Ahhnuld, welcome to the rear facing lights club! (insert secret handshake instructions here). To finish off your membership application, you must post pics of the succesful install so we can all congratulate you on the job well done!
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Rear Facing Lights
- Thread starter jackalanche
- Start date
Thanks Jackalanche!I had George over this past Sunday with his digital camera to take pics of my leak solution that the dealer put in. I should have asked him to get the lights as well.
I'll tell you what, just look at Helmets pics, only instead of Pewter, think Onyx black. I copied his install exactly. As far as the reflection of his jeans in the back glass, he looks better than I do.
I picked up a novelty yellow 12v light at the local shop. It looks like the Chevy bowtie for $5. Medium bright.
I think I am going to put this on the sail to light up the back. I think it will also work to light the tent up when I use it.
I think wiring it in with the cargo lights will be the best.
I think I am going to put this on the sail to light up the back. I think it will also work to light the tent up when I use it.
I think wiring it in with the cargo lights will be the best.
Nice Job Ahhnuld,
Sorry, forgot to mention the part about the physical sacrifice. ?Ten days later, I still have a few scabs on my forearm. ?At least it's not as bad as installing an intercooler, I understand you have to actually sacrifice a few offspring.
It sounds like you've got the hard part out of the way, the remaining wiring actually goes fairly quickly. ?I'm looking forward to seeing your results later this week.
(encoded message: The canine barks loudly and gnarls his teeth at half past eleven on the fourth day of the week.)
helmet
Sorry, forgot to mention the part about the physical sacrifice. ?Ten days later, I still have a few scabs on my forearm. ?At least it's not as bad as installing an intercooler, I understand you have to actually sacrifice a few offspring.
It sounds like you've got the hard part out of the way, the remaining wiring actually goes fairly quickly. ?I'm looking forward to seeing your results later this week.
(encoded message: The canine barks loudly and gnarls his teeth at half past eleven on the fourth day of the week.)
helmet
helmet said:Nice Job Ahhnuld,
(encoded message: The canine barks loudly and gnarls his teeth at half past eleven on the fourth day of the week.)
helmet
Great, now we will have the NSA, CIA and the FBI checking our posts.
gandolphxx said:Great, now we will have the NSA, CIA and the FBI checking our posts.
You are about to Enter a Restricted security Area ...
Please Enter your Clearance code
to decode Helmet's message
Now you've done it. I'm going to have to log off now, as several well dressed gentleman have just stepped out of their black Lincoln Town Car, and are approaching the front door. The noise from the helicopters has worked the dogs into a frenzy.
helmet
I'm going to have to log off now, as several well dressed gentleman have just stepped out of their black Lincoln Town Car, and are approaching the front door. The noise from the helicopters has worked the dogs into a frenzy. helmet
Well dressed? Then it can't be the government. Must be the mafia.
Congratulations !!!
You have just won the Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes.
You have just won the Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes.
Has anybody replaced their rear back-up light with brighter bulbs? I was thinking of installing additional back-up lights inside the rear assist step pockets at the corners of the rear bumper. Thinking of recessing them all the way into the back, so you still have the use of the step pockets for your foot.
TRex
TRex
TRex said:
You can replace the backup bulbs with 50 watt bulbs from your favorite auto store or JCWhitney, just be careful not to leave them on two long, they may melt the housing - thats why many folks opt for separate backup lights.
I saw some small 55 watt lights at Auto Zone. The are intended to be mounted to the Trailer hitch frame (Box Type) We have tube style frames but the lights can be installed anywhere. They are designed to be wired right into the backup lights.
They are a flood type pattern so they would be pretty cool if used on the sail panel instead. Nice and narrow style.
I might go and pick up the kit. ($24.95) Includes wiring.
They are a flood type pattern so they would be pretty cool if used on the sail panel instead. Nice and narrow style.
I might go and pick up the kit. ($24.95) Includes wiring.
You may want to consider putting in a relay for them, the wiring to the backup lights is a little thin. You can pick up everything that you need for trigger and power from the 7 pin trailer harness cable.
A. Have the 50 watt bulbs in my tail lenses, no heat scorching yet but they do run hot - not a prob if you just use them in normal reverse operations (mine have an independent switch as well).
B. xrover if you have the 55watts of independent lights in the rear, ya gotta have a dash switch brother! just think about the possibilities!
B. xrover if you have the 55watts of independent lights in the rear, ya gotta have a dash switch brother! just think about the possibilities!
XRover,
If you install the rear back-up lights on your sail panel, I would think that you would be casting a large shadow from the cargo panels and tailgate directly behind the rear bumper. Maybe about ten feet beyond that it would be lit up so you could see what your backing into. I'm wanting to light up directly behind my rear bumper. That's why I would like to see them somewhere around that area. Putting them on the sail panel would be neat looking, and would provide a lot of extra cargo light.
TRex
If you install the rear back-up lights on your sail panel, I would think that you would be casting a large shadow from the cargo panels and tailgate directly behind the rear bumper. Maybe about ten feet beyond that it would be lit up so you could see what your backing into. I'm wanting to light up directly behind my rear bumper. That's why I would like to see them somewhere around that area. Putting them on the sail panel would be neat looking, and would provide a lot of extra cargo light.
