did I miss here.
Jim I hope you got the answer somewhere in between because I am lost, wonder what a newbee would think using the search feature here for this topic



good luck

[NJT 5573]

I'm fond of Texas. On certain freeways, at 90 MPH in your coach, your only running 10 MPH over the limit... Texas has a policy they like to post about excesses related to fuel consumption (I LOVE FUEL CONSUMPTION) and attempts by big government to control Texans as well as everyone else.

It goes like this, "Texas is not responsible for drivers who choose to consume their wealth"...

I don't think Texas has ever enjoyed big government, or whiners, telling them how to live their lives. Maybe that's why they say, Don't Mess with Texas!

[mccarlk]

Well I'm not really a newbee but i will say I'm very disappointed, guy asks about lights and personal issues arise, send PMS and leave the thread for what it was asked for, cant we all play nice in this very big sandbox???