Not sure why you think commercial/non commercial makes a difference? Think safety, follow the guidelines the best you can.
To bad you have already purchased tape. You can get reflective strips on a solid backing that secure with a couple of screws.
The title of the document is not :"FMCSA Conspicuity Guidelines", it's "FMCSA Conspicuity
Requirements"
My bad, I missed paragraph 2 where it states it only applies to commercial vehicles.
Just as in "CDL vs non-CDL" if I DON'T have to meet a REQUIREMENT I won't get ticketed for not meeting it. My trailer is for my rec vehicle (a Kubota
B7610) and nothing commercial.
Following a guideline is great, getting a $1,000 fine and having the trailer shut down because a patch of tape was off and a LEO had a bad day is not.
What's the magic difference in safety requirements between a trailer with a GVWR of 9,999 lbs and one with a GVWR of 10,002 lbs?
I purchased tapes because I've only a few patches of worn areas from the original. When I started painting (I'm about 70% done) I taped off the reflectors, wirebrushed the rust spots to metal and rattle canned.
Commercial/non commercial doesn't make any difference. Regs for lights and tape are the same. The 2nd link has a section that talks about tape, and the the diagrams are pretty clear.
Yes the diagrams are clear, but different. For example for the small bumper pull trailers you don't need tape across the entire back.
The first document just states
Each strip of retroreflective sheeting (or reflex reflector) must be positioned as horizontally as practicable, extending across the full width of the trailer, beginning and ending as close to the extreme edges as practicable.