Mount “ditch spots” on tow hooks? / legality / clamps?

[LosAngeles]

Mount “ditch spots” on tow hooks? / legality / clamps?

Hi all

For times when driving country roads with no one around, it might be nice to have some “ditch” spots to throw more light ahead to help spot deer.

I’d put them on an up fitter switch (I have the Ford ones)

There is no obvious place to hide them behind the 2020 F350 grill, so how about clamps on the front tow hooks?

I’ll have to measure to see if these fit - but they look pretty perfect (if they fit)

https://www.ebay.com/itm/2PCS-Work-Light-Mounting-Bracket-2-2-3-1CM-Bumper-Tube-Clamp-Bar-Holder-Solid-/152489286430

any other recommendations?

They will be inexpensive LED lights (about $35-60/pair) so I don’t mind if they get munched or stolen.

and…. for a second I thought about using yellow lights as these “ditch spots” so it is a constant reminder for me to turn them off if a car approaches… is that a good or a bad idea?

Looking at these 2 lights as inexpensive and decent options:
any preference between the two options below?

I don’t want to get fancy and do any fancy wiring / integration. Just on an up fitter switch or two.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07H3VBF5Z (I would have to use 2 x 25 watt up fitter switches, I believe as they are 25 watts each)

or the SPOT version of these (40 watt total, for the pair, so I could put on up fitter #5 or #6, together)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07Q14YV19

also - with them in place (but off) any chance any highway patrol in any state (perhaps fussy California?) would be upset with them just being there? (but turned off) Serious question.

thanks!

 

[Kolockum]

It is not illegal just to have lights on your vehicle. Having them on while driving can be a different thing.

On my old truck the head lights were next to worthless and I had a small light bar attached to my high beam circuit. That way when I turned my high beams on the light bar would turn on also. I had a switch that would keep the light bar off if needed. Really easy wiring.

My thinking was if I am in an area with lots of deer and where I am driving fast enough for them to be a problem then it is rural enough nobody would care.

 

[LosAngeles]

It is not illegal just to have lights on your vehicle. Having them on while driving can be a different thing.

On my old truck the head lights were next to worthless and I had a small light bar attached to my high beam circuit. That way when I turned my high beams on the light bar would turn on also. I had a switch that would keep the light bar off if needed. Really easy wiring.

My thinking was if I am in an area with lots of deer and where I am driving fast enough for them to be a problem then it is rural enough nobody would care.

Good thoughts. Thanks.

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Consider how you use them

CHP May be cracking down.

 

[Beach]

Don't know what year your truck is but my 2012 f250 has a plastic plug in the unused fog/driving light cutout on the front bumper. Do you have the same or is it already used?

 

[LosAngeles]

Don't know what year your truck is but my 2012 f250 has a plastic plug in the unused fog/driving light cutout on the front bumper. Do you have the same or is it already used?

yeah i saw that - our 2020 does seem to have a "plastic plug in the unused fog/driving light cutout on the front bumper" but i could not figure out how to remove it... also i could not figure out how to mount the "flood/spots" in there and get aimed at the ditches as much as I want.... so i figure the tow hooks with clamps will be easier. Also I dont want to go drilling holes into the bumper because i am a chicken. and a novice. ;-)

for future mods those areas may be good, though... thanks.

 

[smlobx]

You didn’t mention which Ford truck you have and it sounds like you want to keep the expense down but I have these Baja Designs on my Super Duty and they are truly amazing.
They fit in the grill with the kit specific to the SD and I believe there are none better.

https://www.bajadesigns.com/products/s8-LED-Light-Bars.asp

 

[camelracer]

Light bar

 

[Machinebuilder]

SDHQ sells a Baja Designs Fog light pocket kit. (available up to current Super duty's)

I have one for my F150 with the wide cornering lights and they are really impressive, light up all of my periferal vision for about 75yds and both ditches.

The kit also included a wiring adapter to make them plug and play to the factory fog light switch.

 

[kimosawboy]

You might want to invest in a illuminated switch for a reminder that you have them on .. On all my Aux eq. I have ''dummy'' lights and they have saved the battery more than once. You can even go one step further and wire it so that if the light goes out your switch will not illuminate.

 

[LosAngeles]

You might want to invest in a illuminated switch for a reminder that you have them on .. On all my Aux eq. I have ''dummy'' lights and they have saved the battery more than once. You can even go one step further and wire it so that if the light goes out your switch will not illuminate.

Thanks for the good ideas

my theory in having them be yellow ditch lights is that it should hopefully be obvious that they are on - being yellow.

we shall see.

 

[Old Crow]

I don't have time to look into this further right now but thought you might want to read through this thread for some background on California laws regarding off-road and auxiliary lighting. It's an older thread so I'm wondering if there's other, more recent info out there on it but don't have time to look.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/off-road-lights-in-cali-law.179934/#post-3796986

24402

24411

For me, the point is that current law on the subject would likely contain details on measurements, number of lights, placement of lights, switching requirements, operation with low or high beam, etc.
.

 

[ntsqd]

The old wording of the off-road light section allowed for a covered switch in place of a covered off-road light. Lights that I use on pavement are ALWAYS "Auxiliary Passing Lights."