back up lights

[marinegrunt]

I was wondering is there a brighter light I can put in my taillights for the back up lamps?I have a 03 f250 and a 05 2500 gmc. Thanks

[newt92]

There are some 50 watt halogen bulbs to replace your back-up bulbs. I have had them and they help but not much. What I do is mount some small driving lights under the bumper or on the trailer hitch and wire up either to the back up wire or to a seperate switch in your cab. Gives alot more light.

Dennis

[MarblemountLane]

I've used some of those quartz conversions in stock backup sockets. If the system will stand replacing stock 21watt/32cp bulbs with 50 watt halogens, and will stand the extra heat in the fixture, they offer some improvement.

Best is to add extra lights. Most common in these parts is a pair of PAR36 tractor floods in rubber housings (sealed beam trivia: that PAR number is diameter in 1/8ths of an inch -- PAR36 = 4-1/4, PAR46 = 5-3/4, PAR56 = 7 inch, PAR64 = 8 inch).

While I generally prefer manually switched rear floods, with a good bright indicator in the cab so I don't forget they're on, my last effort was to be a "foolproof," all automatic improvement. I got a cheap set of dual purpose clear driving/fog lights on eBay, then used the hot (fused 30A) lead to my trailer plug for power to a relay, using the backup circuit only to control the relay. It was convenient to mount the relay under the rear, just ahead of my receiver hitch. No long wire runs to the cab, and "presto!" I had four 55 watt halogen bulbs (in addition to the stock backup lights) coming on whenever I hit reverse.

It was just great, until weather got into the cheap relay and it froze "on" while she was driving...

If I do it again: I'll use a more weatherproof and/or better protected relay. I'll go ahead and run a light control cable forward so I can turn the lights on manually. No more leaving the key on in Reverse, so I can see to hook up my trailer at night.

My transport trailer has four backup lights of its own. It has a relay in the junction box near the Group 27 battery for its winch and uses that for power, so the backup circuit from the tow vehicle controls the lights, but does not carry the load. The trailer's battery is normally charged by the aforementioned 30A hot circuit on the tow vehicle.

Lots of light to the rear: Good.

Manual switch so you can have "work" lights: Good

Rear lights sticking "on" and running down battery: Bad

Getting caught leaving 'em on while moving forward: Very Bad

Remember, cheap fog lights are good for only two things: Yellow ones make decent emergency flashers. White ones make decent backup lights. Only the very best fog lights (such as the Cibie 175 series) are really good in fog.

[marinegrunt]

I was just being lazy.I bought some lights and hooked them up.Thanks for the input.

[Treemonkey1000]

I was going to say that putting brighter lamps in the back up might not be a good idea as they could melt the lens or socket. I didn't want to forget my back ups on and run down the battery. So I used illuminated switches to help remind me that they were on. Then used back up lights that I picked up at the auto parts store.
Jim

[Will_C]

I bought a light from Cabelas that plugs into my trailer light receptacle. It cost $30.00 or so, and it works well.
Will

[groundcover]

I added the halogen par 36 rubber mounted tractor lights to the receiver hitch and protected them with a piece of 4" steel pipe, put them on my 94 F350 in 94 ,been plowing ever since and haven't broken them off yet. I wired them through a relay and a single pole double throw switch : up is on, nice for work lights,hooking trailer etc. center off, no use running them in the day and down is 'auto' tied to the truck backup lights to come on whenever in reverse- a thing of beauty !



'Master of a thousand indispensable skills destined to keep him at the poverty level'

'You can't beat a man at his own trade'

[Lil43]

Heres my backup lights.There on a manual illuminated switch thru a relay.

[GaryBDavis]

Groundcover,

I thought I was the only one who used a DPDT (center off) switch so I could turn them on manual, off, or work with the backup lights. I did the same thing with my driving lights on the front only in the "auto" position, they come on with my bright lights. I use the standard 12V bosch relay for all my lighting needs.

Great minds think alike.

[MarblemountLane]

I'm all for the double throw switch with center off. For years, I've wired driving and fog lights that way. I have "ON-OFF-AUTO" modes. Driving lights pick up automatically with high beams, fogs with low beams. I should have used that scheme for back up lights, but I was lazy last time.

Getting a light that plugs into the trailer socket is good. But now that it's mentioned, I don't think I want one that adds load to my backup light circuit. It would be handy, though, to have a little mag base working flood
that ran off the "hot" trailer lead.

Hmmm... I could make up a compact, powerful flood that incorporated a relay and used the 7-pin trailer plug, for power, ground and control by the backup lead. It could mount in the receiver, and would be great when I wasn't using the trailer.

Those lights in the back bumper of that Dodge look nice. I have all the lower rear lights on my horribly ugly 1966 International 1300 4x4 "offroad" truck protected by, and shining through holes in, a a 6" channel iron bumper. My installation isn't so nice looking, but we both have the same idea. We do tend to bump those rear lights when working our trucks in the field.

I put a rear flood on my Yamnar, since it only came with a small pair of headlights (and turn signals on the fenders). I'm using a lead that switches off when the key is off. It's easy to forget a light if you shut down when it's not dark.

My trailer has backup lights both to the rear, and shining outboard and back from the back side of the fenders. I like light to the side. Years ago, I bought a 1978 Saab 99 Turbo. It had backup lights on the back corners of the FRONT turn/park/cornering light pods. It was nice to have light alongside the vehicle with backing up or parallel parking.

Here in the wet, shady, brushy Pacific Northwest, you can't have too much light.