| Author | Message | ||
| Malcolm
Rating: N/A |
We have a 1981 Prevost Le Mirage, We are looking to upgrade headlights to the single square style lights on the 1999, We know they are ford head lights and turn signals assemblys, Dose anyone know which model Ford truck they are from. Unfortunatly Prevost only have the gold plated versions avalible at this time, and are just out of our reach this week. Any help would be apreciated. | ||
| T. (Bluegrass)
Rating: N/A |
Malcolm The square ones are from a 79 Ford Truck | ||
| KC Jack Rating: N/A |
any particular 79 ford truck? thanks | ||
| T. (Bluegrass)
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1/2 Ton or 3/4/ Ton or F350 or F650 or F750 or F800 or F850 that I know about for sure anything bigger than the F850 I dont know anything about. Tony | ||
| Jon W. Rating: N/A |
I had a Prevost with the dual headlights and now have one with the big square ones. I wish I had the dual headlights. They were better. But I know that when the single big light came out there were Prevost drivers with money in their hands tripping all over themselves to get the latest and greatest. Several admitted to the error of their ways. | ||
| Malcolm
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Why are the dual headlights better? I don't understand there logic... | ||
| John MC9 Rating: N/A |
One burns out, you still have light... also better light dispersion. | ||
| Pat Bartlett (Muddog16)
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Malcolm have you checked with IBP to see what they have!..............Pat | ||
| RJ Long (Rjlong)
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Malcolm - Before you spend a gazillion bucks on square headlamps, might I suggest you spend about $250 or so to install a set of European-code Cibie halogen headlights? The E-code lamps have a very distinct and focused light pattern, one that sharply limits glare to oncoming drivers, yet throws a LOT of light down the highway for you. They use the same halogen bulbs as most current US headlights, the difference is in the precision optics of the lens. These lights are so good that on a dark country road, on low beam, they will illuminate a stop sign approximately 1/4 mile away, and on high beam, nearly 3/4 of a mile away. The US-spec lights don't even come close to this. They're also extremely easy to adjust - all you need is to be parked on a level surface 25 feet from a blank wall, and follow the directions that come in the box. Bulbs are available in either 12v or 24v, too. Check out http://www.cibieusa.com/ May be the best investment in SAFETY you'll ever do to your coach!! HTH, RJ PD4106-2784 Fresno CA | ||
| Tim Strommen (Tim_strommen)
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Agreed, I've been running cibie 6x8's on my Toyota for about 3 years now. It's amazing how people who would typically not care about heardlights comment on how much better they can see with mine (even as passengers). Better Vision = Less Driver Fatigue. They can be had by calling or emailing Aardvark International: Gunther Hansele 562 699-8887 tel. http://cibieusa.com Aardvark International Talbot & Co. / Cibie USA email: aardvark@sprintmail.com Cheers! -Tim | ||
| Johnny Rating: N/A |
Important point: Euros are, in many states, NOT road legal. | ||
| RJ Long (Rjlong)
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Johnny - You're absolutely correct. . . BUT: I've had them on my vehicles since the middle 1960s, and NEVER had a problem with any law enforcement agency regarding them. 99.9% chance even the states that do vehicle inspections wouldn't be able to discern E-Codes from US-codes anyway. YMMV, of course. | ||
| Johnny Rating: N/A |
Until you get in a wreck in the rain/snow/fog, and the clown that hit you gets a lawyer, who then claims your non-legal lights blinded him/he didn't see them. Then, your insurance carrier tells you, "Your vehicle wasn't road-legal. Sorry, but we will not cover you. Have a nice day." | ||
| Marc Bourget Rating: N/A |
Johnny, Your comment isn't completely accurate without more facts. Many lights are bright enough to destroy night vision and most drivers accomodate. Your statement also ignores the fact that these lights, while brighter when measured for peak brightness or lumens, concentrate the lights where it's needed, not scattering it as much into the eyes of oncoming drivers as experienced with current high beams off a SUV or pickup. There'd have to be evidence that they were impropewrly installed, aimed, etc., for the point you make to "come into play" Unless you had Danny DiVito for an attorney! LOL!!! | ||
| Dale Waller (Happycampersrus)
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Don't matter who installed, aimed, etc., if they are ILLEGAL for use in your state. The insurance company can refuse to pay out if your vehicle was operated with faulty equipment or ILLEGAL modifications. I seen it happen with a friends lifted 4X4 that mashed a small car. According to the investigating officer the 4X4 was lifted too high. His Insurance company refused so he paid the repair bill of the women's car. Dale | ||
| Donald Lee Schwanke (Dontx)
