I am adding a 20" light bar to my 01. I will be making a bracket to add it under my rear hitch, somewhat hidden as much as possible as it is a slim lightbar. Can I run the harness to my non main battery without ill effects? I will be running an inline fuse as well as a relay. My goal is to flip the switch on while backing up to increase my visibility while backing as my reverse lights are not bright at all. Would it work best running from my main battery?

5 minutes ago, GSP7 said:

Where did you buy your 40amp water proof relay ?

 

Walmart? Specialty Electronics store?

 

 

I ordered mine off of amazon. They are cheap, but I have not had any issues with them. 1 relay for $10 or 5 for $25.

 

Weatherproof Relays

Thanks Red Rambler

 

I was digging in my trailer hitch plug wires

 

I see the red/org is a heavy gauge...Found the purple/bll also

 

There is a large gauge light blue... it is trailer brake

 

So I think I have it figured out for my back up light. Now i just have to decide on a light.

 

I think Im just going to get a 35w or 55w holagen , like a  4 1/2 Hella or small sealed beam instead of the Led stuff.

 

I got a feeling the inexpensive led small 36 watt light bars etc are only going to last a year or two and burn out or rot away from the elements and water

 

I also have a second trailer plug the original owner installed inside the bed for a  Cab over camper or fifth wheel plug in. They tapped into all the bumper plug wires but they used completely different wire colors(stupid idiots)

Like the B+ Red/Org they hooked a black wire

Grn/brn has a large guage red wire tapped into it,,,

Blk/org has a green wire tap

Blk has a white wire tap

Edited December 27, 20177 yr by GSP7

17 minutes ago, GSP7 said:

Thanks Red Rambler

 

I was digging in my trailer hitch plug wires

 

I see the red/org is a heavy gauge...Found the purple/bll also

 

There is a large gauge light blue... it is trailer brake

 

So I think I have it figured out for my back up light. Now i just have to decide on a light.

 

I think Im just going to get a 35w or 55w holagen , like a  4 1/2 Hella or small sealed beam instead of the Led stuff.

 

I got a feeling the inexpensive led small 36 watt light bars etc are only going to last a year or two and burn out or rot away from the elements and water

 

I also have a second trailer plug the original owner installed inside the bed for a  Cab over camper or fifth wheel plug in. They tapped into all the bumper plug wires but they used completely different wire colors(stupid idiots)

Like the B+ Red/Org they hooked a black wire

Grn/brn has a large guage red wire tapped into it,,,

Blk/org has a green wire tap

Blk has a white wire tap

Glad you got that figured out and I concur with you on the light bars. My expectations are a year, year and a 1/2 max, given the harsh conditions they must live in. I have attempted to conceal mine as much as possible. Below is the exact light I purchased for $29. If it lasts 1.5 year I would would be happy.

 

Edited December 27, 20177 yr by Red Rambler

My old 81 chevy K20 4x4 has a old metel housing 4 1/2", 35 watt sealed beam back up light tucked back up under the rear bumper. 

Its been on the truck 30 years and the light its self is probably from '60s

Still works great , and I can get a new bulb or it if needed

 

I just ran across this vid

 

Inexpensive vs mucho $$ LED

 

 

11 minutes ago, GSP7 said:

My old 81 chevy K20 4x4 has a old metel housing 4 1/2", 35 watt sealed beam back up light tucked back up under the rear bumper. 

Its been on the truck 30 years and the light its self is probably from '60s

Still works great , and I can get a new bulb or it if needed

 

I just ran across this vid

 

Inexpensive vs mucho $$ LED

 

 

 

Nice video. Like anything else, you get what you pay for quality wise and lighting is no different. The huge price variance is a big factor that is for certain. Those Rigid lights are nice!

2 hours ago, GSP7 said:

I just ran across this vid

 

Inexpensive vs mucho $$ LED

 

 

 

 

Kind of like my finding with PIAA RF 530 Series LED's. 

http://www.piaa.com/store/p/147-LP-530-Driving-LED-Light-Kit.aspx

 

When PIAA LED driving lights are brighter than Morimoto D2S HID's That says something about the quality. 

Edited December 28, 20177 yr by Mopar1973Man

Hey moparman mike,

 

Are your back up lights on your rear axle just the Grote 64931 Rubber tractor/utility lights 35watt that you installed 100w bulbs into ?

 

What about your old front ones that you replaced with the PIAAs/ same thing, rubber Grote housings?

 

10 minutes ago, GSP7 said:

Hey moparman mike,

 

Are your back up lights on your rear axle just the Grote 64931 Rubber tractor/utility lights 35watt that you installed 100w bulbs into ?

 

What about your old front ones that you replaced with the PIAAs/ same thing, rubber Grote housings?

2

 

Yeah, just rubber tractor light buckets. I got mine from NAPA years ago. Yeah, the fronts were 100w bulbs as well and ran with two relays. One relay controlled power off and on. Then the second relay was controlling hi and lo beams. 2 bulbs where aimed hi for hi beam position and the other 2 bulbs where aimed lo for my lo beam position. Now as for bulb life for the old 100w bulbs the last batch was in the range of 9 months to 1.5 years. 