TRex
trex - unless you are installing some sort of remote camera down by the hitch (yup, mod under consideration by at least a few of us!) the area in shadow behind the Av with rear lights on the sail panel is something you will not be able to see when backing up as you sit in the Av - your outside rearview mirrors and your inside rearview mirror pretty much do not have a superior view of the rear area under the bumper vs what rear facing lights mounted up high illuminate (caveat - side mirrors can look at the rear side corners directly under the vehicle, which does not get light from the high mount rear lights - but lights in the hitch area, above the bumper, will also leave this area dark). In fact, rear high mount lights light up an area behind the Av that you cannot even see with the mirrors, because of their superior angle of view down to the ground behind the gate. I do happen to think that the hitch area kits, above the hitch, are a good, (and simpler install) idea if you are just solving for backing up light.
Gentlemen,
Is it necessary to run the wiring for these all the way to the dash swicth? I was thinking I could tie into one of the cargo lights, and get the same result. What did I miss? Too much draw?
--BN
Is it necessary to run the wiring for these all the way to the dash swicth? I was thinking I could tie into one of the cargo lights, and get the same result. What did I miss? Too much draw?
--BN
Watch out for drawing too much current on that line set - it may not be rated that high.naylor99 said:
Exactly... not to say that you couldn't do it that way, but I just prefer to keep as much of the new stuff seperate from the stock.gandolphxx said:
The other issue is, I honestly think it is easier to run a wire to the dash from the new lights becuase you already have to run a new supply (hot) wire to the battery hot post under the hood. You might as well just pull both wires together, and tapping into the cargo switch was the easiest part of the wiring.
Either way, I know you'll like them!
helmet
naylor -
You could do it, and not get into the scenario that g-xx warns about, if only the cargo lights were wired rationally (you would use the relay that comes with the KC kit, which would avoid excess current draw thru the cargo light circuit.) Problem is, Helmet advises that the "hot" side of the cargo lights is always hot, the negative side is what is switched (correct me if I am wrong Helmet). If this were a normal circuit, you would tap the "hot sensing" lead from the relay into the hot side of the cargo light circuit, and when it went hot, voila on go the rear facing lights. But with the hot side of the cargo lights always hot, the normal hook up is going to get you an always on result.
BUT, you don't need to use the supplied relay as directed. (Remember, a relay is really two seperate circuits, when one gets juice - usually by tapping in to a swicthed circuit - it engergizes the relay and causes it to close, completing the second, heavier amperage circuit) I think you could, if Helmet is correct, tap the 86 lead (that's the negative side of the "sensing" circuit) into the negative side of the cargo lights, the side that is grounded with the opertaion of the cargo light switch. Connect 85 and 87 into a fused hot (I think you might be running that wire up to battery, like Helmet says), 30 goes off to the hot side of the lights, and presto, the rear aux lights come on with the cargo light switch.
this advice relies on Helmet's advice of the negative switching feature of the cargo light circuit of course (just like a lawyer to deflect responsibility!)
You could do it, and not get into the scenario that g-xx warns about, if only the cargo lights were wired rationally (you would use the relay that comes with the KC kit, which would avoid excess current draw thru the cargo light circuit.) Problem is, Helmet advises that the "hot" side of the cargo lights is always hot, the negative side is what is switched (correct me if I am wrong Helmet). If this were a normal circuit, you would tap the "hot sensing" lead from the relay into the hot side of the cargo light circuit, and when it went hot, voila on go the rear facing lights. But with the hot side of the cargo lights always hot, the normal hook up is going to get you an always on result.
BUT, you don't need to use the supplied relay as directed. (Remember, a relay is really two seperate circuits, when one gets juice - usually by tapping in to a swicthed circuit - it engergizes the relay and causes it to close, completing the second, heavier amperage circuit) I think you could, if Helmet is correct, tap the 86 lead (that's the negative side of the "sensing" circuit) into the negative side of the cargo lights, the side that is grounded with the opertaion of the cargo light switch. Connect 85 and 87 into a fused hot (I think you might be running that wire up to battery, like Helmet says), 30 goes off to the hot side of the lights, and presto, the rear aux lights come on with the cargo light switch.
this advice relies on Helmet's advice of the negative switching feature of the cargo light circuit of course (just like a lawyer to deflect responsibility!)
there's a nice threaded hot terminal post in the EC in the engine bay - its on the battery hot side of the fuses in the EC - makes a nice place to tap into battery power, but know this: you will not have the idiot-proof battery-save feature that eventually turns things off that draw the battery down, which might be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on your goal.
G
got_change
GUEST
I putting in a pair of lights inside the rear bumper corner steps they angle out on eachside but are another "change" that will be usefull there is a metal "shield behind the cladding I'm trimming. I'm going for a seperate switch like my aircraft lights in the grill and all wiring independant with power coming from the red terminal box for the alternator. I hid the toggle swith (lighted) on the flat area under the ashtray tucked way up
Jackalance I like your lighting mods.
I have had the lights installed for some time and have used them camping before, but I had a great opportunity recently to take some pictures.
The lights really provide the perfect amount of light inside the tent, and although it has been in the upper 90's here, they don't add any noticeable heat. Of course we could have been so dehydrated and delirious that we didn't notice.
helmet
The lights really provide the perfect amount of light inside the tent, and although it has been in the upper 90's here, they don't add any noticeable heat. Of course we could have been so dehydrated and delirious that we didn't notice.
helmet