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I am no lawyer, but that just don't sound correct. I can find no disclaimer in MY insurance policy that invalidates the policy if there is an "illegal" modification, whatever that is. There is a BIG difference between a shoddy insurance company welching on the terms, and a binding legal right not to pay as adjudged by a judge or a court. Comments anybody? | ||
| Marc Bourget Rating: N/A |
Dale, Your point ignores the fact that the "illegal" item has to have some connection to the cause of the harm. If, for instance, there is a 24" bumper height requirement, jacking the body up so there isn't a bumper at 24" makes the damages worse. The insurance company, if it was your friend's fault, should have paid for some of the damages, or maybe they concluded there would have been none had the bumper been at the proper hieght. I think the term is called a "causal connection" the cause has to be connected to the damage suffered, otherwise, if a different cause, the insurance should have paid. They can't refuse to pay for 'bumper' damage just because of the headlights. Onward and Upward | ||
| Dale Waller (Happycampersrus)
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RJ, "99.9% chance even the states that do vehicle inspections wouldn't be able to discern E-Codes from US-codes anyway." State of Va. The state police monitor the vehicle inspections and occasionally set up stings to catch the inspection stations just running them through for the $$$. I have been an vehicle safety inspector for 9 years. We have a machine to check headlight alignment and strength, so when it reads over 100% it's kinda obvious. Then it's up to me whether I feel like fighting with the car owner. The big thing now is the "Blue look" HID halogens that all the kids want. Also they cry when you tell them that the clear tail light lenses from Ebay have to have a DOT approval or take them off. So If you want to use the Illegal High-Intensity bulbs, go ahead make it hard on the people that already have problems driving at night. Hope you don't get sued in the event of an accident | ||
| Dale Waller (Happycampersrus)
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Marc, I will rephrase my point. The point is if you blind me with those Illegal headlights and I crash. The first thing I will tell the police and my Lawyer is look at your headlights, because I believe they are ILLEGAL they were awlful bright. Then when your Insurance company finds YOU intentionally used those bulbs WHO do you think will be paying my bills??? If they pay I wouldn't count on a renewal. | ||
| Dale Waller (Happycampersrus)
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Don, I don't know about any disclaimer, but I do know State Farm told Barry that he made the modifications to make his vehicle illegal to operate. So they would not pay the claim. I'm sure if his 4X4 had been legal height they would have paid. You can't honestly believe that they are going to cover you 100%, If you are knowingly putting other folks in a dangerous situation by operating any vehicle that you KNOW is illegal or dangerous. Not to mention you are risking their money. | ||
| John MC9 Rating: N/A |
Man.... There's more urban myths built here, than bus conversions. An insurance company may deny you reimbursement for damages sustained to your -own vehicle-, if you had collision insurance and made severe and extreme modifications to the vehicle without notifying them. The company cannot deny a -liability- claim, for other than a reason of intent to do (criminal) harm/damage. Hell, even accidents caused by obvious driver negligence, running a red light, DWI, DUI, etc, are covered. | ||
| Dale Waller (Happycampersrus)
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John, I guess Barry just got taken for ride. pun intended. State Farm wouldn't pay to fix the girls car. I can give you his agents name if you want. They had him over a barrel I'm sure he could sue to get his $$$ money for her, but at a few hundred bucks it wouldn't be worth the trouble. I think the agent knew this and used it to keep from paying and I'm sure they would do it again. so yes I have seen it in action. No myth here | ||
| Donald Lee Schwanke (Dontx)
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That is the point Dale, even MY insurance company has tried to take me for a rede several times, but the state insurance commissioner sure turned their attitude around in a hurry. IF the person with the damage had sued for the damages, the insurance company has a contract to act for the insured. He may well have made the best decision to do what he did, I am sure his insurance company looks at it that way. Still seems strange that he would not just wait for the lawsuit (or lack of one when the insurance company got the claim). | ||
| Donald Lee Schwanke (Dontx)
Rating: N/A |
Oh, STATE FARM!! Once one of their policy holders backed into my car, two witnesses in the cafe watched it happen, made statements to the police, police gave him a ticket. State Farm refused to pay my claim, stating that it takes THREE witnesses for them to pay a claim. Yeah, with them coyotes I would believe anything!. | ||
| Dale Waller (Happycampersrus)
