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Rear LED lighting options?

Discussion in '2nd Gen. Tacomas (2005-2015)' started by zmw, Sep 5, 2014.

  1. Sep 5, 2014 at 11:13 PM
    #1
    zmw

    zmw [OP] Well-Known Member

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    I need some ideas on how to mount some lights in the rear of my truck - I often have my wakeboard boat out way past dark and need lights to help get the boat on the trailer - Has anyone mounted an LED bar or something between the tailgate and the bumper maybe? I could flush mount some rigid dualies maybe, just looking for ideas.

    -Z
     
  2. Sep 5, 2014 at 11:23 PM
    #2
    186000mps

    186000mps ..Slingin' up mud and we're scarying off bunnies..

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    I have always wanted to mount another pair of ADV Monster 60s to the back somewhere, they are small and kick out a lot of light
     
  3. Sep 5, 2014 at 11:25 PM
    #3
    zmw

    zmw [OP] Well-Known Member

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    do you have a pair back there now? Where are they mounted... Honestly it sounds crazy but having flush mounted in the tail gate would be perfect lol...
     
  4. Sep 7, 2014 at 3:50 PM
    #4
    zmw

    zmw [OP] Well-Known Member

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    anyone bump...
     
  5. Sep 7, 2014 at 4:34 PM
    #5
    186000mps

    186000mps ..Slingin' up mud and we're scarying off bunnies..

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    Not there yet, I plan on mounting them right under the bumper on either side of the rear hitch cross member
     
  6. Sep 7, 2014 at 5:59 PM
    #6
    zmw

    zmw [OP] Well-Known Member

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    I bang my hitch carrier on rocks enough that that won't work well for me, I already had to move my hitch harness and plug to the bumper.
     
  7. Sep 7, 2014 at 9:35 PM
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    kought

    kought Member

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    My dad had some holes cut in the rear bumper of his F-350 by the local welding shop and then put in some rectangular LED lights. He had some bolted below the bumper for a while but with backing into snowbanks etc. they busted off pretty quick. These worked great and were protected very well. Here's a pic

    04edec6c-fb56-4c12-b3cf-4ca6c8486760_zps_d18013fd69efb3c4796ff42b5e641a9728b79984.jpg
     
  8. Sep 7, 2014 at 11:34 PM
    #8
    J0HN_R1

    J0HN_R1 Well-Known Member

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  9. Sep 7, 2014 at 11:45 PM
    #9
    JTyfz450

    JTyfz450 Well-Known Member

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    I got White Night hitch light. Works well for me. You can either get one that hooks up below the witch or one that goes around the hitch.
     
  10. Sep 8, 2014 at 7:48 AM
    #10
    ranger098

    ranger098 Well-Known Member

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    Just throwing this out there... Trying to light up the trailer from the truck will only make it harder to get your boat on the trailer. youll be a deer in the headlights and will be blinded. You need forward facing lights on your tower my friend..

    I have a wakeboard boat too and thats what i do. More than that tho, we both need boat slips so we dont need to launch :cool::cool:

    I am getting all my stuff together for bed lights that stick under the rails for lighting up the box, then plan to get something on an extendable arm for around the truck. I have these in my enclosed snowmobile trailer and theyre the shit.

    http://www.amazon.com/TRITON-10861-SWING-LOADING-LIGHT/dp/B00AMNIR00
     
  11. Sep 8, 2014 at 1:28 PM
    #11
    zmw

    zmw [OP] Well-Known Member

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    I have forward facing lights on my tower - plenty of them but when you are loading in the dark that only does good on the approach, getting the boat lined up and on the wench in the dark is the real problem ebcause your forward facing lights are now lighting up the area in front of your TRUCK ;)

    I have access to a slip but frankly I'm not too keen on leaving the boat out there, I am far too anal about keeping it clean and dry , I'd go crazy.
     
