Howto: Install auxillary reverse lights

[withac]

Excellent. This is on my wish/to do list.

Thanks for the outstanding write-up. Definitely sticky worthy.

 

[Yuke2K]

...It's a good thing, too... this weekend I wanted to flip them on just to piss someone off... LOL

ROFL I never thought of using them for that purpose, but that would be great! I'm going to have to mount the switch in the dash now! It'd be really good for the jerkoffs that ride your ass with their highbeams on...hit em with the aux lights, then when they get pissed and try to flash you, they'd have a rather unpleasent realization. :smilielol:

I'm going out to install the lights right now, although it's just going to be hooked into the reverse lights for the time being. Where the heck did you find the three way switch, Renegade? I went to Walmart, Autozone AND Radio Shack - no dice. Lowes or the Depot, maybe?

I'll post some pics later when I get the lights mounted up.

 

[RenegadeTahoe]

ROFL I never thought of using them for that purpose, but that would be great! I'm going to have to mount the switch in the dash now! It'd be really good for the jerkoffs that ride your ass with their highbeams on...hit em with the aux lights, then when they get pissed and try to flash you, they'd have a rather unpleasent realization. :smilielol:

I'm going out to install the lights right now, although it's just going to be hooked into the reverse lights for the time being. Where the heck did you find the three way switch, Renegade? I went to Walmart, Autozone AND Radio Shack - no dice. Lowes or the Depot, maybe?

I'll post some pics later when I get the lights mounted up.

The ONLY place I found it was Ace hardware... and it wasn't even a DC switch... it was AC, but it was a higher amp rating, so I was safe. The only real difference is that you have line/load with AC, and you just have one contact with DC, so you only use half the switch.

 

[RenegadeTahoe]

Excellent. This is on my wish/to do list.

Thanks for the outstanding write-up. Definitely sticky worthy.

Thanks for the comment. I really like it... it's so nice to have that extra light at night when backing up... I never used it camping, but it will definitely come in handy when/if I get a camp trailer.

 

[Yuke2K]

Got mine wired up finally! I only have them tapped into the reverse lights at this point - I still need to take a trip over to ACE to get that switch. I've got plenty of wire, I just need to decide where to put it.

I ended up mounting mine on top of the rear step rather than under the bumper. Not sure if I like them there or not, I'm going to give it some time. I hit the pavement pretty hard in a motorcycle mishap last week and messed my knee up (partially torn MCL, bleh), so this was a little easier for me than crawling under the truck. I might move them once my knee gets better, but they work pretty well so far.

I made sure not to block the lights for my rear plate, and there is still plenty of room in the middle to step up if you need to.

 

[tekrsq]

That certainly wouldn't have been my first choice, BUT if they work for you then congrats !!!!

The main thing is they work, and you did it yourself. For me, they wouldn't last 15 minutes in that spot before I ripped them off either with my foot or pulling something out of the truck. :ack:

 

[Yuke2K]

That certainly wouldn't have been my first choice, BUT if they work for you then congrats !!!!

The main thing is they work, and you did it yourself. For me, they wouldn't last 15 minutes in that spot before I ripped them off either with my foot or pulling something out of the truck. :ack:

Yeah, that on top of the fact that they really don't have an ideal mounting surface, going through the plastic then into metal. They are extremely tight right now, but they could very easily work loose. I got the biggest part of the equation done by getting the wiring in place, so it won't be too terribly difficult to move them later when my knee isn't so buggered up. (a rather extensive hinged knee brace isn't the most comfortable thing when crawling about under your truck ).

 

[RenegadeTahoe]

I'm still using my lights... they help SO much when I back out of my driveway. I agree with tekrsq... that's definitely not the location I would have picked, however I understand your pain. I've had my share of knee injuries...

 

[Rollin Thunder]

i actully like them there better. Where RG has them they would get ripped out so fast its not even funny, as i have has my fare shares of bottoming out my truck (in my 06 i had sand half way up the tailgate once, not fun), but their also protected from the tires kicking up dirt and gravel as i travel that kinda road alot. But put them were you want them. Im quite happy with my trailer hitch light, made a world of difference backing the trailer in the launch ramp to pick up the boat. :thumbsup:

 

[RenegadeTahoe]

i actully like them there better. Where RG has them they would get ripped out so fast its not even funny, as i have has my fare shares of bottoming out my truck (in my 06 i had sand half way up the tailgate once, not fun), but their also protected from the tires kicking up dirt and gravel as i travel that kinda road alot. But put them were you want them. Im quite happy with my trailer hitch light, made a world of difference backing the trailer in the launch ramp to pick up the boat. :thumbsup:

The lights are fairly well protected by the hitch... of course, if you're bottoming out that bad... I'd put 'em somewhere else... like french 'em into the bumper. LOL

 

[Rollin Thunder]

yall are gunna think I love the silverado more, no i love both trucks. this one is just a little more relaxed since its not new LOL. I went to pepboys and bought 25 dollar 55 watt driving lights for the rear. Gunna get it all wired up, IM SO EXCITED!!!

im just gunna wire them in to the reverse lights of the trailer hitch with no switch, since I dont have a third row LOL.

