I have a 2002 f150....I want to hook up some auxilary back up lights for when I back up my trailers....preferably under the reat bumper....some powerfull halogens...plus I was a pair of aux up front for greater illumination when needed.......where exactly do I pull my power from....I will need to run it into the drivers compartment to switches......I want these light independant of other factory lights.......and i want them to be fused. preferably through a fuse box already in the truck...........is there possibly a power source I can tap into already in the rear?....... thanks....bob

 

Since you wish to have the auxiliary/backup lights be independent of stock lights I believe you should run power directly from the battery. This might be necessary anyway because of the current draw of the "powerful hallogens" you mentioned. One could bump up the fuse rating and tap into stock harness but that's usually a bad idea LOL.

Still, do you wish them to be completely independent as in turned on only with a switch or independent as in separate wiring but still activated by putting the truck in reverse? If dependent of reverse then a relay and a tap into stock backup wiring will be necessary.

In any case, a fuse between the battery (+) and the lights will be required. Running a hot source from the battery to the rear might be a pain but I think it's safer than tapping into the rear lights. Someone correct me if I'm wrong..

 

definately dont want them wired in with the regular back up lights.......Id be blinding everyone when I was backing up and didnt have a trailer on the back (90% of the time)......plus if I got a guy with his high beems balsting me from behind and or on my but, I could flash him off with a warning ........bob

 

Well in that case it's pretty simple. Just get an inline fuse, a switch, relay, and wiring for hot and ground for a typical "fog light setup". Go to the12volt.com, they have some very clear diagrams of basic setups. I learned all I needed for an air horn/siren alarm connection from there, pretty cool site.

 

i put some small import style fogs on my receiver hitch (55w each). i mounted the brackets with metal hose clamps. took the power feed from the trailer plug. the back up wire is already set up from the factory with a fuse and i just let them come on all the time when i put it in reverse. i was going to put a switch in parallel with the DTR (back up lamp switch) but felt i didn't need it. have had them on for 2 years with no problems

 

Be careful about adding aux. backup lights to the existing circuit by simply tapping into it. Your existing backup lights are relatively low power (draw) and are wired accordingly. Adding 55 to 100 watt backup lights generally leads to too much current draw through your existing circuit and smoked parts. If you're going to add high zoot stuff, do it properly with a separate power source and relay protected switch.

 

If you have the stock trailer harness, the back with a light green stripe ( F150 01 EVTM ) has the backup circuit right at the 7 pin harness.
This is what I used for the SPDT switch option of lights on with reverse.
This is a seperate fused connection. BTW: The stock backup circuit does not even like .5 of an amp additional draw on it. I tested this theory by adding one of my LED backup lamps, and it would not run at full brightness. I just wanted to know how little could be added, and this was not even it. A coil on a relay does work through. The backup lamps I used are the Truck Lite LED ones, DOT rated for single lamp usage ( so I have 2 times the light, which is a serious amount ). Pictures of them in my gallery below.

Good luck
[edit to add pictures]
https://www.f150online.com/galleries...1916-44080.jpg
https://www.f150online.com/galleries...1916-68701.jpg
https://www.f150online.com/galleries...1916-68702.jpg

This is basically what I have, but my SPDT switch is in the back rather then in the front. I used the power leads from the trailer harness for the power to the switch, so it is fused seperate from my actualy lights. The LED lamps pull 1 AMP each, so the load is not that geat.
https://www.f150online.com/galleries...2028-60839.jpg

 

If you get a system that's designed properly, you shouldn't have any problems. KC, for example, makes a nice system (2" x 6" 55W lights) that tucks under the bumper nicely, and most are easy to wire up. Yes, you tap into the existing back-up light wiring, but only for the signal. The power is from whatever 12V source you choose (battery, or in my case, of the hot stud in the power distribution box). You can wire a switch in-line so that it requires both the tranny in reverse and you hitting the switch to turn the aux lights on. Hope this helps.

 

I am going to look at lights today.....and will check out what the instructions say about installing them....I dont want them hooked into my reverse lights!!!! for several reason...I dont want to blast people in the parking lots I park in just because they are wire direct!...plus I want to be able to but my boat in the water leave the lights on and put the truck in park and get out and have light around the boat and trailer while I unload and load the boat....plus if I have some jerk on my *** or he is blinding me with his high beams i can blast him to back off or turn off his highs.....I like the versatility of the switch....thansk for the tips guys...now to decide if I mount them on the ladder rack bars( on the underside) or I install them down under the bumper some how.....where I had them on my old truck ( but they got busted a few times backing into snow banks)........bob

 

well I picked up a set today. An American Products Inc set of low profile fog lights... they had a bout 7 or 8 different styles and they offered replacement bulbs for them , up to 100 watts! Its a nice kit, although I cant use it the way it was designed , because the wireing is only long enough to hook up in the front....I have an 8 foot bed and a super cab on my f150!....It has an on-off switch, a newer style fused link, a relay, and a quick disconnect wiring harness to the switch, with its own power and ground!......I spent a little more and a heavy duty chromed set no plastic......they are like cats eyes. I bought some extra wire and connector to run the rest of the way back...will try to install sunday....A thunder storm just rolled in, other wise I would have strted.......the F150 already has holes in the underside of the bumper near the outside edges where i will mount them....so now to pick a place in the fuse panel and where to screw the relay to, and the grounds to.......bob

 

post pic when done

 

got it done!....used #14 solid copper wire(because I had it.) the system was designed as front fog lights so the harness wasnt even close to being long enough..had to sanke it down the firewall and ran it along the wiring harness running to the tail lights....talk about sand in the eyes!...the solid wire wasnt too bad to snake through all the opening, braided wire would have been a much much bigger pain.You have to be carefull not to shave the coating on the wires running though all the sharp edges......the system was designed to pull power for the switch off the parking light group, but I wires that power straight to battery just like the light power.....I just got in 5 minutes ago when it started to drizzle...now its pouring cats and dogs!!!! just in time......bob

https://www.f150online.com/galleries....cfm?gnum=4466

 

Bob,

You are going to love that mounting location. It will really kick out the light ( with fogs ) like my LED backup lamps do.
Might want to reconsider the power to the switch. Either stick with the parking lamps to power the switch, or use a hot in run position to keep from hitting the switch, and killing the battery. At least that is what would happen to me, I am a dope like that

Great job, keep up with the mods !!