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Back up lights [message #309035]

Wed, 19 October 2016 04:31

Ken Burton

Messages: 10030
Registered: January 2004
Location: Hebron, Indiana

Karma: 10

Senior Member

I installed a pair of 6 LED 18 watt Cree driving lights on the front of my GMC and loved them. I decided to replace them with a pair of 12 LED 36 watt LEDs. I took the removed 6 LED ones and mounted them on the rear of the GMC to be used as backup lights. (Do not park to close to me or I'll melt the paint on your vehicle with them.)

The problem I have is accessing the back up light circuit to get power for them. I removed the left rear tail light from the outside and the socket assembly is riveted in place. Then I looked to the inside for access. I have a permanent bed back there and it will be a big job getting it out to get access that way.

So I'm looking for ideas on how to get to the back up power wire.

Ken Burton - N9KB
76 Palm Beach
Hebron, Indiana

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Re: [GMCnet] Back up lights [message #309040 is a reply to message #309035]

Wed, 19 October 2016 11:00

sgltrac

Messages: 2797
Registered: April 2011

Karma: 1

Senior Member

Can you grab the wire midship along the drivers side wall in the cabinet
and go out the floor with it and back?

Sully
77 eleganza 2
Seattle

On Wednesday, October 19, 2016, Ken Burton wrote:

> I installed a pair of 6 LED 18 watt Cree driving lights on the front of my
> GMC and loved them. I decided to replace them with a pair of 12 LED 36
> watt LEDs. I took the removed 6 LED ones and mounted them on the rear of
> the GMC to be used as backup lights. (Do not park to close to me or I'll
> melt the paint on your vehicle with them.)
>
> The problem I have is accessing the back up light circuit to get power for
> them. I removed the left rear tail light from the outside and the socket
> assembly is riveted in place. Then I looked to the inside for access. I
> have a permanent bed back there and it will be a big job getting it out to
> get access that way.
>
> So I'm looking for ideas on how to get to the back up power wire.
> --
> Ken Burton - N9KB
> 76 Palm Beach
> Hebron, Indiana
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
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Sully 77 Royale basket case. Future motorhome land speed record holder(bucket list) Seattle, Wa.

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Re: Back up lights [message #309056 is a reply to message #309035]

Wed, 19 October 2016 17:10

Gail Marks Cruiser

Messages: 125
Registered: August 2009
Location: Gold Coast, Australia

Karma: 0

Senior Member

G'day Ken, We mounted reversing LED's under the back of our G.M.C. and used the trailer hitch wiring.

Mark Bennett Gail & Mark's Cruiser Gold Coast, Australia. Motorhoming Lifestyle.com

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Re: [GMCnet] Back up lights [message #309059 is a reply to message #309056]

Wed, 19 October 2016 18:21

Kingsley Coach

Messages: 2691
Registered: March 2009
Location: Nova Scotia Canada

Karma: -34

Senior Member

Ken

Years ago there were UHaul light bulbs..they had a small wire coming out of
the top or the metal where it joins the glass. A 1157 for example would
have 2 wires and was fitted by removing the car tail light lens and putting
in the bulb. The small wire(s) was dangling outside the lens and connected
to the trailer to operate the assorted lights.

If you can find a couple of these, could you drill down and slip a wire out
the bottom somewhere to connect to your lights.

Normal trailer wiring doesn't allow for back up lights so I'm not sure what
Mark did...but check with him first..it would be easier

Mike in NS

On Wed, Oct 19, 2016 at 7:10 PM, Mark Bennett
wrote:

> G'day Ken, We mounted reversing LED's under the back of our G.M.C. and
> used the trailer hitch wiring.
> --
> Mark Bennett
> Gail & Mark's Cruiser
> Gold Coast, Australia.
> Motorhoming Lifestyle.com
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>

--
Michael Beaton
1977 Kingsley 26-11
1977 Eleganza II 26-3
Antigonish, NS

Life is too short to hold a grudge; slash some tires and call it even !
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Re: [GMCnet] Back up lights [message #309065 is a reply to message #309059]

Wed, 19 October 2016 21:40

Bullitthead

Messages: 1411
Registered: November 2013

Karma: 5

Senior Member

Do it the easy way...get 2 of the little flat panel LED arrays that have the bayonet base for 1156 type bulbs and wires out to the panel. Tap into those wires with your own and run them to your auxiliary LED lights, and stick the LED panels(double stick foam tape is already on the panels)inside the back up light part of the taillight. The U-Haul wired lights occurred to me when I read your post this morning, but as Mike said they were for 1157 bulbs. You could use a set of those if you bridge the bulb terminals with solder and grind off the offset lug on the base, but that is really a gerry-rigged type of solution that doesn't hold the bulb in very well.

These are what I am referring to:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009E1BW08/ref=pd_sbs_263_2?ie=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B009E1BW08&pd_rd_r=FHGVMXM1RMTVBN4Q9Z37&pd_rd_w=DCOXm&pd _rd_wg=pueq1&psc=1&refRID=FHGVMXM1RMTVBN4Q9Z37

And:
https://www.amazon.com/Light-Motorhome-Dome-Ba15s-Trailer/dp/B00HSHWPXI/ref=sr_1_48?ie=UTF8&qid=1476931276&sr=8-48&keywords=1156+LED

Terry Kelpien ASE Master Technician 73 Glacier 260 Smithfield, Va.

