Aux Back Up Lights.

[csheatz]

I have been complaining about not being able to see when backing up to a trailer at night for years now, i think i came to a solution to my wife holding a flashlight in the rain! I went and purchased a nice set of driving lights and mounted them under the rear bumber on either side of my hitch. that was the easy part, now the wiring. i dont want to add a switch the the dash, and I want to be able to control these lights seperate from the tail/reverse lights. i have come to the conclusion of using the cargo light swith and taping into it. Yesterday i had the dash apart and the switch out, no luck wiring to that as out of the 5 wires leaving the switch for some reason none seem to have power when the switch is on and 2 have power when the switch is off. a buddy sugessted taping into the cargo light wiring. Does anyone know where these wire come thorugh the cab? do they pass through the roof and down the A pillar or do they come down the side of the rear window? and which side? or does someone else have a idea of anything they may have learned when doing this?

 

I will be happy to post pictures when done, as this may be small but to anyone who has ever tried to back up to a trailer in the middle of B.F.E. or get into a trail that you have to back out of after dark, this will keep my head in and the window up when the tires are spinning in the mud

[rckt442]

Either way you go, you're going to have to use a relay since wiring those lights in parallel with the cargo light on the same wire that carries power to the light would likely overload it (and pop the fuse). I would suggest wiring in an adequately sized relay to one of the wires that is powered when the switch is off. They make relays with switches that open when energized (i.e. powered), and close when it unenergized (i.e. no power). You would also need to tap into a power source that is only on when the ignition (or accessories) is on to feed power to the lights. There should be spare, fused power points in one of the fuse panels that you could use for this. What you would have is a situation where the aux backup lights would come on when the truck key is on and the cargo light is switched on. It would go out when you either switched the cargo light off or turned the key off.

 

That's one way of doing it.

[asilverblazer]

What I did is runa switch/hot wire off the aux. circuit for trailer wiring. I used this to power my Auxillary back up lights. I mounted a switch under the bed rail, I also took a wire off the switch to my back up light circuit... So, when in the cab and put the truck in reverse all the lights came on. Plus, when outside the cab hooking up the trailer I could hit the switch, and all four lights would come on there too. (I ran in to the same relay stuff as you with the cargo light, so screw the cargo light. )

[csheatz]

What I did is runa switch/hot wire off the aux. circuit for trailer wiring. I used this to power my Auxillary back up lights. I mounted a switch under the bed rail, I also took a wire off the switch to my back up light circuit... So, when in the cab and put the truck in reverse all the lights came on. Plus, when outside the cab hooking up the trailer I could hit the switch, and all four lights would come on there too. (I ran in to the same relay stuff as you with the cargo light, so screw the cargo light. )

 

this makes sense to me, although being at work right now i am unable to go look at which wire is my aux trailer ciruit. do you have a 3way switch or did you connect the back up lights on the side of the switch leading to your aux lights. i hope you understand what i am getting at, I am not at all good with the terminology.

[Jackson]

this is what I did. 50w halogens that I have switched in the cab. I don't see any reason to tie them to the backup lights. no reason to blind people backing up out of a parking lot for no reason. I use them for backing in my trailers at night...................or for tailgating ricers (I'm kidding.......)

 

yes I know I didn't clear out my license plates number in the second pic...........screw it.

 

[Jackson]

These are also a cool alternative. I was going to go this route but went the cheap route instead. I got my halogens at Wal-Mart for like $15.00. when they shit the bed I'll probably go with this.

 

http://www.whitenight.com/

 

[csheatz]

These are also a cool alternative. I was going to go this route but went the cheap route instead. I got my halogens at Wal-Mart for like $15.00. when they shit the bed I'll probably go with this.

 

http://www.whitenight.com/

 

 

 

I looked into this as well, heard a lot of complaints about the lens being cheap and allowing water in, as a result blowing the bulb. I also went the cheap route, got a pair at autozone for 18.00 or so..... they are nice lights for the purpose put they onle have the pigtail wires and brackets. no switch or wires.

 

 

Damn those people that tailgate when you doing 75 in the right lane! These lights will have another purpose!!!!!!

[Jackson]

the kit I got at walmart for $15 included wiring and rocker switch. didn't know that about the white light backup kit. that's good to know. thanks, I'll stay away from it.

[nbscanuck]

Here's a wiring diagram for a setup I used to run. You can have them on automatically (when in reverse), on all the time (rice eliminator, I mean trailer hookup lighting) or off (no parking lot blinding)

 

[gvbhunt]

If I am correct (not always the case) if you have the 7-pin wiring harness for the trailer on your truck, one of those pins is for backup lights on the trailer (possibly the center pin?). And if that is the case you could put lights on the back of the trailer.

 

**edit**

I just saw that you meant backing up TO a trailer, not WITH a trailer. My bad...

[Mikeee]

Why not just install 2 lights under the frame a bit from the bumper aimed more to the ground than true rearward. Using a relay, tap into the rev light wire.

 

Cheap.

Fast.

 

And since they are aimed more downward, less blinding to those behind you.

 

How much time do you spend in R anyway?

[csheatz]

Why not just install 2 lights under the frame a bit from the bumper aimed more to the ground than true rearward. Using a relay, tap into the rev light wire.

 

Cheap.

Fast.

 

And since they are aimed more downward, less blinding to those behind you.

 

How much time do you spend in R anyway?

 

 

I would like to be able to switch them on when needed and get out of the truck with the lights on. i am going to be doing basicly what asilverblazer wrote. I will be doing a few things different and will have the switch mounted in the truck. should get it done by the end of the week.

[chris_kucia]

Not to overcomplicate things, but

 

Seems like if you hooked two relays in series - one activated by the cargo light, and one activated by the reverse light, you'd have a setup where the aux backup lights would be on whenever you turned on the cargo light and had the truck in reverse, but would work independently of just the existing backup lights or just the cargo light.

 

That would seem to be a pretty cool solution with no extra switches involved, but it would not let you also the aux backup lights on when not in reverse.

[Jackson]

never thought about using the cargo light. I haven't mounted my rocker switch yet so I think I'm going to go ahead and do that. awesome. thanks dude.

[Won_Hunglo]

Although lights might help some people, there is no substitute for learning how to back a trailer at night. Never look out your back window! Learn to use your mirrows. Make sure the side marker lights are working correctly & find an empty & dark parking lot. Once you learn how its done you will never have to use anything more then your factory reverse lights again.