2012 F150, with trailer hitch and wiring,
I want to add (a) backup light(s) that will give enough light so I can actually see where I am going.

I'm thinking of adding a utility light or two (or maybe a set of fog lights) below the back bumper, and getting power from the backup light circuit in the 7 pin trailer wiring harness.

I looked at a some lights that varied anywhere from $12-$89 for one, and my questions are:

1. Is there any good reason why I should not do this? (It may be confusing backing up a trailer in the dark, with a lot of light between.)

2. Could that circuit be good enough to carry a 55 watt light, or two?

3. Is there some better way to do it?

Thanks in advance.

 

I bought some of these http://www.ebay.com/itm/18W-LED-Flood-beam-Work-Light-Offroad-12V-24V-Truck-SUV-Jeep-Boat-UTE-4WD-Lamp-/310618817586?_trksid=p2050601.m2372&_trkparms=aid%3D111000%26algo%3DREC.CURRENT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D207%26meid%3D7342286000418756292%26pid%3D100085%26prg%3D1112%26rk%3D3%26sd%3D121050376229%26%26clkid%3D7342287037569215399&_qi=RTM1303754to put under my bumper. Planning on just running it to a switch in the cab. I dont always need better light backing up and planning on using them as a kind of work light too. I used to have a company truck that had lights under the bumper and I towed a trailer with it everyday and let me tell you it made those early morning hook ups a ton easier.

 

With that in mind, don't do too much fabrication until you've tried them out at night. The last you want is a blinding reflection from the trailer making it even harder to see.

 

Good plan.
The picture does to show the mounting hardware/method.
Is it a single bolt that can be hung on one of the existing bolts?
Or something special?

TIA

 

Yes, I wanted it to be automatic but recognize that sometime it might not be good to have it be automatic.

 

For the complete separate add on, manual switch, Where is the simplest place to get power from?

 

Battery with a relay

 

Why not have the best of both worlds then?

You can have it "automatic" and "manual" for those times you might not want them on.

Use a relay and a 3 way switch. One pole of the switch gets a constant 12V, the other pole gets a reverse signal from someplace. This is the hardest part, you gotta find a wire somewhere in the cab area that is hot only in reverse. These come out of tranny control modules, etc. Never done it on an F150, you might need the factory wiring diagrams to figure it out.

Then the switch goes out to the triggering pole of the relay. Power from battery to relay. Load (lights) to the load pole of the relay and ground the relay someplace. A bit involved but worth it and a very flexible solution.

 

I guess it could be connected to the backup wire in the trailer wiring. It would need two wires up to the switch in the cab.

 

I just ran wires for my back up camera. I ran them along the other wiring that runs from the cab to the rear on the drivers side. There is a grommet under the carpet on the drivers side you can put them through easy enough. I spliced into the reverse with by the drivers side kick panel. Lucky for me it was on the outside of the wire bundle.