Routing cable for roof mounted lights?

[g5k]

For the life of me can't find anything using search but sure this has been covered. Planning on mounting some worklights to my rack...is there an easy way to get the cable routed?

[Tombie]

Up inside the A pillar trim and then under the metal strip on the roof

[g5k]

Thinking of going the Lightforce ROK 20 or 40s

[Tombie]

Thinking of going the Lightforce ROK 20 or 40s

Wouldn't waste my money on them...

Plenty around here, yellowed or leaking and full of condensation.

Google: Stedi

Cheaper, great service, solid product and well priced.

[Russrobe]

I wanted mine at the rear so just went through the existing grommet. Actually wiring the switch right now.

Just going to mount it in one of the side cubby holes in the boot though as it will only be needed when parked up to setup camp at night.

Some people like to use them as reverse lights too, in which case I'd put the switch in the dash...

[Tombie]

I wanted mine at the rear so just went through the existing grommet. Actually wiring the switch right now.

Just going to mount it in one of the side cubby holes in the boot though as it will only be needed when parked up to setup camp at night.

Some people like to use them as reverse lights too, in which case I'd put the switch in the dash...

Not if you want them legal [emoji6]

[Russrobe]

If you're going to use them as reverse lights will they be legal no matter how you wire them? Definitely no point wiring them into high beam circuit as they will never get used.

[LandyAndy]

Aarron40 has a single led worklamp on the rack adjacent to his awning,very effective.
Andrew

[BMKal]

Yes - you can wire them so that they are "legal" as reversing lights. [wink11]

Simply power them through a relay, triggered by your existing reversing lights. You can even have a separate power feed to the lights so that you can switch them on for camping etc - but this switch MUST NOT be able to be operated from the driver's seat. I've got an LED light I've been meaning to mount off my rear wheel carrier for a while (will eventually get around to it [biggrin]). This will have dual feed circuits - one via a relay triggered by the existing reversing lights, and one from a switch mounted inside the tailgate.

The circuit triggered by the existing reversing lights will also have a switch in the front so that I can turn the LED light OFF and NOT have it activated with the original reversing lights if I don't want it to come on. This is legal - provided that I cannot turn the LED light ON independently of the original reversing lights.

[g5k]

I wanted mine at the rear so just went through the existing grommet.

Hey mate do you mind explaining this as I'm keen to add one at rear too. Cheers.

[g5k]

Google: Stedi

Cheaper, great service, solid product and well priced.

Look awesome thanks for the heads up will be ordering from them.

[LandyAndy]

Yes - you can wire them so that they are "legal" as reversing lights. [wink11]

Simply power them through a relay, triggered by your existing reversing lights. You can even have a separate power feed to the lights so that you can switch them on for camping etc - but this switch MUST NOT be able to be operated from the driver's seat. I've got an LED light I've been meaning to mount off my rear wheel carrier for a while (will eventually get around to it [biggrin]). This will have dual feed circuits - one via a relay triggered by the existing reversing lights, and one from a switch mounted inside the tailgate.

The circuit triggered by the existing reversing lights will also have a switch in the front so that I can turn the LED light OFF and NOT have it activated with the original reversing lights if I don't want it to come on. This is legal - provided that I cannot turn the LED light ON independently of the original reversing lights.

My workute has a pair of LED worklites in the headboard.I use them as reverse lights when its dark.Nice and bright,simple dash switch so not legal I guess.Great for call outs at nite when you have to cut a tree up,you can park the ute with the headlites on in the oncoming traffic direction and safely work behind the ute.Have in the past with another ute been working cutting a tree up with the headlights to see,hazzard lights on ond roof beacons going.Spotted a car approaching at speed,just got clear as it ploughed thru the tree without stopping.Fortunatley for the driver I was parked infront of the main trunk,they went thru the tops,spectacular!!!!
Andrew

[Russrobe]

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2017/03/231.jpg

Sliced a little cut in this for the cable, pull down the plastic cover the rear cabin light is in and poke the cable down the slice.

Partially remove rear door seal carefully!(whichever side you've chosen to run the cable to) Grab the hard part of the seal only, the soft part will tear with enough force.


Run cable down.

Grabe near the cigarette lighter socket and pull back gently but firmly to release a couple of retaining clips on the side panel and feed cable through to the side pocket.

Job done.

Still cleaning up the wiring on my roof rack...

