Upgrade Reversing light
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g4r1
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Hi, thinking to add work light under the bumper. Was wondering where did you get the feed from? how did you run the wire to the outside of the van?
Piggyback the existing reversing light wire and I earthed it to the tow bar earth. Came from behind the light cluster then zip tied behind the bumper.
Cant remember the exact details but I'm no wizard, if I can do it anyone can.
Having read this thread, I checked my rear lights and have two reversing lights yet many only say they have one, and one fog light (not checked those).
My van has barn doors. Am I missing something or interpreting other posts wrongly?
Even with two, they’re not up to much! CICMOD leds about to be ordered!
My van has barn doors. Am I missing something or interpreting other posts wrongly?
Even with two, they’re not up to much! CICMOD leds about to be ordered!
My lights are old style incandescent bulbs and there are two reverse lights. Its an early T6 EU6 with barn doors.
Is my van abnormal?
Is my van abnormal?
I want to get the sequential led rears from THQ and was thinking of going for the smoked black ones as going for a black theme on my silver camper but wonder whether the smoked red might look good. Anybody have either of these ideally on a silver tailgate van they could post some photos of?
@Tourershine they look great on yours but those are red right?
@Tourershine they look great on yours but those are red right?
Correct. The smoked are pretty discrete though.
After much trial and error I have now fitted these to my 2016 Caravelle
955 Twenty20 Impact Canbus LED 12V W16W Bulb
The retailer advised me that 'the bulbs you need are known as a 955 bulb'. I initially ordered some that were too wide in fitment.
Not very clear from the photo but they are WAY brighter (new bulb fitted on the right).
955 Twenty20 Impact Canbus LED 12V W16W Bulb
The retailer advised me that 'the bulbs you need are known as a 955 bulb'. I initially ordered some that were too wide in fitment.
Not very clear from the photo but they are WAY brighter (new bulb fitted on the right).
If it is dry and clear, with no traffic, revising in the dark, on normal A roads, is not too bad I find. It is worse on rain sodden nights, when the mirrors and windows splattered with rain, particularity, if misted as well. It becomes even worse in similar conditions on unclassified C roads if head lamps from cars coming from behind are causing glare. Reversing on very narrow roads and trying to make way, for an on coming vehicle, that may not have dipped, who then drives, close and in tandem while you are trying to see back, exceptionally difficult! Reversing up a farm tracks, at night in the rain even more difficult, particularly, if one has to negotiate bends and brush past overhanging branches. If the verges are unmarked and the tracks are not deep and the edges unclear, staying true very is difficult. On deeply rutted tracks, it is a doddle.
My Landrover 101FC was very easy to reverse in the dark. I put lorry rubber light reversing lamps on. Legal but large reflectors, with a very good spread of low even light. Practically unbreakable. I have considered looking for a lamp the could be pressed up hard, against the rear window of the T6, that just plugged into a cig socket. It would need pressing up, very close to the window or it would make things worse. Another option, is a magnetic mount or suction mount on the outside rear . Possibly on the driver or passenger doors These would only be put in place as needed. In the country, it would be OK on tracks. Off road, proper mounted and switched work lamps would be very much better, even Hella fogs. Hella used to sell, medium large round e marked reversing lamps. They looked almost identical to round medium sized fogs. .
On road, its just improve the bulbs I guess. Would it be legal, to blank off, the existing reversing lamps and mount separate, good quality reversing lamps? In an appropriate place of course. I have also wondered if one might do the same for the useless front fog lamps. With the latter Hella 3000 or similar or Cibie Super Osca Fogs. That sort of thing, mounted a bit higher.
My Landrover 101FC was very easy to reverse in the dark. I put lorry rubber light reversing lamps on. Legal but large reflectors, with a very good spread of low even light. Practically unbreakable. I have considered looking for a lamp the could be pressed up hard, against the rear window of the T6, that just plugged into a cig socket. It would need pressing up, very close to the window or it would make things worse. Another option, is a magnetic mount or suction mount on the outside rear . Possibly on the driver or passenger doors These would only be put in place as needed. In the country, it would be OK on tracks. Off road, proper mounted and switched work lamps would be very much better, even Hella fogs. Hella used to sell, medium large round e marked reversing lamps. They looked almost identical to round medium sized fogs. .
On road, its just improve the bulbs I guess. Would it be legal, to blank off, the existing reversing lamps and mount separate, good quality reversing lamps? In an appropriate place of course. I have also wondered if one might do the same for the useless front fog lamps. With the latter Hella 3000 or similar or Cibie Super Osca Fogs. That sort of thing, mounted a bit higher.
