Pendant/stud mount LED aux reverse light?

eggsalad

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New-to-me 2002 Chevy Silverado. Not a lot of poop out of the (I believe) 3157 reverse lights. I thought the easy solution might be a stud/pendant mount LED reverse light, but a study of the Grote and Truck-Lite websites didn't show me anything suitable. Perhaps I missed it?

Those are the two names I (somewhat) implicitly trust. If I'm missing the device I'm looking for on their sites, can someone help? Barring that, is there another brand of such a device I should be looking at?
 

Mr. Merk

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The purpose of reverse lamps is not rearward vision, but to signal others that you are reversing. You can effectively brighten your reverse lamps by installing 3457 bulbs. Virgil or others may have a another recommendation .

A camera may be a good option if you want to improve rear vision while reversing.
 

Alaric Darconville

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New-to-me 2002 Chevy Silverado. Not a lot of poop out of the (I believe) 3157 reverse lights. I thought the easy solution might be a stud/pendant mount LED reverse light, but a study of the Grote and Truck-Lite websites didn't show me anything suitable.

Those are the two names I (somewhat) implicitly trust. If I'm missing the device I'm looking for on their sites, can someone help? Barring that, is there another brand of such a device I should be looking at?

The purpose of reverse lamps is not rearward vision, but to signal others that you are reversing. You can effectively brighten your reverse lamps by installing 3457 bulbs. Virgil or others may have a another recommendation .
And that usually just more-effectively provides warning, but every little bit helps.

Auxiliary reversing lamps abound, such as these Peterson Manufacturing units-- and for them, various mounting methods can be used, like these.

On the subject of reversing lamps, if your Silverado activates the reversing lamps when the doors are locked/unlocked, take it to the dealer and get that function disabled. That "feature" can get children killed, as they will learn to consider a vehicle with the reversing lamps lit in a parking lot or driveway as safe to approach, instead of a potential danger.
 

Mr. Merk

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if your Silverado activates the reversing lamps when the doors are locked/unlocked, That "feature" can get children killed, as they will learn to consider a vehicle with the reversing lamps lit in a parking lot or driveway as safe to approach, instead of a potential danger.

Wow, I'd never thought about that. I'm around cars all day at work, and I'm pretty sure they all have that "entry lighting" feature.
 

-Virgil-

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The purpose of reverse lamps is not rearward vision, but to signal others that you are reversing.

Nominally it's both. FMVSS 108 and CMVSS 108 say "Backup lamp means a lamp or lamps which illuminate the road to the rear of a vehicle and provide a warning signal to pedestrians and other drivers when the vehicle is backing up or is about to back up.". And UN Regulation 48 says ""Reversing lamp" means the lamp used to illuminate the road to the rear of the vehicle and to warn other road-users that the vehicle is reversing or about to reverse."

Technically, however, the specifications do not require reversing lamps to put out enough light to provide any useful illumination for the driver to see where they're going. So auxiliary reversing lamps are the way to fix that. Alaric's on the right track, especially by pointing to a Peterson LumenX lamp, which is a quality product with good performance. I would probably go for more of a slimline solution with two of the 2x6 oval LumenX lamps in these grommets and these brackets. Their current draw is low enough that they could just be tapped into the existing reverse light wiring (no need for a relay).

As far as cameras go: sure, but it's not either-or. Cameras need good light to see well, too.

Go ahead and put a good 3456 bulb in the truck's original reversing lamps. They're 25% brighter and there won't be a shadow from the (nonexistent) minor filament. But you're still going to want auxiliary reversing lamps.
 

eggsalad

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I will get the 3456 bulbs first. Maybe that's enough.

No worries about the reversing lamps coming on with unlock - it's a base-model truck with no RKE.

The reason I was looking for a stud-mount lamp is that I have a spot in mind on the bumper. It's where the factory trailer wiring socket would be (to the left of the license plate) if the truck was so equipped. Unfortunately, it's not a large enough area to cut a 4" or 2"x6" hole.
 

Hamilton Felix

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As Virgil and Alaric can tell you, there are lighting standards for backup lights. But some of us want more. On my old International 4x4 offroad work truck, I mounted a pair of sealed beams inside the 6" channel bumper, then another pair of sealed beams a good six feet off the ground. Both sets are on manually switched circuits. Out in the woods I wanted "headlights on the back" for maneuvering, plus I wanted work lights. This setup, combined with a bed light (from the now defunct Airborne Sales) that started life as a fuselage light, took care of my needs. But it was ONLY used out in the woods, and 200-300 watts of sealed beams (depending which bulbs were installed at the time) is sort of a brute force approach.

The old ex-Navy 1966 Cornbinder is now on jacks and probably beyond restoration, so the current workhorse is a 1986 F250. On that, I replaced the original tail/backup lamps, installed those #796 replacements for 1156, then (because I'm not shy about cutting oval holes in my step bumper), I put in a pair of LED backup lights Virgil recommended (which work well, even after I backed into a tree stump right over one of the lights, while skidding logs). I added a manual switch and 10 gauge wiring, which really jumped the voltage at the bulbs. So far, this has been meeting my needs for backing up and for loading/unloading and hitching the trailer at night, but floods mounted atop the cab protector come next. I'm probably at the limit for legal backup lighting on public roads. This is why I like additional lights on separate circuits that I only turn on out in the woods.

We are fortunate now to have so many different LED auxiliary lights available. My suggestion is to get the best possible bulbs for your stock backup lights, then carefully investigate the feasibility of adding any more lights without exceeding the legal backup lighting restrictions. Then add additional offroad floods if desired - on a completely different circuit. There are so many different small lights and LED "light bars" today that with a little research you're sure to find something that fits your available space. Gone are the days when every other backwoods hunter/camper just stuck on a pair of PAR36 tractor floods. But again, I'm a big believer in a separate circuit for those, so your vehicle's reverse lights stay street legal but you can switch on some serious floodlights when working out in the woods.
 

SubLGT

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...Peterson LumenX lamp, which is a quality product with good performance. I would probably go for more of a slimline solution with two of the 2x6 oval LumenX lamps in these grommets and these brackets. Their current draw is low enough that they could just be tapped into the existing reverse light wiring (no need for a relay). ....

Is it necessary to buy a separate grommet? One is already included with the 820KC-10 lamp, along with a 817-48 weather tight plug.

Peterson 421-18 grommet:
https://www.pmlights.com/products.cfm?cId=4&fId=17&pId=728

817-48 plug:
https://www.pmlights.com/products.cfm?cId=5&fId=20&pId=3862
 

Alaric Darconville

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Wow, I'd never thought about [the danger to children]. I'm around cars all day at work, and I'm pretty sure they all have that "entry lighting" feature.

But you surely remember a time when it ONLY meant that cars were about to move backwards.
Children probably won't really know anything other than "the white lights are on, Mom and Dad are striding confidently to this car without any hint of danger". They'll see their friends' parents' cars doing the same thing, and probably no grownup thought to tell the kids "be careful when it's not OUR car, it could be someone backing up".
 

Mr. Merk

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But you surely remember a time when it ONLY meant that cars were about to move backwards.
Children probably won't really know anything other than "the white lights are on, Mom and Dad are striding confidently to this car without any hint of danger". They'll see their friends' parents' cars doing the same thing, and probably no grownup thought to tell the kids "be careful when it's not OUR car, it could be someone backing up".

So true and very scary.
 

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