 

Backup lights automatic to come on with the transmission shifted in Reverse or I had a switch that I could toggle the reverse lights for rear lighting, for example, hitching up a trailer in the dark. Lowering the spare tire in the dark. Lots of good uses for my rear axle lighting with a toggle switch. The rear axle light lasted a long long time being they are rarely turn on for very long.

Cool !

 

Im looking at bulbs ,https://www.1000bulbs.com/category/par36-sealed-beam-flood-lamps/

I have one 35w on my old chevy

Im looking at the 50w flood  to swap out for rear lights

 

Not sure what these Halco Haloxen's are looks like alittle brighter and longer lasting.. Flood or spot beam

https://www.1000bulbs.com/category/par36-halogen-xenon-reflector-flood-lights/

Edited December 28, 20177 yr by GSP7

Where is a good place to splice in the "toggle by pass switch" for the rear back up lights?

 

Is the only place to slice in,, right at the reverse switch on the transmission or is there a better closer place ?

 

 

That it. Right at the reverse switch.

I finally got my light bar mounted and hooked up. The cold today is brutal and trying to work without my hands going numb from the cold but I can't work with gloves on, gloves make it impossible to use hand tools for the most part. I am happy with the end results, given this is a cheap light bar and the sole purpose is to backup in my driveway. 

 

Aliens have landed

Looks like it works pretty good.  Did you use the brackets that came with it? . I wonder how you attached it under there?

 

I just received a couple lights in the mail today, but Rock Auto lost my other previous order for my neutral/back up switch, and rear abs speed sensor. Post office says they created a shipping label but never shipped the package.

Edited December 31, 20177 yr by GSP7

17 minutes ago, GSP7 said:

Looks like it works pretty good.  Did you use the brackets that came with it? . I wonder how you attached it under there?

 

I just received a couple lights in the mail today, but Rock Auto lost my other previous order for my neutral/back up switch, and rear abs speed sensor. Post office says they created a shipping label but never shipped the package.

 

I used square U bolts that fit over my receiver and made longer brackets to attach to my aluminum bracket. I tucked it up as high as possible. I used rubber spacers in between my brackets to reduce any vibration. 

 

 

Edited December 31, 20177 yr by Red Rambler

This is from my '01 FSM, so wire color may be wrong, but there should be a factory wire already at the rear for backup lights.  In this schematic, it is the violet black (vt/bk) wire.  This goes into the factory seven pin trailer connection. 

 

HTH,

 

Hag

2001 FSM Ram 8W-54-3.pdf

Hey Red,  Did you install a fuse https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Sea-Systems-Waterproof-Holder/dp/B004ZIUA62/ref=pd_bxgy_263_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B004ZIUA62&pd_rd_r=7Y7PGVS52W15KZ5S1X28&pd_rd_w=9bgQX&pd_rd_wg=fY1ml&psc=1&refRID=7Y7PGVS52W15KZ5S1X28

In you wiring with that water proof relay?

(1st post in this thread)  couple years ago I put light bar connected to hitch.  I KO'd it shortly later crawling into bed with my big foot.  Much better design in pics above with light being protected by something.  

Going to get another light someday but going to mount under somehow.  Thought I found a light at junk store that vibration wouldn't ever be a problem.  Light had a CAT number on it.  Looked it up online and found out it was 24 volt, so I passed.  

  

 

52 minutes ago, GSP7 said:

Hey Red,  Did you install a fuse https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Sea-Systems-Waterproof-Holder/dp/B004ZIUA62/ref=pd_bxgy_263_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B004ZIUA62&pd_rd_r=7Y7PGVS52W15KZ5S1X28&pd_rd_w=9bgQX&pd_rd_wg=fY1ml&psc=1&refRID=7Y7PGVS52W15KZ5S1X28

In you wiring with that water proof relay?

Yes, I sure did. That looks just like it as well.

37 minutes ago, 015point9 said:

(1st post in this thread)  couple years ago I put light bar connected to hitch.  I KO'd it shortly later crawling into bed with my big foot.  Much better design in pics above with light being protected by something.  

Going to get another light someday but going to mount under somehow.  Thought I found a light at junk store that vibration wouldn't ever be a problem.  Light had a CAT number on it.  Looked it up online and found out it was 24 volt, so I passed.  

  

 

The way I mounted mine it has a round rubber cushion that is between the light bar and the mounts. So vibrations should be limited, other than typical road bumps that shakes the whole truck. The green arrow below is pointing to the rubber cushion.

2 hours ago, GSP7 said:

Hey Red,  Did you install a fuse https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Sea-Systems-Waterproof-Holder/dp/B004ZIUA62/ref=pd_bxgy_263_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B004ZIUA62&pd_rd_r=7Y7PGVS52W15KZ5S1X28&pd_rd_w=9bgQX&pd_rd_wg=fY1ml&psc=1&refRID=7Y7PGVS52W15KZ5S1X28

In you wiring with that water proof relay?

After looking at that relay, I am pretty sure that is a cheapo. I would get this one. It is a Delphi and made in the USA for a few dollars more. That Amazon picture is deceiving.

Delphi USA Made fuse

Edited January 2, 20187 yr by Red Rambler