Convoy lights on M109?

[airbornebandsman]

Currently have convoy lights installed on my M35A2. I will be scrapping it next year and may be purchasing an M109. The question I have is has anybody mounted convoy lights on their M109? It doesn't look like they will fit between the cab and van body.

Thanks,

 

[Ferroequinologist]

i just have to ask, why scrap the M35?

My wife want's convoy lights on her M109 as well. I've seen Antenna mounts bolted to the front of the box, and lights put on them. Or I put one convoy light and pole in the gun ring leg holder by the exhaust stack for awhile, worked well there.

The biggest reason to have them (in my mind) is so that people behind you have some warning that you are a big slow moving vehicle.

Having done many convoys, it is REALLY nice to have a convoy light equipped truck in the front and rear. The rear guys can see how far ahead the lead vehicle is, and the lead vehicle and all those behind can see how far back Neil, er, the last vehicle has fallen.

 

[ratat98]

If you really want to scrap your deuce, I know someone who will gladly take all those unwanted, completely useless, and unsellable parts off of it! . As for convoy lights, I'm just another useless entity to this thread...

 

[1stSarge]

As the lights were meant to be seen mainly from behind, you are talking about mounting them higher than the box ?

I would be afraid that it would be really cutting it close on those low underpasses.

 

[Darwin T]

if you are running 9.00x20's on a M109a3 you hight should be right at 11'. check and see what the max height is in your state. if you mount them below the box you should have 200+ degrees of visability. just run in the front of the convoy . you could put them on teloscopic poles that you could raise when you need them. i am working on putting a M-66 machine gun ring on my M109a3. if you want it put it on.

 

[SCSG-G4]

Best bet to be seen behind is to mount it on the door of the 109, directly above the handle, on a short mast so the top is below the top of the van part. Mounted there, it will also not hit the end when opened. Use something like a sugar scoop as a base to get it out a bit. Your choice as whether to drill through the door or run the wire outside.

 

[airbornebandsman]

i just have to ask, why scrap the M35?

My wife want's convoy lights on her M109 as well. I've seen Antenna mounts bolted to the front of the box, and lights put on them. Or I put one convoy light and pole in the gun ring leg holder by the exhaust stack for awhile, worked well there.

The biggest reason to have them (in my mind) is so that people behind you have some warning that you are a big slow moving vehicle.

Having done many convoys, it is REALLY nice to have a convoy light equipped truck in the front and rear. The rear guys can see how far ahead the lead vehicle is, and the lead vehicle and all those behind can see how far back Neil, er, the last vehicle has fallen.

The M35 has had a good run but needs the engine rebuilt, the 2 rear diffs rebuilt and the brake lines replaced. So at this point it is cheaper to replace the truck and keep the spare parts and have a spare engine. I was looking at putting 1 light by the stack and one at the rear of the box.

As the lights were meant to be seen mainly from behind, you are talking about mounting them higher than the box ?

I would be afraid that it would be really cutting it close on those low underpasses.

At this point the plan is to mount 1 by the exhaust stack and one on the dr. sd. rear of the truck on a scoop ant. mount I have on my M35.

[

 

[RavenTBK]

Not sure if it was a member or not, but four days ago I saw an older couple at my local Flying J truck stop parked in the RV lanes in an M109A3 at about 330am. The truck had a homebuilt hitch, and a more or less homebuilt pup trailer that sported a pickup truck sized drop-in camper, with mil tail lamps, and painted OD... pretty spiffy setup. As I was busy pumping fuel, they fired up, which is what caught my attention.... you always know the sound of a multifuel. Anywho, they popped on their lights...including a yellow rotating bubble up top, and pulled off before I could walk over there to say hi.

Basically, my reason for sharing all these useless details is yes, it is possible to put a convoy light on the 109A3. Granted, they only had one on this particular truck, but it was mounted behind the cab, drivers side, in front of the box. The platform where the light was mounted, was at the same height as the box, so the lamp itself was the only thing extending above the box. Granted, you'd lose sight of it behind the truck if you got too close, but hopefully by then the car driver would realize the 15,000 pound monstrosity in front of them was only doing 50 instead of 85 like everybody else.

If you encounter low branches on a regular basis, I'd like the telescoping idea myself. I know I'd end up ripping them off within the first week.

.rTBK

 

[SGTStewart]

Have you looked into low profile strobes? I know they make 24 volt ones. They could be mounted front and back like on hiway maintenance trucks.

 

[SGTStewart]

LED Warning Lights / LED Beacons

 

[DUG]

The convoy lights are on adjustable poles, I would think in the highest setting they would clear the box. We measured them in the highest setting and they were just under 12 feet (I'm running 11.00 x 20s).

 

[DUG]

This pic shows the clearance pretty well. This is the highest setting, but you could easily mod them to go higher.

 

[indy4x4fab]

I like the ecco amber 7460, its a low profile led beacon light.

7460

 

[airbornebandsman]

The convoy lights are on adjustable poles, I would think in the highest setting they would clear the box. We measured them in the highest setting and they were just under 12 feet (I'm running 11.00 x 20s).

For some reason raising them didn't even occur to me.
Thanks