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Don, That's were I think the crooks get ya. Barry wanted to make things right with the girl so he paid. The agent used Barry's guilt in my opinion. Barry didn't want a confrontation so it cost him. He thinks kinda like I do on it, by the time you sue, get a lawyer, miss work you waste more money and time trying to get your claim paid it ain't worth it. I don't know when financially it becomes "worth it", But I will remember your trick about the state insurance commissioner. I will find someone to report them to if I'm in that position. If you report them to the Ins company nothing happens. He's saving them money. Seems like alot of this goes on that never gets fixed. Everytime I see an insurance commercial it's followed by a lawyer commercial. LOL. | ||
| Dale Waller (Happycampersrus)
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Hey John, I think Don, will back me on my point. State Farm doesn't make a good neighbor. | ||
| Tom Caffrey (Pvcces)
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Dale, I've noticed a number of people in the lower 48 complaining about tricks or poor behavior of State Farm adjusters, but they must go to a different school than the ones we have here. I've known of a bunch of cases in this little town that they have paid without objection or monkey business when I expected the insureds to have a problem. In my own case, when I broke my leg three years ago, I got a real shock on the medivac and hospital bills. There was some fumbling while they got it figured out, but of my total expenses of $65,000, including my wife's travel and lodging to Seattle, they paid over $60,000. This included $23,000 for the medivac, and was about $2,500 more than the most that I could figure out that they owed. I didn't have to get tough with them about it, either. They had an exclusion that could have given them excuse to deny the claim, but they just looked the whole situation over and paid the bills. Meanwhile, we insure everything that they will cover through them. By the way, thanks for that bit about the inspections. I was hoping that someone besides me took exception to those lights. For what it's worth. Tom Caffrey PD4106-2576 Suncatcher Ketchikan, Alaska | ||
| Donald Lee Schwanke (Dontx)
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Tom, everything I have noticed, means you are wise to have them. They cut their payouts by shady stuff, but that means lower premiums for you. When I had them for my own insurer, I had no complaints. Another thing, insurance companies all seem to have grown very tight with their money in the past few years, quite a turn around from older times. Another trick they were pulling down here is to cancel homeowner policies, ANYTIME a claim had to be paid, regardless of history of the insured. Most people just pay up, afraid to submit a claim even! | ||
| Marc Bourget Rating: N/A |
Dale, I agree with your re-phrased point. I'm not sure if you missed mine. I believe that some of the high intensity lights can be utilized without objectionable light levels in the eyes of other drivers. It's all in the reflector design. If a light is poorly designed and poorly aimed. I agree it's possible that it could contribute to the cause of an accident. and in such case, liability would arise. I still disagree with any interpretation that equipping a car with such lights is a defense to the Ins. Co's obligation to indemnify you for your negligence or a brake failure. If that was what you meant to say. | ||
| John MC9 Rating: N/A |
"State Farm refused to pay my claim, stating that it takes THREE witnesses for them to pay a claim. " And then -your- attorney told you what? I hate insurance companies (there, I said it)..And I'm fully aware what they'll say in their effort to get out of paying, but that does not mean that they do not have to pay, or that you should accept their words as a finale'. More importantly (and that's where I came in), the myths regarding "improper headlamps", or any other device causing your (or another's) insurance company to deny a liability claim, is a total myth. The company has a legal obligation to protect you against loss if an accident occurs. That's what your contract with them is for; that's why you pay them the premiums they charge! Using "Euro" Headlights is not going to cause you to lose your home and/or business, if you have an accident in the vehicle that has them installed. If -you- hit someone, it may a matter in the proof of guilt. If someone hits you? They're at fault, period. Even if your headlights were off. | ||
| RJ Long (Rjlong)
Rating: N/A |
