Aux/Reverse Lights on a Taco?

[MOHSHSIHd]

So, I have been sitting around for 2 days bored as hell, trying to get unsick...


anyway, I have wanted to mount auxilary lights on the top of my cap to be used as extra reverse lights and lights for truck camping and stuff. I would also like to wire a light into the cap so I can see where my gear is and stuff at night.

anyone have a link to a website that gives step by step instructions on how to do such a thing?

thanks

[lemon boy]

Phish- If you buy a foglamp kit at the autoparts store they have detailed instructions....you can also buy all the parts separately as well.

For interior lighting they make some battery powered ones that are IMVHO a bit nicer than running from the car if you don't already have something.

For the exterior I have a pair of the really cheap tractor "work lights" (just a basic white flood) mounted to my bumper at the far corners (on top of bumper, they won't last below).

The easy way:

1. using an eye connection on the end of a wire, hook onto the positive terminal on the battery and run into cab (note don't hook it up until everything is wired and ready to roll)
2. make sure there is a fuse wired into the hot wire between the bat and the switch (rated somewhat above the amperage of the items you plan to power)
3. mount a switch in the cab somewhere and run the hot to that (some switches require you to find a ground also),
4. run wire all the way back to the rear where you're gonna mount and connect your work lights (depending on the type of light you might have a couple of options for this either tapping or simply splitting to hot leads or some light sets run in line (eg: hot--->light--->hot--->light--->ground).
5. make sure your ground is good (different lights have different grounds, some just the bolt is and others you have an actual wire ground
6. turn em on.

Notes:
blasting people following too close is very tempting but very illegal
for connectors, I like the kind that you crimp and then heat shrink (still wrap with e-tape afterwards)
I haven't ever tried tapping into the fuse block, it is cleaner but seemingly more of a PITA
I like the lighted rocker switches (connect wires to these usually with the female side of a blade connector)
try to make your runs as clean and chaffe free as possible (not through doors) and as out of the way as possible

Parts:
connectors (and maybe a tap)
battery eye connection
wire
lighter/torch
e-tape
fuse (s/b able to find some wire with one pre-wired in)
rocker switch
couple a screws (to mount the switch)
zip ties
wrenches/sockets
lights
drill & drill index
pliers/stripper
BFH (misc problem solver )
Beer
Tunes
an hour

[MOHSHSIHd]

thanks man


pretty sure I understand most of what you posted, but kinda confused on the ground. How can I tell before I buy what lights need an actual ground wire or not?

[runethechamp]

Go and search on yotatech.com. I remember seeing plenty of threads on this topic there. Just be careful, you might get ideas for a lot more mods after you hang out there for a while.

[Snow Dog]

pretty sure I understand most of what you posted, but kinda confused on the ground. How can I tell before I buy what lights need an actual ground wire or not?

They all need a ground but some use the mounting bolt and some have a seperate wire. It doesn't really matter. It sounds complicated but it's not once you see all the pieces.

Start with where you want to mount the lights and switch and then start stringing wires. make sure moving things like tailgates and axles don't interfere. Plastic wire ties are your friend.

[runethechamp]

Example:

http://yotatech.com/showthread.php?t=74787

Plenty of links there as well.

[lemon boy]

No prob

the ground will be pretty obvious. If there are two wires coming out of a light: one is hot one is a ground (usually can ground right to the bolt you're mounting through the bumper if metal, using another eye connector), (it should be the black wire). If only one wire then that is hot and the bolt is the ground (and you'll need to mount to something grounded). Some of the tractor lights have no ground wire and some do (I have one of each in fact)

[MOHSHSIHd]

ok, so Im gonna mount them on the rear bar on top of the cap (seen in this shitty picture)



So, even though its metal, the cap itself is not really gronded I dont believe, even though it is wired with the brake light that is on the back of it....


i realize im not making much sense....so i guess ill just buy the stuff and figure it out...

[runethechamp]

ok, so Im gonna mount them on the rear bar on top of the cap (seen in this shitty picture)

So, even though its metal, the cap itself is not really gronded I dont believe, even though it is wired with the brake light that is on the back of it....


i realize im not making much sense....so i guess ill just buy the stuff and figure it out...

Use the same ground point as the brake light.

Edit: Seriously, check out the yotatech link or some of the links in that thread. I think there is a link there to 4crawler.com, and Mr. 4crawler is an electrical egineer, so he's explained things pretty well on his web site.

[lemon boy]

yeah, you'll have to run a ground wire. edit- or to rune's spot or the truck, same same

[Snow Dog]

Since one day you'll take the canopy off you should add a connector of some kind. You need at least 3 wires: ground, +12 (for interior lights), and switched 12 (for the outside lights). RV stores and canopy sellers have interior lights.