Part of the benefit, and let’s face it, “fun” of owning your own rig, is having the option to really make it your own. I’ve always loved chrome, but my 2016 Freightliner Cascadia Evolution didn’t come equipped with a lot of extras. I bought it through a lease purchase program, and it is a base model truck without any bells or whistles. I’m a “glass is half full” type of person, so I simply see my rig as a blank canvas waiting to be transformed, and I’m excited and ready to get to work on customizing her to my liking!
I decided to try out an 18” drop visor from Raney’s Truck Parts. The visor was priced at $587.95 (not including tax and shipping). There are options for an LED light kit and bezels. I selected the amber lens LEDs and the chrome-visored bezels as a matter of preference. The visor showed up via FedEx rather quickly, so it was just a matter of getting by the house to do the installation.
Normally, when my husband (co-driver) and I work on anything that requires assembly, I prepare for hours of frustration and it seems almost inevitable that there will be missing parts. We were pleasantly surprised, however, that every part was present and accounted for with the visor kit. The tools that were required for assembly were minimal, as well. We used a pair of pliers, a 3/8 wrench, a 7/16 wrench, and a .5” drill bit to create the necessary pilot holes.
In order to install the visor, the five original amber marking lights had to be removed from the front of the truck. The kit included four brackets that were installed where those marking lights were. We simply removed the lights and their fasteners by using a pliers and bit of brute force, then installed the new fasteners in the original holes. The fifth (middle) hole that was left from removing the original light, was where the wiring for the replacement LEDs would be run, and a cover plate was included with the kit, which we installed and used a clear silicone to seal (not included in the kit).
After installing the brackets, we affixed the visor (which came in two pieces) and drilled pilot holes to attach the sides that wrap around to the fiberglass located above the driver and passenger doors. We found that some force had to be applied to ensure that there was no play in the visor, especially to keep it still when subjected to the force of the winds while driving. The optional LED lights were easy to install: first, a rubber grommet was inserted into each of the pre-fabricated holes in the visor (10 in all), then the lights were easily placed into each and the wiring was added by snapping it into each light from behind, then plugged into the original wiring harness. We used duct tape to hold the original wiring harness in place during the assembly process, to ensure it wouldn’t accidentally slip down into the hole and create a time-consuming problem.
The installation process, with one of us doing most of the work and the other (ahem, yours truly) handing tools and parts to the more mechanically and technically inclined of this driving team, went fairly quickly. It took about three hours in total. We are really pleased with the result. The visor itself looks great, and it is also wonderful for blocking that early morning or late afternoon sun. We did have to move our dash camera and re-mount it elsewhere, but I have to say it was all well worth the time and effort! It functions well and looks great.
On a scale of zero to ten, with zero being that I would not at all recommend this product, I would have to give it a solid 7. I deducted some points for the lack of documentation that came with the kit (we pretty much had to intuit the assembly) and the fact that it did not come with a sealant, which I believe is very necessary to seal up the gaps in the places that the original lights were removed, lest rain or truck wash end up inside your cab. All in all, it’s a really nice addition to my truck, and I was pleased with how well the LEDs illuminate, also!
