get a relay and run power to the relay and from relay to the lights, and for signal wire to switch the relay to power on you vampire tap one of the power wires for the stock lights. for grounds just ground to the hitch, bumper, or frame (depending on where your lights are mounted)

 

Whats a vampire tap? And how would I hook up a switch and have it hooked to the power wire on the tail lights

 

as for the switch: depends on how you want to do it.

do you want reverse lights to come on with the aux lights when switch is on, or do you want just the aux lights on with the switch?

 

Your best bet is to wire a relay into the stock reverse light wire and then run the power directly to the battery so that the relay triggers them to power on when the reverse lights come on.

Now, for the switch do you want to be able to turn them off so that they don't come on when you engage reverse (like if you are in a parking lot or something) or do you want the switch to be able to turn them on at any time, even if the truck isn't in reverse? Or, do you want both of those functions?

If you want them to come on at anytime, even if the truck isn't in reverse, then that one is easy. Since you should already have the bulbs grounded, all you will need to do is run a wire from the positive battery terminal to a two position normally open switch on the dash (or wherever) and then to the positive side of each bulb (it is basically a second power source).

If you just want to be able to turn them off so that they don't come on when reverse is engaged then that is easy too. All you have to do is take the positive wire from the battery terminal to a two position normally open switch, then to a normally open contact on the relay and then to the positive side of each bulb.

If you want both functions then you will need a three position switch with two normally open contacts. You then wire one of the scenarios above to one side of it and the other scenario to the other side so that you can have complete control.

Down = lights come on with reverse
Middle = lights off at all times
Up = lights are on at all times

I hope this helps. Let me know if you have any other questions. :thumbsup:

 

I want lights to come on like normal, but then if I want lights and am not in reverse flip the switch and voilà

 

That's very easy to do, just use my directions above. While you're at it you can go ahead and do option with the three position switch so you can turn them off if you're in town and backing out of a parking space or something. No sense in blinding other drivers in the parking lot or on the street. :thumbsup:

 

pretty much why I asked if you wanted reverse lights + aux lights on when you flip the switch but are not in reverse, or if you want just the aux lights on when you flip the switch..

difference between the two setups: one uses a diode and the other does not...

a diode only lets electricity flow in one direction so you can put power to the aux lights without power continuing to flow to the backup lights. however if the backup lights are powered, power will flow through the diode to power the aux lights. :thumbsup:

only difference. without a diode: power will come on to both whether triggered by reverse, or by the switch.

 

If he uses a relay then there would be no need for a diode. All he would have to do is hook up a second wire to the positive side of the bulb and through a switch to the battery. Then by flipping the switch he would be lighting the bulbs but the power would then just flow back up to the normally open side of the relay (and thus going nowhere). If he wires them directly into the reverse lights then yes, he would need to use a diode. :thumbsup:

 

So where would I put the diode at?

 

Vampire tap's are imported from Transylvania , expensive yes but worth it.

 

between the tap and the relay so power can't flow to the reverse lights from the relay if it is switched on from the toggle switch to light the aux lights.

I used a diode on my dirt bike headlight wiring so I could have low beam only power the low beam bulb, but high beam powers both the low beam and high beam bulbs So because of the diode, both lights aren't on when only the low beam bulb is powered because the diode is blocking that direction. But when high beam is powered the diode allows power to flow to the low beam bulb from the high beam bulb allowing both to be lit at once.


Basically just a more simplistic way of letting both happen rather than making the wiring more complicated than it has to be. diodes are cheap and easy to put into place. usually come labeled with an arrow for the direction they flow in.

 

Awesome thanks guys

 

Heck This was complicated...

I just added a toggle switch over the existing reverse switch then tapped the reverse lead for signal and then tapped the trailer + lead for power. Hooked up 100w floods to the rear axle done...

Mopar1973Man's Dodge Cummins Articles - Backup Lighting / Reverse Lights

 

Im wiring them to the reverse light too though

 

But you're doing that through a relay, if I read your posts correctly.

This means that the reverse light will only trigger a relay that is connected to the positive wire via a normally open contact. This means that when power is added to the bulb by bypassing the relay with another positive wire from the switch, the relay remains unenergized and the contacts remain open. This means that there will be no way for power to flow through the switch wire to the stock reverse lights. They are separate circuits.

 

O but wouldnt the power from the switch back feed to the lights

 

It can't, the stock lights will be on the circuit with the relay coil and the wire powering the lights will be on the circuit with the relay open contact. They don't cross each other but the relay coil will cause the contacts to become closed when it is energized. However, the coil can't be energized by power from the normally open contacts so it will not light up the stock reverse lights when you flip the switch.