Date:         Fri, 17 Jun 2011 18:03:23 -0500
Reply-To:     Jim Felder <jim.felder@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Jim Felder <jim.felder@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Idea for removable backup light wiring
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

I have a nice 3.5 x 7 inch Hella driving light that I would like to use as a
backup light when camping, loading boats in the dark, etc. I have mounted in
a Harbor Freight welder's magnet so I can stick it wherever I want to, but
my only real intent is to mount it on the bumper. But not permanently: I
don't want to drill a hole in the bumper, I want to be able to stand on the
bumper to load boats on the westy top, and I don't want anyone to steal it.
Also, I may get into a situation where I want it somewhere else on the car.

My brother and I were talking about how to wire it and we came up with the
idea to wire it into the trailer pigtail backup light. But, it turns out,
there isn't a backup light wire so that is not an option. The idea was to
get a trailer-side connector for when the light was in use. I suppose I
could tap into the running lights, but that could be awkward in some
situations where you wanted to be able to turn the light on and off. I also
thought about running a wire from the backup light switch, and having some
kind of a pigtail available cable-tied to the hitch bar, say. It would suit
me fine if, say, the light was on when the car was in reverse and the light
was plugged in. I don't see operating it with a dedicated switch.

I was also just thinking about taking a spare driver's side tail light and
drilling out and fitting some kind of through-the-lens plug that was sealed
and wouldn't get water into the electrical part, and also would not be
susceptible to road dirt and water. That way I could wire the plug to the
backup light and simply plug into the reflector part of the left rear lamp
when it came time to back down a logging road.

The Hella is not conveniently enough to adjust the aim to think that the
lamp would be useful in a lot of different places. It takes a wrench to
change it. I spend about a month or five weeks a year driving and sleeping
into this thing. I am into simplicity and dependability. I just want to
stick this on a rear bumper so I can see where I am backing, though it might
be interesting to have an adapter to plug into a cigar lighter socket to
have light elsewhere around the car, but I digress.

Any thoughts or ideas on types of connectors that would help or where they
would be wired? I only have one switch slot open on the dash (it's a diesel
westy, 83) and I am reserving that for something else.

Jim