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Re: [GMCnet] Back up lights [message #309067 is a reply to message #309065]

Wed, 19 October 2016 21:58

Bullitthead

Messages: 1411
Registered: November 2013

Karma: 5

Senior Member

And trailer wiring for hydraulic surge brakes will include a reverse power wire to engage the brake bypass solenoid.

Terry Kelpien ASE Master Technician 73 Glacier 260 Smithfield, Va.

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Re: [GMCnet] Back up lights [message #309072 is a reply to message #309067]

Wed, 19 October 2016 23:50

Ken Burton

Messages: 10030
Registered: January 2004
Location: Hebron, Indiana

Karma: 10

Senior Member

Thanks for all of the neat ideas. I do NOT have back up lights available at my trailer wiring harness. I already checked that. So that way is out.

The Uhaul lights gave me an idea. I'm thinking about removing one of existing back up light bulbs and making an adapter out of an 1156 bulb. I also think I might have one of those around that is used for some of the flat panel LED lights that I used inside. With either of these I could, as suggested, drill a small hole and run a wire into the rear of the existing light housing and out the bottom of the coach.

I'm not ignoring the suggestion of finding the wire as it runs along the left side of the coach and tapping into it. That will be Plan B.

Thank you everyone.

Ken Burton - N9KB
76 Palm Beach
Hebron, Indiana

[Updated on: Wed, 19 October 2016 23:51]

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Re: [GMCnet] Back up lights [message #309075 is a reply to message #309072]

Thu, 20 October 2016 04:56

midlf

Messages: 2212
Registered: July 2007
Location: SE Wisc. (Palmyra)

Karma: 1

Senior Member

JWID - picked up the B/U circuit under the dash. Ran it, and a hot, to a 1P2T center off switch. That is a AUTO-OFF-ON control for the auxilary B/U light. Ran the wiring out and under the coach in split flex tube. The tube is oversized and filled with extra wires. The extras are used for some additions and as spares for when I get other wild ideas.

Steve Southworth
1974 Glacier TZE064V100150 (for workin on)
1975 Transmode TZE365V100394 (parts & spares)
Palmyra WI

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Re: Back up lights [message #309079 is a reply to message #309035]

Thu, 20 October 2016 08:32

Jim Wagner

Messages: 339
Registered: February 2004
Location: Brook Park, Oh

Karma: 0

Senior Member

Ken If you aren't going to use the original backup bulbs I would solder a new pigtail to the center contact in the backup socket. I would then glue a piece of plastic tubing into the socket to keep the wire from grounding against the socket.

Jim Wagner
Brook Park, oh
76 500GMC
71 355Vega
69 383Vette

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Re: Back up lights [message #309085 is a reply to message #309079]

Thu, 20 October 2016 09:33

Jp Benson

Messages: 649
Registered: October 2011
Location: Fla

Karma: 2

Senior Member

Why go through all the trouble when plugin solutions are out there? Only if you want the fun of doing your own thing. At one time it made sense because 1156 LED backup bulbs weren't very bright. Some of those older wimpy bulbs are still out there but now there are lots of very bright options as well.

JP

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Re: Back up lights [message #309117 is a reply to message #309085]

Thu, 20 October 2016 18:12

Ken Burton

Messages: 10030
Registered: January 2004
Location: Hebron, Indiana

Karma: 10

Senior Member

Jp Benson wrote on Thu, 20 October 2016 09:33

Why go through all the trouble when plugin solutions are out there? Only if you want the fun of doing your own thing. At one time it made sense because 1156 LED backup bulbs weren't very bright. Some of those older wimpy bulbs are still out there but now there are lots of very bright options as well.

JP

What are those options?

Ken Burton - N9KB
76 Palm Beach
Hebron, Indiana

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Re: Back up lights [message #309118 is a reply to message #309079]

Thu, 20 October 2016 18:19

Ken Burton

Messages: 10030
Registered: January 2004
Location: Hebron, Indiana

Karma: 10

Senior Member

Jim Wagner wrote on Thu, 20 October 2016 08:32

Ken If you aren't going to use the original backup bulbs I would solder a new pigtail to the center contact in the backup socket. I would then glue a piece of plastic tubing into the socket to keep the wire from grounding against the socket.

Jim Wagner
Brook Park, oh
76 500GMC
71 355Vega
69 383Vette

I found one already made up for $1.04. I ordered two of them. Using this, rather than soldering will make my changes reversible back to stock.

I would still like to be able to get to the back of the existing socket or the wire running to it, but this will probably work OK.

Ken Burton - N9KB
76 Palm Beach
Hebron, Indiana

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Re: Back up lights [message #309120 is a reply to message #309117]

Thu, 20 October 2016 18:42

Jp Benson

Messages: 649
Registered: October 2011
Location: Fla

Karma: 2

Senior Member

[quote title=Ken Burton wrote on Thu, 20 October 2016 18:12]Jp Benson wrote on ... now there are lots of very bright options as well.

JP
[/quote

What are those options?

Ken,

google 1156 led backup lights

Check out some of the utube side by side views.
Lots to choose from. Avoid the rosette style bulbs. They weren't very bright in my opinion.

I did a custom fit with a HF trailer LED kit. Nice result but too much effort.

JP

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