  12. Sep 8, 2014 at 1:46 PM
    #12
    ranger098

    ranger098 Well-Known Member

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    I see. well i will keep checking this thread cuz i still dont quite have the right solution for lighting around the truck. Sticking to my headlamp for now..

    Not to threadjack but whats your boat? and do you like it?
     
  13. Sep 8, 2014 at 3:22 PM
    #13
    zmw

    zmw [OP] Well-Known Member

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    I thinking about some flush mount rigid duallies in the rear bumper, that'll keep the out of the way and br bright enough to light up anything.

    I have a 2004 Mastercraft X-star, with close to 4000lb of extra balast, it throws a monster wake ;).
     
  14. Sep 8, 2014 at 4:48 PM
    #14
    o0oSHADOWo0o

    o0oSHADOWo0o Just lurking in the darkness

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    Just a few LEDs...
    Ok this might sound a little out there but it makes perfect sense to me...

    Why not get some water proof LED strips and put them on the trailer itself. It would be the equivalent to a lit runway at night. You could tie into parking lights for the trailer an put a switch somewhere near the winch.

    I'm probably going to do this to my Waverunner trailer to make it easier to line up with the skids in murky water at dusk. :D

    If you don't like LED strips, you could always get some cheap submersible LED side markers and line the rails on the trailer with those.

    If you're set on putting lights on the truck, try mounting then on the bed rails behind the cab.
     
    Last edited: Sep 8, 2014
  15. Sep 9, 2014 at 7:46 AM
    #15
    ranger098

    ranger098 Well-Known Member

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    Damn! Nice boat man. I had an 04 mastercraft X2 for a while... but thats a whole long story. Now i got a Moomba Mobius that i rebuilt floor up and its awesome. 3000 lb ballast all on switches, all new quality vinyl, Hydroturf floor which i think everyone should have cuz carpet is old news.

    As for those led stips on the trailer thats not a bad idea. I wish we had stake pockets in our trucks. I always thought it would be nice to have a sort of plug n play system.. just stick the light in the pocket and plug it into 12v power.
     
  16. Sep 9, 2014 at 8:09 AM
    #16
    zmw

    zmw [OP] Well-Known Member

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    the X-star I bought was the nicest X-star I could find between years 04-12 - It had been kept in climate controlled storage, covered, had less than 400 hours when I bought it (i've run it up to 550 as of yesterday) all new vinyl at the end of the season in 2013, has the big motor upgrade, I added the balasts also all on switches, manual pumps suck, I propped down a bit to a 14.5x14.25 and upgraded perfect pass to GPS, it's a rock solid boat and has a motor that I can rebuild in my sleep (LQ9 6.0L)

    My only complaint is it's a BITCH to get on the trailer, I'm not sure if it's just the pickle fork hull or what, but it's much harder to get on the trailer than any standard Vhull boat I've had.

    There are somethings I wish I had a new boat for, all the new surf gate systems are cool but I can't afford a new mastercraft and I'm not willing to step down in quality to get into like a waskesetter. My personal opinion is my 04 X-star is a better built boat than even the newest Malibu's.
     
  17. Sep 9, 2014 at 8:14 AM
    #17
    ranger098

    ranger098 Well-Known Member

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    my standard perfect pass sucks when fully weighted down. I need a GPS version. boat still fluctuates like 3mph!!! And ya, an 04 xstar was YEARS ahead of anything else out there when it came out. If i were you id keep that thing for another 10 yrs.
     
  18. Sep 9, 2014 at 8:54 AM
    #18
    zmw

    zmw [OP] Well-Known Member

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    I'll wait till I can buy a 10 year old X55 before I upgrade ;) - The paddle wheel version worked pretty well on my boat but we ride in a pretty dirty/muddy river which caused some problems every now and then the wheel would get stuck and would show like 4mph even if we're doing 30.

    I wouldn't have upgraded but my original display died so I figured since I had to take it out anyway, might as well make it modern ;P
     

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