Mount “ditch spots” on tow hooks? / legality / clamps?

[LosAngeles]

Mount “ditch spots” on tow hooks? / legality / clamps?

Hi all

For times when driving country roads with no one around, it might be nice to have some “ditch” spots to throw more light ahead to help spot deer.

I’d put them on an up fitter switch (I have the Ford ones)

There is no obvious place to hide them behind the 2020 F350 grill, so how about clamps on the front tow hooks?

I’ll have to measure to see if these fit - but they look pretty perfect (if they fit)

https://www.ebay.com/itm/2PCS-Work-Light-Mounting-Bracket-2-2-3-1CM-Bumper-Tube-Clamp-Bar-Holder-Solid-/152489286430

any other recommendations?

They will be inexpensive LED lights (about $35-60/pair) so I don’t mind if they get munched or stolen.

and…. for a second I thought about using yellow lights as these “ditch spots” so it is a constant reminder for me to turn them off if a car approaches… is that a good or a bad idea?

Looking at these 2 lights as inexpensive and decent options:
any preference between the two options below?

I don’t want to get fancy and do any fancy wiring / integration. Just on an up fitter switch or two. 🙂

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07H3VBF5Z (I would have to use 2 x 25 watt up fitter switches, I believe as they are 25 watts each)

or the SPOT version of these (40 watt total, for the pair, so I could put on up fitter #5 or #6, together)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07Q14YV19

also - with them in place (but off) any chance any highway patrol in any state (perhaps fussy California?) would be upset with them just being there? (but turned off) Serious question.

p.s..... I have thought about these details.

🙂

I will have the correct tool to remove the lights off the tow hooks, in the unlikely event I need them. Would take about 20 seconds if I use the mounts I posted a link to on eBay

And I don’t want to mount them on the bumper as I don’t want to drill any holes.

So this all strikes me as being …. a simple option. 🙂

thanks!

[ScottG]

LosAngeles wrote:
Okee dokee.... anyone want to comment on ditch lights? 😉

Nah, lets move one to something less provactive.
How about Owl Search lights?

[ve7prt]

JaxDad wrote:
The law, which is pretty uniform across all of North America, says you must have a minimum of 2, and a maximum of 4 LIT lamps on the front of a motor vehicle. That is why on 4 lamp systems with fogs, the fogs won't come if the vehicle's high beams are on, or the high beams turn the fogs off.

I've not seen anything that restricted how many lights you could have, just that you can't light up more than 4 of them at a time.

Then PLEASE tell some of the car manufacturers that! I'm starting to see more and more cars/SUVs/crossovers with 6 lit white lights: headlights, fog lights, AND extremely bright LED strip lights. And they look like a ball of light coming at you until you're less than 50' away from them! Or the Ford trucks that have 4 very bright headlamps on (all separate bulbs too), AND their fog lamps (2 separate bulbs there).

Regards,
Mike

[JaxDad]

Grit dog wrote:
I've got real driving lights on vehicles too. The kind that let you see a deer in the ditch 300yds away (or 250m for Jaxdad) those are not acceptable to use into oncoming traffic. But they're also useless in the greater Toronto area. Not where I live and drive though.

It’s ok, I understand Imperial measurements just fine thank you, I’m an American after all.

Oh, BTW, you probably don’t know much about your neighbours to the south but the Toronto area is about 150 miles east to west and about 100 miles north to south so I live much further from Toronto and out into the countryside than you do from Seattle, more than twice as far in fact.

[LosAngeles]

Okee dokee.... anyone want to comment on ditch lights? 😉

[JRscooby]

JaxDad wrote:

There’s also no need to have my fogs on while my high beams are on, I don’t drive a 20 year old North American POS with useless $2 headlights.

On my daily driver I have a mix of auto-aiming Bi Xenon low beams and halogen high beams.

Fog reflects light back at you. Your low beams put out a whole lot more light than you can use. High beams? It is worse than meeting a car with high beams. This is why if I can't see the lights of another vehicle, I would cut the low beams. I could see more with just the amber fog lights.
Of course, by the time I sold it that 16 year old USA built iron was approaching 2 million miles.

[Grit_dog]

JRscooby wrote:

Grit dog wrote:
I think the fog light interlock stems from old school headlights and the 4 light rule.
But it makes absolutely no sense as OE "fog lights" which are typically called driving lights anyway are the least offensive to oncoming traffic and they typically do a good job complemeting the high beams. Which should be shut off anyway with oncoming traffic.

Over the years I have done some mods to lighting on vehicles. And in my world, Fog lights and Driving lights are not the same. My last Pete, I had a pair of each mounted and used. The Driving lights, only able to be on with high beams, would light a area well past and to the side of the high beams. The fog lights, would not come on with high beams. And if I was out in the country in heavy fog, I would shut headlights off. The amber worked best.
On of my Super Duties, had a 4 lamp headlight system. Loaded to gross, aim the headlights to where I could see down the road on High beam, when MT, would shine up in the trees. Replaced the inner pair with double filament like the outside. Added a 2nd headlight switch/relay and another dimmer switch. Mt, used the factory set. Loaded, put factory switch on park for taillights, turn on other switch for low beam inside pair. High beam on that switch would light all 8 filaments.
Roadside safety inspection, CMV inspector said the wrong headlights where on. Showed him how it worked. "Not sure that is legal, but good idea." Still got a overload ticket. Changed so the outside worked when loaded. Preferred to be stopped MT.

