Have no fear.
3M tested their VHB 4950 tape, which is pretty standard, for 300k simulated miles on a semi-truck that had it's doors and a walls of the trailer held together only by tape.
They also have video of semi trucks playing tug of war and pulling each other by cables connected with VHB.
That only time you need to be concerned with 3M super strength VHB auto tape is if you live somewhere that reaches -58 degrees f or over 150 degrees f. If those apply, there are VHB alternatives made for it. High temp VHB works up to 480 degrees f.
They key is to make sure you apply it 70-80f.
Re: "They key is to make sure you apply it 70-80f."
>>>AND to apply it to a fastidiously clean surface, following the VHB tape manufacturer's instructions, and press hard on the item to get a strong bond while the adhesive is brand-new, and make certain that the bond is good all the way to the edges of the tape (because the edges is where lifting-off/peeling begins, of course).
As much as I like and respect the manufacturer mentioned, this type of testing (marketing media, actually) is done under absolutely ideal conditions, perfectly applied by their engineers/technicians, new tape (not tape that's been in use and weathered for 20 years), controlled conditions, etc. They do prove their point, and their VHB tapes are certainly good products when properly applied, but common sense tells you that the manufacturers are stacking the deck in favor of their product, not necessarily depicting what happens under real-world conditions after years of weathering, etc. BTW, do your own survey as you drive on the highways. Glance at the semi-trailers and determine the percentage on the road that are actually held together
only by VHB tape for the sidewalls, i.e. no rivets at the panel edges. Years ago when I dealt directly with VHB tape manufacturers, they all touted how semi-trailer's boxes (sidewalls & ceilings) were being built using VHB tape for all of the sidewall & ceiling panels. But when I started glancing at each trailer I passed on the highway, I saw very, very few that weren't still riveted together. Just my observation, albeit a number of years ago.
I have specified industrial machine designs using various types of VHB ("very high bond") tapes for certain panels on the machines, and in all cases, the manufacturer strongly recommends that you use their specific primer for a given type of VHB. The requirement to use the manufacturer's primer may not apply to these small lights on truck exteriors, but I just wanted to point out that successful application of VHB adhesive tapes isn't a no-brainer -as with any product, one has to use good sense, research the proper application of the product, and do the application correctly. For these small clearance lights, with very little in the way of load applied to them (basically, aerodynamic loads and some vibration, maybe a bit of applied load during vehicle washing), and assuming they are properly adhered, they'll likely provide years of service before the VHB tape fails.
Too bad they don't just use high-power magnets to hold these lights to the vehicle...oh, wait, Ford screwed that one up with their aluminum trucks ;-)