 

[Rollin Thunder]

Hey guys, need help here, got them all wired up and mounted, look really cool there, but They dont turn on, I wire tapped them using the same connections the OP used. But they no work, The reverse lights are on. So I decided to wire them in to the reverse lights in the tail lights, but they still do not turn on. But when ever I use the trailer hitch, the back up lights on the trailer work. Tapped in to the light green wire , just like OP said.


Now the kicker that may be my problem, I cut the ground wire on both ligths and just screwed the bare wire to the frame, Do i need to go to radio shack and get some Eyeball mounts for the ground??? I though metel touching metel was all i needed, but its easy enough (knock on wood) :thumbsup:

thanks for the help guys.

 

[RenegadeTahoe]

Hey guys, need help here, got them all wired up and mounted, look really cool there, but They dont turn on, I wire tapped them using the same connections the OP used. But they no work, The reverse lights are on. So I decided to wire them in to the reverse lights in the tail lights, but they still do not turn on. But when ever I use the trailer hitch, the back up lights on the trailer work. Tapped in to the light green wire , just like OP said.


Now the kicker that may be my problem, I cut the ground wire on both ligths and just screwed the bare wire to the frame, Do i need to go to radio shack and get some Eyeball mounts for the ground??? I though metel touching metel was all i needed, but its easy enough (knock on wood) :thumbsup:

thanks for the help guys.

Metal to metal should provide a good ground. Do you have a multimeter or a hot wire tester? I tested mine before I tapped into it. There may be something wrong with your lights, but I'm guessing it has something to do with your wiring. :thumbsup:

 

[Rollin Thunder]

Got them working, just wired though the tail lights insted... There is somthing wrong with the whole wiring of the hitch, and actully only my turnsignals on the trailer have been working, And sometimes I swear the brakes cut out on the trailer, well it goes in monday and im thankful that im off for the rest of the year. but got them working... went to radio shack and got some heat shrink eyeball grounds and put them on the negative and screwed them in to the frame, plugged them in to the tail light before I wired in to the hitch and they worked great, tried the hitch and they didnt work, went and hooked up the boat and found the tail, back up, and sometimes the brakes would not work on the boat. So I guess its my hitch wiring, but they work great hooked up to the tail light reverse wire, and turn on when I unlock the truck. Its awsome.

 

[Yuke2K]

Dude are your rev lights blue or are you using LEDs so they just look blue in the pic?

I got yelled at by a state trooper back when I had my riced out hon-duh with blue (read: "Hyper White") reverse lights, lol.

 

[Rollin Thunder]

Dude are your rev lights blue or are you using LEDs so they just look blue in the pic?

I got yelled at by a state trooper back when I had my riced out hon-duh with blue (read: "Hyper White") reverse lights, lol.

They are blue LEDs. I had them in the DRLS and got stopped first day. So I put them back there.

 

[Blizzardx23]

RT..thats bad ass..and those blue LEDs are sick too!!!!! hahah
Very nice!! =D

 

[jniolon]

RT,

got a couple of questions for you...

got my panels made for the lights and am about ready to install and wire them up...

the wiring is nothing but a thang... but routing is a little more of a chore... when wiring from the cigar lighter to the other side ??

did you go overhead or under the carpet...??

if overhead, how do you loosen/remove the interior panels ??


should be done this weekend barring any SWMBO projects that might interfere... had some 'arm issues" with a torn tendon in my right arm and that's still weak and tender as hell... and a pinched nerve on the left side... but it's getting better. Getting old is not for sissies.

thanks
john

 

[Rollin Thunder]

RT,

got a couple of questions for you...

got my panels made for the lights and am about ready to install and wire them up...

the wiring is nothing but a thang... but routing is a little more of a chore... when wiring from the cigar lighter to the other side ??

did you go overhead or under the carpet...??

if overhead, how do you loosen/remove the interior panels ??


should be done this weekend barring any SWMBO projects that might interfere... had some 'arm issues" with a torn tendon in my right arm and that's still weak and tender as hell... and a pinched nerve on the left side... but it's getting better. Getting old is not for sissies.

thanks
john

I cheated, their just tapped in to the reverse light circuit. They come on with the rev lights and go off Routing was easy and I have wired a switch in to it. But keep in mind this is on my silverado. Routing wires through a hollow bed is alot easier than rouding through the interior of an SUV.

 

[RenegadeTahoe]

I actually routed mine through the holes in the back of the taillight. (I drilled through)...

That's the left side, but the right side is identical. I drilled a 1/2" hole and stuck my wireloom through it to protect the wires.