Reversing lights aren't tested in the MOT, so yes. Although it might be better to keep the existing lights for day time reversing, then have your auxiliary light fed through a relay that's triggered by the headlights being on.
I've recently fitted the Twenty20 LED bulbs in my Velle, and they are loads better than the standard incandescent bulbs.
Thank you, dubber36, for your answer. You are probably right about maintaining the original lights, for normal use. They are there, they indicate to others ones intentions, to reverse, which is the main part of their function. I accept your advice concerning MOT. However the Law covering vehicle lighting, which I admit to not having read recently. Covers reversing lights, stating suitability, wattage, position and restricts the number of lights to 2 only. I am also concerned that any changes that I make to the vehicle, does not inconvenience any other road users. Perhaps another way might be to use the existing lights as you suggest but include a feed from the existing to another pair of quality reverse lights via some sort of switch relay. All a little theoretical at the moment perhaps I do like to explore alternative possibilities Perhaps just an additional set of lights from a relay and switch that one can operate at those poor condition times. That this light can only operate when reversing so does not remain on when driving forward, has a tell tail light or timer and operation switch.
3 Rear view cameras.
Something that I have coincided and mulled over in my mind and which might be far more useful. I have always thought that mirrors are old tech and should just be reduced to a back up, fail safe, no pun intended. I do not think in this day and age, that we should need to have our eyes stray too far from our normal direction of travel. I rarely turn around when reversing and have a tenancy to rely only on my mirrors. Which is what most do when lane changing any way though it is safer to side glance as well.
I would like to have 3 cameras. Perhaps one mounted on or near each side mirror and a third mounted inside the vehicle but close to the rear window. This third camera, would be placed so that the rear screen wiper maintains a clear via at all times. I would want separate monitors, one for each camera placed ahead of the instrument binnacle. These cameras, would be live when the ignition is on or via a switch. The latter, having a switch, might allow a view outside when parked up at night, when screen covers, normally obscure the view outside. The cameras naturally would have night capability with Infra red illuminators.
The advantages of 3 cameras are, Constant, clear, uninterrupted, rear view, day or night, rain or shine. They have a wide angle. Most if not all blind spots are eliminated. There is no need of addition lighting, that might otherwise present legal challenge or the additional safety risks, of potentially spoiling another road users view. The cameras can provide additional security, when camping or parked up. The placement of separate monitors or a screen with multiple camera view capability increases. driving safety, because one could maintain a view ahead and only diverting ones eyes by very small angle when checking the rear.
For me the disadvantage are. Finding the 3 most suitable cameras and screens or multiple view screen? Plumbing the kit in. I lack the fantastic abilities displayed by many on this site. By comparison. I am a bit cak handed.
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As I can see.
I would like to try something a little more legal. I would be a hypocrite, having expressed concerns about the use of after market LED headlamp bulbs or kits. If I then resorted to the same, for reversing lights, just because it is convenient for me to do so. I should at least exhaust, all other avenues first, before, swallowing humble pie or suffering self condemnation for even considering it. I accept that the reversing light problem solution, is not of the same order of magnitude of discrepancy as with headlamps. They are on, for a relatively short time after all. The benefits might far out way the bad points and so on. I feel that lighting regulations have been put there for the benefits and safety of all. I realise that they make mistakes or are over zealous at times. The problem might be, as good as the after market LED bulbs might be for ones own personal use, how much do these things compromise the driving safety of others? It is all a balance of course and I have made a rod for my own back I accept that. Perhaps someone using them in reversing lamps should only receive 3 strokes of the CAT instead of the 100 for headlamps use.
At the end of the day, the manufacturers are at fault, as usual. They could provide far better lights, that meet regulations and provide the maximum allowed light to fall efficiently where it should. They should not fall down the path of providing food for the vain, in satisfying purely dubious aesthetic tastes. Every vehicle should have the best lights full stop. There should be no or very little choice. A cheap noddy car or van, should have equally as good lights a s the most expensive supercar, full stop. Our T6 are far from cheap. On the contrary, they are exceedingly expensive, even the lowest cheapest versions.
Manufacturers participate, in the joint committee for standards. they should do better.
That’s not correct, reversing lamps are checked in an MOT.
MOT inspection manual: cars and passenger vehicles - 4. Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment - Guidance - GOV.UK
Headlamp, position lamps, daytime running lamps, stop lamps, indicators, hazard warning lamps, fog lamps, reversing lamps, lighting ‘tell-tales’, trailer electrical socket, electrical wiring and battery rules and inspection for car and passenger vehicle MOT tests.
