Connecting to existing wiring.

I think a lightbar facing rearward will be overkill, and probably illegal, and will attract LEO attention.

What I did is install one of these in my bumper. They come in a pair, so I also have one in my Jeep Wrangler. In my truck, I connected it to an upfitter switch. Only turn it on when I need it. In the Wrangler, I connected to the backup lamp circuit, and I used a solder joint and shrink tubing. Just one wire, and ground it near the pod. A pair of these lamps is only around $20 on Amazon. Get the ones with a wide light dispersion. I've used the same lamp, but with a beam dispersion, as fog lamps.

Gdetrailer wrote:

Bobbo wrote:

My F-150 has BLIS. All BLIS tail light assemblies are fully LED and sealed units. I am willing to bet that your fleet trucks don't have BLIS. (I do have LED head lights (high and low) and LED fog lights coming, but this thread is about the LED tailgate light bar I am installing to augment the reverse lights. (I am not going to wire in the tail/brake/turn signal lights, just the reverse lights.)) The F-150 trucks without BLIS do have removable bulbs.

Your FIRST POST should INCLUDE IMPORTANT INFORMATION LIKE THIS.

BLIS IS AN OPTION that comes in SPECIFIC "PACKAGES" of options, sometimes only offered in HIGHER TRIM LEVELS, it does not automatically come with all vehicles or trim levels..

I INTENTIONALLY WILL SKIP OPTIONAL PACKAGES THAT INCLUDE THIS KIND OF GARBAGE WHEN BUYING VEHICLES.

It is also why I am not a fan of ANY factory LED lights, when a LED fixture goes out, gets broken or damaged you end up spending $400-$1200 just for that fixture.

Sometimes you just can't beat the old school methods for cost effectiveness.

Now that you KNOW that the LED OEM backup lights are not all what they are cracked up to be, make sure your next vehicle doesn't have them or the BLIS..

The named BLIS half correct, we have a whole new generation of folks driving around even more "BLISfull" than ever.. Totally relying on electronics to babysit them while on their smartphone texting..

My first post had all of the pertinent information needed to answer my question. My second post had all the pertinent information for those who just HAD to read more into the question than was there. Everything else in this quote is just noise. I really don't care what you skip or don't skip. I really don't care about your evaluation of OEM packages. I really don't care what you think about people who put too much trust in the electronics. I just wanted to better way to connect to my wiring harness than ScotchLocks. I have it. Cut the wires and use heat shrink butt connectors, covered with heat shrink tubing.

And, I really, really don't care if you got your nose bent out of shape because I explained 3 times that my bulbs were not replaceable. Once, I could understand. The second time, the poster came back and admitted that he missed that point, that was fine, no harm, no foul. The third time was a bit much. Then to come back with this attitude..........

bpounds wrote:
I think a lightbar facing rearward will be overkill, and probably illegal, and will attract LEO attention.

What I did is install one of these in my bumper. They come in a pair, so I also have one in my Jeep Wrangler. In my truck, I connected it to an upfitter switch. Only turn it on when I need it. In the Wrangler, I connected to the backup lamp circuit, and I used a solder joint and shrink tubing. Just one wire, and ground it near the pod. A pair of these lamps is only around $20 on Amazon. Get the ones with a wide light dispersion. I've used the same lamp, but with a beam dispersion, as fog lamps.

Nice setup. I will look into that. As far as the light bar being illegal or attracting the attention of law enforcement. It will only be lit when I am backing up, and hidden below the tailgate when it is not lit up. It is supplemental backup lights, and that is all.

These still are spot beam flood TYPE lamps. See the rings in the conical lens? Without the rings at a distance of ten feet the hot spot is about 28" in diameter, with the rings the spot is about 40" in diameter. I have the 2nd type the one with the rings burning about 18" over my head. Only in a six element single row 7" fixture. I have dissected these lamps bit by bit -- everything from wattage (internally regulated 10-30 volts) to light patterns.

This is a ME problem not an EVERYBODY problem. See if you may agree or disagree...

When a lamp strongly illuminates a single object, my eyes are drawn to it. This is why general visual inspections are best done at night with a strong flashlight. The eye concentrates within that spot and nowhere else.

I can only say for me when backing up at night I want to see UP UP to the top of the roof and as much to the side as possible.

But I could case less about seeing 100 yards to the rear straight back. to a landing hot spot two inches in diameter at that distance.

The square CREE lamps whether flush fit or spindle mount are my choice for illuminating a roadside shoulder at a distance of fifty feet from the front bumper. With 2 of them burning USA and Mexican oncoming traffic has never once asked me to dim. This is how little side light these fixtures throw. A tribute to an excellent design -- specific for purpose.

The square chip square fixture flood lamp I mounted on Quicksilver (thank god for 30 volt operation limit) cast light up, to the side and illuminate about 25' to the rear well enough for my elderly weak eyes to pick out things like road surface, objects to the sides and overhead. With the ten watt single square chip I would have a chance to not get cited if I would reverse on the shoulder of a public roadway. With the six chip CREE lamps burning the chances of my avoiding a ticket are about zero. Aiming a light bar lamp severely downward would help avoid a ticket but then I would be blinded with a hotspot that turned everything around it pitch black. The CREE chip flood fixture even failed to meet my criteria as a hairpin road side light because of the excess intensity and limited area illumination of the hotspot.

But then, this is all about me. Your mileage may vary :)

Bobbo wrote:


Nice setup. I will look into that. As far as the light bar being illegal or attracting the attention of law enforcement. It will only be lit when I am backing up, and hidden below the tailgate when it is not lit up. It is supplemental backup lights, and that is all.

You will probably get away with it these days. I know here in CA, it is illegal to have a lightbar mounted unless it is covered while on the public road. It's an old law, and doesn't get enforced as far as I've seen. Some lightbar brands still sell covers.

I have a 22" lightbar, IIRC the size, and it is a ridiculous amount of light. I cannot imagine getting away with that for a BU light, unless you use it selectively.

Bet your bootie it's still enforced. National City CA. Oct 2018. Highway Patrol and looked like new Ford shiny black pickup, lights flashing Union 76 gas station on off ramp of I-805.

Female cop, busy writing. Driver with his hand resting on bumper mounted light bar. Time, around noon. She was standing close to the light bar. Couldn't have been a coincidence.

Ranging transmission through gears, light bar flashes as it passes R reverse.

When I had a bumper light bar I got glared ac by San Diego cops. An Arizona highway patrolman walked over at a Love's Travel Stop and saw I had disconnected the plug to the bar. That was in 2010. He waved his hand and turned around.

I don't like tickets.

If necessary, I can add a switch that will kill the light. That way I have to, both, be in reverse, AND have the switch turned on. I really only need it backing up at night, at home where it is pitch black dark. I'm not going to start with that switch though, only if I have a problem.

You won't need to tap into the chassis wire harness.

150 watts of light is 18 amperes. Keep that in mind when sizing wire and eliminating 90% of the switches on the market.

enblethen wrote:

Have you tried brighter LED style lamps to improve lighting?

That would be my first move, because it's easy.