Dale - I certainly agree with you regarding those eBay and other sourced clear lights, especially when they use a white bulb for the rear turn signals. I chuckle when I see a CHP pull one over. . . The Cibie headlamps I'm talking about look just like either the 5" or 7" round or rectangular US lamps, and, in fact, use the same stock Quartz-Iodine bulbs as their US counterparts. You know, the ones you can buy at WalMart or NAPA. They are NOT brighter than US-spec lamps, the difference is in the way the optics of the lens and reflector dispurse the light. US-spec light output is very haphazard, and I doubt that anyone would disagree with me on that point. E-code lamps, OTOH, have a very focused output, much like the new projector lights MCI's using on their equipment. Let me re-emphasize again that E-code lights are NOT brighter, it's just that they're more focused, and, when adjusted properly, virtually eliminate glare to oncoming traffic. This is hard to believe until you've actually experienced them yourself. TTBOMK, originally they were not legal for highway use because they used the separate bulb, but that's a moot point nowdays, EVERYONE's using separate bulbs in their headlights (except maybe the Xenon units). Then they were supposedly not legal because they didn't have the three "pips" on the lens that the now-ancient suction-cup headlight aimers rested against when checking alignment. That too, is now a moot point - no "pips" anymore, either. So, other than the light pattern, the only reason I think they're supposedly illegal nowdays is that the sales volume doesn't warrant the importer going thru the expen$e of having them "blessed" by NHTSA, which is probably the case. And it's too bad, too. The E-codes really are that much better. . . BTW, in your job as a vehicle inspector, have you ever actually run across someone who's had a set of Cibies, Marchals or Hella E-code headlights installed? I'm not talking about additional fog or driving lights, just headlights. ********** Johnny - Thanks for your input, too. Being a guy who pilots a hook on a regular basis, you've seen it all, especially those caused by the weather in your neck of the woods. I'll take my chances and keep my E-codes. They've served me well for forty years, so far. . . ********** Getting back to Malcom's original quandry, I still think that spending the $$ for a set of E-codes first, since they'll install as easily as replacing a regular headlight, will be a much better investment in SAFETY. Try them out, drive with them for six months to a year, then decide. In the meantime, save your money for the conversion to the Ford's. . . but my guess would be that you'll prefer the E-codes and will use the $$ for something else on your coach. FWIW & YMMV, (I'll get down off my soapbox now. . .  ) RJ PD4106-2784 Fresno CA | ||
| Dale Waller (Happycampersrus)
Rating: N/A |
Rj, I have to apologise. We are speaking of 2 different lights the ones you like would be a good replacement. The ones I am talking about are the Xenon like you can get for off road equipment. They come in different wattage ranges. Those things are too bright. Stock bulb limits in VA are 65w/55w high low beam, but the Xenon will peg the bulb condition gauge. I'm not sure of the wattage. I have seen the Cibies in an early model VW bug that has the large headlights. I WOULD use them. Marc, I believe we are on the same page. LOL. But seems like the State Farm agent didn't want to keep his end of the deal so he used any excuse he could to get out of paying. I beleive I have it now. Tom, FWIW I'm insured through them also.(Different Agent) They give us good rates. I all for saving the endangered greenbacks. STAY WARM up there. Dale | ||
| Donald Lee Schwanke (Dontx)
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I suppose someone could be critical of my own light setup. Sure can see the road well with the addition of 6 Perlux Lamps to the four halogens.  | ||
| RJ Long (Rjlong)
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Don - Didn't you have to add another alternator to power all that wattage?? ROFLMAO Seriously, because the PerLux units are considered "driving" or "fog" lamps, they fall under the auxiliary lighting statutes, which, IIRC, are different than the headlamp regs. OTOH, if you'd installed six Cibie "Super Oscars", me thinks somebody would complain - they only draw 100 watts each, you know. LOL ********** Dale - Thanks for the clarification. But your comments raise another question: How does VA handle a Seven Series BMW that comes stock with NHTSA/DOT-approved Xenon headlamps? http://www.bmwusa.com/vehicles/7/750liSedan/features.htm Back to the morning paper. . . RJ | ||
| Donald Lee Schwanke (Dontx)
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For us Texans, this setup allowed me to pick out and cook my road kill before I even hit it! You may recall RJ, I did have 5 alternators on that bus. | ||
| Dale Waller (Happycampersrus)
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RJ, HA HA, Funny I live in the sticks we have a hard spelling BMW let alone ever gonna see anything like that. But seriously if we have a question on factory installed equipment The Va. State Police want you to call a dealer to see if it's factory installed or contact the Officer that issues the Safety Inspection license. Then I believe he calls a dealer to ask about factory equipment and then gets back with you. It's easier and faster if we call. Don't want a pissed BMW owner waiting on a sticker. Bad grease monkey, NO tip. Our biggest problems is the kids doing there own modifications, Then you put a reject sticker on their junk and then they whine and cry. Kinda fun though! Dale | ||
| Dale Waller (Happycampersrus)
Rating: N/A |
Don, I can hear it now. Officer the last thing I seen before the crash was a Space Ship towing a Saturn. Dale |