Adding Better Reverse Lights on a Camper

Bedlam wrote:
My toy hauler had dual 55w halogen floods on the rear for loading toys in the dark.... Today, I would probably use a LED light bar on a three way switch so it is slaved off the reversed circuit, manually off or manually on.

That's how I wired up some lights on my small cargo trailer.

I had a switch inside the rear cargo doors, on the wall.
It was on ON-OFF-ON switch.

I had two sources of power coming to it:
One source was from truck backup lights.
Other source was from trailer batteries.
Middle terminal on switch went to the lights.

I used Rigid Dually diffused lens floods.

My toy hauler had dual 55w halogen floods on the rear for loading toys in the dark or when using the ramp as a deck. They were only accessible to turn on or off from within trailer. Today, I would probably use a LED light bar on a three way switch so it is slaved off the reversed circuit, manually off or manually on.

ScottG wrote:

GordonThree wrote:
Don't tell the DOT, but my lights are manually switched. I like to see behind the trailer, even if my trans is in park or drive, for purposes of lining up in a site for example.

Same here and I couldn't possibly care less what any DOT says.

I know, right? Got the DOT backup lamp cops out today......bad boys, bad boys, whatcha gonna do?

I put a pair of clear "fog lamps" on the rear bumper of my Bronco for backing the duck boat down dark ramps when we get on the water way before dawn. I aimed them to give me a fairly wide field of illumination so I can see the whole ramp area. Mine are just wired into a hot lead with a toggle switch under the dash.

search amazon for 12V wireless remote switch. you will see many. I would recommend "RF" because that will transmit through walls. With this switch you can wire lights to camper battery, than switch them on from inside truck cab with switch. Plus you can take switch in camper with you and be able to turn them on from within camper as "scare lights". if you have to worry about DOT (or inspection like in PA) just leave the switch inside the camper.

What I did to my 2015 Ram, and will probably repeat on my 2018 is mount LED fog lights under the body of truck back behind the rear wheels. I can turn these on from the cab and they light up the side so I can see the Jersey barriers (concrete walls in construction sites). but don't shine out past maybe 6-8 feet. since they are low enough and under the truck cars around you can't see them. The jeep crowd calls them Rock Lights (but I used fog lights).

This also works well in campground because you can see the blocks you are backing onto in the dark but you don't light up the whole campground.

The reverse lights in the taillight housings are what count for the DOT. Anything else is "auxiliary lighting."

I just love all the big talk about telling the DOT where they can go, when they know they're legal all along...

I agree with you AnEv942 that the factory Bargman lights 5 feet of the ground are not worth anything but to warn people behind you that you are backing up. So I am looking at doing something very similar to what you did just using LED lights that use less amps and put out brighter light. Thanks for the photos.

thundercloud wrote:

So the plan is to mount the lights to the camper itself. Having said that the only thing that I will have to disconnect would be the umbilical cord that I am currently using to connect/disconnect the truck to the camper (7 pin plug). Is this possible to wire everything to the camper and activate the new reverse lights when the truck goes in reverse?

Yes as you outlined prior if wanting to relay. Cant say 20 watts warrants a relay though.

I just use inexpensive sealed beam flood work lights in rubber housing mounted under bumper.
The factory Bargman backup 'indicator' lights 5' off the ground are pretty much useless.

I think they are 27 watts each (~2amps).

To wire I can access the left taillight wires thru an exterior cabinet.
Just dropped a lead to back of bumper, branches to feed both tractor lights.

GordonThree wrote:

thundercloud wrote:
So if I go larger then the 20 watts do I wire directly to the camper batteries with a relay and tap into a reverse light that is already on the camper to activate the new backup lights?

Wire a relay into the truck's 12v system, unless you're mounting the lights on the camper itself. The objective is to not have to disconnect a bunch of stuff if you separate the two.

So the plan is to mount the lights to the camper itself. Having said that the only thing that I will have to disconnect would be the umbilical cord that I am currently using to connect/disconnect the truck to the camper (7 pin plug). Is this possible to wire everything to the camper and activate the new reverse lights when the truck goes in reverse?

GordonThree wrote:
Don't tell the DOT, but my lights are manually switched. I like to see behind the trailer, even if my trans is in park or drive, for purposes of lining up in a site for example.

Same here and I couldn't possibly care less what any DOT says.