You're 100% correct scooby and the discussion has turned to the light cops talking about OE "driving" lights which aren't offensive in the least to oncoming traffic.
I've got real driving lights on vehicles too. The kind that let you see a deer in the ditch 300yds away (or 250m for Jaxdad) those are not acceptable to use into oncoming traffic. But they're also useless in the greater Toronto area. Not where I live and drive though.

[hornet28]

Some just can't comprehend changing anything the factory deems acceptable

[JRscooby]

Grit dog wrote:
I think the fog light interlock stems from old school headlights and the 4 light rule.
But it makes absolutely no sense as OE "fog lights" which are typically called driving lights anyway are the least offensive to oncoming traffic and they typically do a good job complemeting the high beams. Which should be shut off anyway with oncoming traffic.

Over the years I have done some mods to lighting on vehicles. And in my world, Fog lights and Driving lights are not the same. My last Pete, I had a pair of each mounted and used. The Driving lights, only able to be on with high beams, would light a area well past and to the side of the high beams. The fog lights, would not come on with high beams. And if I was out in the country in heavy fog, I would shut headlights off. The amber worked best.
On of my Super Duties, had a 4 lamp headlight system. Loaded to gross, aim the headlights to where I could see down the road on High beam, when MT, would shine up in the trees. Replaced the inner pair with double filament like the outside. Added a 2nd headlight switch/relay and another dimmer switch. Mt, used the factory set. Loaded, put factory switch on park for taillights, turn on other switch for low beam inside pair. High beam on that switch would light all 8 filaments.
Roadside safety inspection, CMV inspector said the wrong headlights where on. Showed him how it worked. "Not sure that is legal, but good idea." Still got a overload ticket. Changed so the outside worked when loaded. Preferred to be stopped MT.

[JaxDad]

Grit dog wrote:

The 07 Dodge is programmed all on with the tuner that's on it. My Chevy work truck fogs are enabled with high beams with a diode added to the right circuit.

Anyone who hasn't tried it, I'd highly reccomend it unless you have superior night vision!

There’s also no need to have my fogs on while my high beams are on, I don’t drive a 20 year old North American POS with useless $2 headlights.

On my daily driver I have a mix of auto-aiming Bi Xenon low beams and halogen high beams.

[wnjj]

I’d much rather face an oncoming vehicle without the extra lights. Those extra lights usually are not adjustable and plenty of nice new vehicles have them brighter than the main lights or mis-aimed. On with high beams...I say go for it.

The vehicle lighting arms race is out of control. I actually look at the older vehicles who accidentally left their brights on in amazement as they are almost all easier to face than most newer cars’ low beams. It’s the one thing that would actually get me to support vehicle inspections if I thought they would fix this. In the meantime, I just hold a hand by my face in front of the oncoming lane until the pass. My night vision is acceptable when not constantly blinded by these other vehicles.

While I’m ranting, the worst ones are those super bright little CUV’s with a sharp cutoff that has red and blue hues at the fringe. As they bobble down the road behind me my brain sometimes says “cop”.

[Grit_dog]

I think the fog light interlock stems from old school headlights and the 4 light rule.
But it makes absolutely no sense as OE "fog lights" which are typically called driving lights anyway are the least offensive to oncoming traffic and they typically do a good job complemeting the high beams. Which should be shut off anyway with oncoming traffic.
I typically set up the OE driving lights to stay on with high beams or all on with high/low/fogs.
Makes a big difference typically in the dark.
The 07 Dodge is programmed all on with the tuner that's on it. My Chevy work truck fogs are enabled with high beams with a diode added to the right circuit.

Anyone who hasn't tried it, I'd highly reccomend it unless you have superior night vision!

[JRscooby]

JaxDad wrote:
The law, which is pretty uniform across all of North America, says you must have a minimum of 2, and a maximum of 4 LIT lamps on the front of a motor vehicle. That is why on 4 lamp systems with fogs, the fogs won't come if the vehicle's high beams are on, or the high beams turn the fogs off.

I've not seen anything that restricted how many lights you could have, just that you can't light up more than 4 of them at a time.

I always thought the interlock fog/highbeam lights was because highbeams in the fog is plumb stupid.

[Dave_H_M]

:S learned something here. Now I know what ditch spots are.

[hornet28]

Here's one before I put the lights on the front. I bought it in 09 in Phoenix and drove it back. All original paint, with the graphics done at 43 mi. It made a heck of a tow beast, not as good as the Duramax though, but lousy mileage. I sold it without the motor and trans to a guy who was going to do a Cummings swap