I would think that if you put that white reflective or even the red
reflective material on the Vanagon black plastic backing behind the plastic
cover lens you'd have some major improvement to tail light visibility.
*Somebody please try it.*
As part of the services I sell in the Engine Ceramics business I sand blast
and recoat metal (steel, white metal, aluminum) tail light housings with
Cermakrome finish that is a highly reflective bright finish.
It greatly improves the reflection from old tail lights but doesn't approach
the original mirror that was in many tail light assemblies.

Stan Wilder
Engine Ceramics
214-352-4931
www.engineceramics.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "John Bange" <jbange@GMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Friday, October 14, 2005 10:58 AM
Subject: Re: Reflectors on back of van

>
> Hmmm... looks from the pics that his white reflectors cover a much larger
> area than the teensy reflectors on Vanagon taillights I have ever
> encountered. In other words, more than 51%.

Hmmm, yes, there is indeed less red reflective area. Of course the reg
stating "predominantly red" refers to ALL light coming off the back, be it
direct light from lights or reflected from reflectors. Vanagon tail lights
are so dim though, it probably isn't enough! It really comes down to a
judgement call by the highway cop, so if it were me I'd be sure there was
OBVIOUSLY more red than white. Then again, how many cops really care about
minutiae like reflectors?

And on top of it all, none of this wrangling over state vehicle code vs.
federal DOT regs is amusingly immaterial to Tabe up there in British
Columbia...