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2017/03/232.jpg

You get the idea though.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2017/03/233.jpg

I've found this braided wrap much better around moving areas than the harder stuff, which snapped the cables on my rear parking sensor on the RWC after only a few uses. It just snags too easily.

[Russrobe]

If you don't have a roof rack you could go underneath the metal strips, where i have a void..

[AndrewM]

I wanted mine at the rear so just went through the existing grommet. Actually wiring the switch right now.

Just going to mount it in one of the side cubby holes in the boot though as it will only be needed when parked up to setup camp at night.

...

On my D3 I powered a small spot mounted on the back of the Rhino platform from behind the 12V socket above the LH rear cubby hole. This socket had been "Traxided" to the auxiliary battery. I put a small switch next to the power socket and ran the double insulated twin core cable out through the LH rear tail light grommet, then up and out from behind the tail light assembly and up the outside of the bodywork next to the tail gate seal. I tacked the wire to the bodywork with a bit of silicon. Sounds a bit agricultural, but it was really hard to see unless you went looking for it, especially as it not an area then usually gets washed[wink11].

At the top, the cable went in under the end of the Rhino roof rail bracket and out into the rail track where it was finished off with a female Deutsch. When in use I'd just plug in the light which had a male Deutch, and when not in use, the cable and plug would sit neatly in the track.

Andrew

[Russrobe]

Do you have a Traxide kit G5K? I did the same thing as Andrew and spliced into the Traxide 2nd powered socket cables.

[g5k]

Thanks guys really appreciate the help.

@Russrobe no I don't have a Traxide haven't really learnt about them yet have been learning quickly about everything. More reading in between spending :)

[Russrobe]

Dual battery kit. If you get one, get the full kit, for the extra flexibility it's well worth the money.

You could just steal the power from the rear cigarette lighter for the time being, just won't have a constant power feed.

[g5k]

Thanks for that just having a quick read on their site and see there are lots of options to confuse newbies, what your suggesting sounds smart.

I'm also thinking for my first trip I could probably use one of these for the rear work light to support using the rear 12v. I've got a couple of these at work that we use to run a camera and they last forever.

Anker | Astro Pro2 20000mAh Portable Charger | Silver (https://www.anker.com/products/79AN20L-SA)

[Russrobe]

For our first few trips we just used one of those jump starter packs with air compressor. Backup air compressor, backup battery and 2 cigaretter lighters for power.

I'd use what you've got though.

If you just call the number on the website when you're ready Tim will let you know what you need.

[g5k]

Okay so have received my lights I ordered through Stedi and started taking a look today at how to do the light bar piggy backing off the high beam today. Watching a YouTube clip on how to take the lights out can see that there is a round plug that connects to the headlight not what I was hoping for. The harness they provide has a h3, h4 and maybe something else option. Is there an easy way to do this with the D4 or am I going to need to see an auto electrician.

[Tombie]

Strip back the required wire and solder the take off wire.
Then stick the earth to the earth point.

[g5k]

Installed the front bar today was all very seamless and looking forward to taking it out for a spin in the dark.

Still to work out how to get the switch into the car, is there an image or a diagram on where this mystical hole in the firewall wise men speak of?

Also have to decide if I'm going to wire the daylight running light across the top and if I'm just going to have it all come on together or wire separately to come on with daylights.

Gratuitous pics

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2017/04/512.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2017/04/513.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2017/04/514.jpg

[LRD414]

.... ran the double insulated twin core cable out through the LH rear tail light grommet, then up and out from behind the tail light assembly and up the outside of the bodywork next to the tail gate seal. I tacked the wire to the bodywork with a bit of silicon. Sounds a bit agricultural, but it was really hard to see unless you went looking for it, especially as it not an area then usually gets washed.

At the top, the cable went in under the end of the Rhino roof rail bracket and out into the rail track where it was finished off with a female Deutsch. When in use I'd just plug in the light which had a male Deutch, and when not in use, the cable and plug would sit neatly in the track.

Andrew

Could you take a couple of photos of the external cable routing from taillight up to roof please Andrew.

Regards,
Scott

[AndrewM]

Could you take a couple of photos of the external cable routing from taillight up to roof please Andrew.

Regards,
Scott

Sorry Scott, but it is on the D3 which I sold 18 months ago. I haven't replicated this on the D4 yet.