Wiring auxiliary lights

[urbanhermit]

I have trouble seeing intersection curbs, driveways, etc. at night.  I've acquired a couple of 6" x 2" floods I shall mount under the nose cap, far enough back to top the beam very low, and angle them down and outward.  It would be ideal to have them come on left or right when the turn signals are use (not blinking) but I've no idea how, physically, to run the wires for that.  At this writing I don't even know exactly where under the dashboard the blinker unit is.  I can tap into the low beam wires easily enough -- auxiliary lights are low-draw LEDs -- and allow my "cornering lights" but turn contginuously -- but has anyone an idea somewhere in between, not using a switch I'd have to use manually?    2006 Monaco Cayman 36.  

Edited May 1, 2021 by urbanhermit

[kaypsmith]

Tap into the incoming carrier to the turn signal flasher, this way the flasher will still flash the appropriate lights after it, and allow the floods to remain steady burning until signal goes off. Another alternative is to use amber floods aimed where you want them and simply tap into the headlight wiring, if aimed low as you described, is perfectly legal.

[hermanmullins]

Tap into the Running lights on the lower front of the coach. Then put a switch somewhere on or around the dash that has easy access to reach.

Herman

[manholt]

IMHO, I would go with Kay on this...no separate switch required. In the dark, you'll have lights on anyway!

[urbanhermit]

15 hours ago, kaypsmith said:

Tap into the incoming carrier to the turn signal flasher, this way the flasher will still flash the appropriate lights after it, and allow the floods to remain steady burning until signal goes off. Another alternative is to use amber floods aimed where you want them and simply tap into the headlight wiring, if aimed low as you described, is perfectly legal.

Thanks for the suggestions.  How is it that the lights will come only when the flasher is being used if I tap into the incoming hot to the flasher unit and then ground somewhere else, or to the flasher unit ground?  Maybe -- likely -- there's something about the wriing of the flasher unit I don't know about.  Otherwise, the lights are white, but they're now mounted so far back beneath the nose cone that they can't be seen without getting eyes below the the level of the bottom of the cone, and turned down about 20 degrees and angled out at least 30 degrees.  The lenses will be far below eye level and deeply hooded by the cone long before an oncoming driver gets into their range.  I think if that doesn't work I'll have to resort to a three-position toggle mounted on the dash or the side control panel. 

18-watts apiece.  Isn't that 1.5 amps?  Shouldn't overload either low beam or turn circuit.  If I tap into the flasher carrier, I'm adding 3 amps.  

Edited May 1, 2021 by urbanhermit

[urbanhermit]

7 hours ago, hermanmullins said:

Tap into the Running lights on the lower front of the coach. Then put a switch somewhere on or around the dash that has easy access to reach.

Herman

Believe it or not, it doesn't have running lights.  That may be my next addition, after I get the headlight lenses cleaned inside (it can be done easily but reauires taking the pods out).  

[hermanmullins]

Does your Coach have Docking Lights? If so there is another place to tap into. Most coaches with Docking Light have a switch on the dash.

Herman

 

[urbanhermit]

1 hour ago, hermanmullins said:

Does your Coach have Docking Lights? If so there is another place to tap into. Most coaches with Docking Light have a switch on the dash.

Herman

 

No go there either.  Headlights, marker lights, ICC switch and that's all.  

[kaypsmith]

5 hours ago, urbanhermit said:

How is it that the lights will come only when the flasher is being used if I tap into the incoming hot to the flasher unit and then ground somewhere else, or to the flasher unit ground?  Maybe -- likely -- there's something about the wriing of the flasher unit I don't know about.  Otherwise, the lights are white, but they're now

It's because ground is common on all carriers with DC, only positive needs to be pulled from wherever you pull it from, then ground to the chassis unless there is a defect to the chassis ground, and if that is the case, it needs to be corrected at the negative to chassis source. White lights are legal shining towards the front of the vehicle, but amber is required if predominately shining towards either side of the vehicle.

Edited May 2, 2021 by kaypsmith

[urbanhermit]

I determined that the flasher unit is upstream of the switch and thus when current flows it's already intermittant coming in to the switch -- can't use the turn signal switch to control the added lights. 

My solution was to buy a Dremel and, puckered very tightly, to cut into the carbon fiber panel on the side console and install a marine on-off-on switch, wire its hot to the hot lead of an unused electric brake harness under the dash, and run separate hots through the firewall to the two lights.  The switch is only inches from the turn signal stalk and can be used by touch.  I used Posi-Taps to T into the hot and a ground and recommend them highly.  (And yes, Manholt, I did go back and add an in-line fuse.) 

Edited June 14, 2021 by urbanhermit