Roof light rack?

[Captcol]

Has anyone done this?

I am wanting to mount some rectanglular or oval spotties on my roof, currently I have the 3/4 bars on the back section of the vehicle. The way I can think of doing this is to remove the current bars and put on a full basket style system and then mount the lights on the front of that. The next question is how to get the wiring back into vehicle. I would also like to be able to have 2 lights on the back as utility/extra reverse lights.

Does anyone sell something in NZ that is suitable for this application? Can anyone make something for me? (I can;t weld yet)

[slightlydodgy]

what about the bolt on roof racks (have seen a thread here or the old forum on these) that the main support runs the length of the roof and have adjustable bars that go between. Then you could mount your lights on the bars and run your wies up the inside of the door pillar and through a hole under the roof rack mounts. This way you can remove the whole light bar when you ned to. I hope I'm making sense here.

[geeves]

Before doing anything with extra lights Have a read of the LTSA website. There are some pretty strange rules about lights

[Mervin]

Put Spotties on the roof about year or so ago after Roomodeling the front ones for the second time, ran all wiring through the bar channel and down through the door, drilled a small hole through the door jamb into the ceiling cavity, put a rubber Grommet in and looks neat, all wiring then runs down front pillar to engine bay. Can take some close ups and post them if you want to do similar. Really only use them when out bush as they light up the whole bonnet....look good though..

Top of Tim Shea Track MT Field Nat Park Tassie.JPG

[Captcol]

I like it, thats kinda what I was thinking. What did you use for the bar?

I had a hunt around the nzta website and couldn't find the info I wanted regarding number and placement of driving lights

[geeves]

http://www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/get-y ... -right.pdf

Although it doesnt say top mount lights are not allowed it does refer to lights confusing of dazzling other drivers. Having lights high up does nothing usefull on the road but can be really helpfully in bush where most would fit 2 spots in the centre and 2 spread beams on the sides. A roof bar though is nor wise in NZ bush as it will catch on everything.
If I was fitting lights like this I would wire them so they could only be used in 4wd. It would be easy to feed a relay from the 4wd light. Expect to explain how they work every warrant of fitness as the mechanic will want to test them

[Captcol]

http://www.lvvta.org.nz/stdLightingStandard.pdf

Found this on the low volume certifiers site, not all the way through reading it yet but it does mention roof lights are okay.

@ Greeves - The combo of pencil and spread would be what I was looking at and rigging off the 4x4 light would be a good idea. I also admit your point on the lights getting caught, I was thinking more of an arrangment that the lights are under barwork so more protected in that fasion, the full basket would allow for reverse/util lights at the rear. My first issue is the roof rack system.

@ slightlydodgy - I like your wiring idea

Just finished reading and from the looks of it, roof mounted are fine as long as they only operate on main beam, from the looks of the fog light rules ours are only legal because they were an option available during manurfacture on a bar that had them close to the centre. Not sure how to proceed atm, will think about this further, the issues raised by greeves - hang ups and do I want a full basket on the roof?

[Mervin]

[quote="Captcol"]I like it, thats kinda what I was thinking. What did you use for the bar

Its a Rola, the type you mount on the door frame and cut the center bar to size to fit, Something i had on another vehicle... I am also looking for rear bar - a bit trickier, i have seen this type directly bolted through the roof...not sure i want to drill into the roof, though, theres no removing it after that.

[wbski007]

This is how I got 12V power to my visor, drilled a 1/8 inch hole in piller, ran wire thru, sealed it with silacone, its never leaked a drop

[slightlydodgy]

I have a couple of 55 watt driving lights mounted in front of my wing mirrors gives good periphial light and allows you to see that blind spot behind your maiin headlights right out to beside the driver and have also put a dash switch on my reverse lights so that I can use them for shuting gates etc in he dark

[bozza72]

As for the reverse/utility lights, ive just used a cheap pair from supercheap & tapped into the reverse light wires, ive also fitted an overide switch on the dash as my reverse light switch in the gearbox can play up.

as you can see i didnt even have to drill any holes to fit them just a couple of heavy duty cable ties did the trick

[Captcol]

Nice I was thinking of high mount, but it looks like that will be hard work especially with the little spoiler at the top of the window so low might be the best option

[Shaman]

Bozza, are you using a relay for the lights, or are they being powered solely by the reverse lights?

[bozza72]

No relay just the reverse lights, they work well enough for my dark drive way.
also i went for the warrant this week and the guys said if you have extra reverse lights you need a dash warning light, i had already fitted one but thought it worth a mention here. so youll have to check your local regulations so you stay legal.

[Captcol]

I am in the process of fitting two illuminated switches with relays, one switches them on and off with the reverse lights, and one to use as work lights (just figured out I have made a booboo with one of the switches) both are ignition acc so I shouldn't flatten my battery

[bozza72]

sounds good cam you show us a pic when you,ve finished.

[Captcol]

Alrighty,

reverse/working lights fitted to the truck - work has been weather and GF dependant as well as cash so has taken longer than expected, and it kinda grew into abit of future proofing. First the pics then the circuit I used. The only fault I can find with the circuit - apart from the poor handy work is that there is no protection to stop having both switches on but more on that later.

Illuminated switches on dash, left adds lights to reverse and the right turns on as working lights both accessory switched - can't find the other cover atm but as soon as I do I will drill it and sort that. I found some nicer switches but would have been a pain putting them onto our curved insert surfaces.

Dash_Switches.jpg

Next is the wiring, added the fuse block to run all accessories off as I install them, CB/RT, car puter, bigger stereo etc etc. In retrospect I should have attached the fuse block to some mdf as well as the relays and laid it all out wired nicely before putting in the truck. I may still do this - future project, bigger power wire from battery.

Dodgy wiring.jpg

Close up and full back shot of the lights, unfortunately I could not work out how I could get them up any higher than this, I would have liked to put them on the roof but unable to, then I wanted to cut them into the chrome bumpers but I don't have the skill or resources to do a good job of this so underneath it is.

Closeup.jpg

On_Truck.jpg

Puppy fence getting in the way of the pictures.

Quick sketch of the wiring

circuit.jpg

As you can see no protection between the two relays, couldn't work out how to do this, the only time it could be a problem is if I have the workers on and then put the truck in reverse having left he switch active from precously, but as they share the same power in and out not sure it is an issue.